Enlisted lounge grand opening scheduled for March 31

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Austin M. May
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The Enlisted Lounge at RAF Mildenhall's Galaxy Club has gotten a facelift, and is about to show it off.

The lounge is used for professional organization meetings, such as the Chief's Group, the Top Three, Team 5/6 and Airmen Committed to Excellence, and serves as a place to hold going-away ceremonies for Airmen and promotion parties.

Tech. Sgt. Joshua Franklin, Co-Chair of the Enlisted Heritage Committee, said the old décor had a naval theme, and didn't feel like it was for Air Force enlisted Airmen.

"Enlisted Airmen must have a sense of where we came from," he stated in an e-mail. He said that idea inspired the addition of the "Enlisted Firsts" display.

"These 15 portraits and narratives show enlisted members breaking barriers, such as the first female chief master sergeant, the first enlisted Medal of Honor recipient, the first enlisted prisoner of war and many more," he added. "These 'Enlisted Firsts' can educate and inspire future generations of Airmen to never settle for second best and redefine what it really means to be an enlisted Airman."

Another main feature of the room is the "Enlisted Airmen and the Mission" mural, which shows how each Airman, no matter their job, performs the mission of the Air Force, Sergeant Franklin said.

"Showing Airmen that they are an integral part of the mission is a huge morale builder and encourages each person to do their very best every day," he said.

Also new are four shadowboxes of enlisted uniforms throughout the last 60 years, including World War II-era jackets and stripes, the original advertisements for women in the Air Force, coins from each unit at Team Mildenhall and more. Each of these unique items is on display in the Enlisted Lounge to show Airman where they came from and strengthen pride in the enlisted corps, Sergeant Franklin said.

The grand opening ceremony will begin immediately following a promotion ceremony, at about 3:45 p.m. According to Sergeant Franklin, both officers or enlisted members can reserve the enlisted lounge for any function, official or private, by calling the Galaxy Club caterer at 238-7190.