Reservists participate in base-wide cleanup

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Zach Anderson
  • 507th Air Refueling Wing
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Reservists from the 507th Air Refueling Wing and the 513th Air Control Group did their part to keep Tinker safe and beautiful by participating in a base-wide cleanup project recently. 

The cleanup, a result of the vision and leadership of installation commander, Col. Mark A. Correll, was an effort to make sure the base as a whole is continuing its obligation to be a good citizen of the local community while promoting safety and helping the environment. 

"Safety is one of the most important reasons for efforts like this," said Capt. Mark Vardaro, inspector general of the 507th ARW. "Oklahoma winds can blow debris onto the flight lines, taxiways and runways causing potential for damage to aircraft." 

In all, 95 volunteers from the 507th and 513th took part in the effort. A few even decided to participate while wearing full chemical protective gear as a way of conducting readiness training. 

"I decided to kill two birds with one stone. I was going to be wearing my chemical protection gear during the day so I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to do some readiness training in the outdoor environment," said Lt. Col. Michael Jones, wing chaplain for the 507th ARW. 

During the cleanup, volunteers managed to net 67 bags of trash containing everything from cigarette butts to sheets of plywood and a crushed parking cone. 

"I am extremely pleased with the turnout from the reserve campus," said Lt. Col. Charles Planer, acting Wing Commander for the 507th ARW. "I must admit, I was a little shocked with the amount of items found blowing around. These could very easily have become safety issues for motorist, flight crews, and even joggers." 

While the main focus was on keeping the base safe and clean, volunteers managed to take something away from the project as well. 

"It was a good experience," said Staff Sgt. Leia VanLue, 507th ARW Military Equal Opportunity Specialist.
"I just enjoyed getting out and doing my part to clean up the base along with the camaraderie of working together with my fellow reservists."