Community initiative makes dorm renovation project a success

By / Published July 25, 2008

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A car door refurbished with bold LED lighting is the signature feature of the Sports Den in the newly dedicated 423rd Air Base Group Dormitory renovation and morale project. Dorm Manager Air Force Technical Sgt. Phillip Allen who created the Sports Den, found the door at a local dump. (U.S. Air Force photo by Technical Sgt. Phillip A. Allen)

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Air Force Colonel Kimberly K. Toney, Commander, 501st Combat Support Wing joins other 501st CSW, JIOCEUR Analytic Center, and 423rd Air Base Group leaders and dorm residents at the dedication of the 423rd Air Base Group Dormitory renovation and morale project. The renovation features a Sports Den created by Dorm Manager Air Force Technical Sgt. Phillip Allen. Joining Col Toney is Senior Airman Latasha D. Bethea, a dorm resident who works at the JAC; JAC Senior Enlisted Leader, Navy Master Chief Shelly A. Wall; 423rd Air Base Group Superintendent Chief Master Sgt. Ronald D. Schwarting II; 501st Combat Support Wing Command Chief, Chief Master Sgt. Maria D. Vaughn; 423rd Civil Engineering Squadron Commander Air Force Major Eric P. Hoversten; an unidentified dorm resident, and Navy Petty Officer Third Class Paula M. Parnacott of the JAC (U.S. Air Force Photo by Technical Sgt. Phillip A. Allen)

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A view of the new Sports Den created as part of the newly dedicated 423rd Air Base Group Dormitory renovation and morale project. A car door refurbished with bold LED lighting is the signature feature of the Sports Den created by Dorm Manager Air Force Technical Sgt. Phillip Allen. Sgt. Allen found the door at a local dump. The project was dedicated by Air Force Colonel Kimberly K. Toney, 51st Combat Support Wing Commander and leadership of the JIOCEUR Analytic Centert, 423rd Air Base Group, and dorm residents. (U.S. Air Force photo by Technical Sgt. Phillip A. Allen)

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A basketball hoop provides an incentive to put trash where it belongs in the new Sports Den created as part of the newly dedicated 423rd Air Base Group Dormitory renovation and morale project. The Sports Den was created by Dorm Manager Air Force Technical Sgt. Phillip Allen. (U.S. Air Force photo by Technical Sgt. Phillip A. Allen)

RAF ALCONBURY, United Kingdom -- July marked the grand opening celebration of a 423rd Air Base Group Dormitory renovation and morale project collaborated on by the dormitory manager, chaplain services, 423rd Civil Engineer Squadron and the 423rd Air Base Group Enlisted Spouses Club.

The project created five "common area" rooms for residents including a prayer and meditation room, a theater, a video gaming room, bible study room and sports den. "We want to increase the quality of life for the single and unaccompanied housing residents," said (Capt.) Chaplain David Zavala, 423rd Air Base Group Chaplain. "We want to give them a common area to have recreation and build friendships as well as provide a spiritual component to the dormitory."

While the Chapel sponsors the theater, bible study, prayer and meditation and video gaming room, the dormitory manager, Technical Sgt. Phillip Allen, created the sports den.

"The single and unaccompanied housing manger (dorm manager) took the lead on these renovations and common areas," said Linda Bowyer, Chief of Unaccompanied Housing for the 423rd Air Base Group. "He has been instrumental in renovating these rooms, mainly with a shoe-string budget."

Allen was responsible for much of the painting, electrical, carpet, and wood work, as well as recovering the billiards table and creating the décor.
The 423rd Air Base Group Enlisted Spouses Club donated the sports equipment that Allen used to decorate the walls in the sports den.

"Phillip has worked way over and beyond normal manger duty," said Bowyer. "He's done fantastic work, and the amount of imagination and enthusiasm he's put in to do it has been amazing."

The sports den's signature feature is the "car door" (found at a local dump) that has been refurbished with LED lighting that reads "sports den."

The project has been met with huge compliments from dorm residents.
"The dorm residents have been extremely impressed, as well as the dormitory council members," said Bowyer. "In their words it is 'awesome.'"