Airmen get connected at “The Connection”

  • Published
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  Moving to a new location every few years is part of military life. Most will say it's a major adjustment. Not only is there the anxiety of starting a new job, but there's also the anxiety of making a whole new set of friends. This is especially true for single airmen serving their first tour of active duty.

The good news is there's a place for Offutt's young enlisted members to go where they are welcomed with open arms. It's called "The Connection," and it's conveniently situated right where many Airmen live.

"The Connection brings the warrior campus together," said Airman 1st Class Sean Bolton, who was recently assigned to Offutt. "In many ways, it provides a better military experience - it helps keep dorm residents more active, social and optimistic."

The program is targeted towards enlisted members in the grades of E-1 to E-4 and provides facilities and activities for social interaction. Located inside the third-floor dayrooms of Tuskegee Hall, members can utilize a fully equipped kitchen, play a game of pool, surf the internet, or watch a game on one of the many televisions.

"This is like the living room of the dorms - everybody comes here to 'kick it'," said Senior Airman Keosha Middleton, a 55th Force Support Squadron member who's been actively involved with the program for the past three years.

It's also a place where junior enlisted members can go seek peer-to-peer advice.

"This is a place for all Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines," Middleton said. "Whoever you are, you can come here and get the help that you need."

Organizers say the overall purpose of the program is to foster spiritual resiliency, but its success has been due in large part to a 'recreational ministry' approach.

"We have fun learning about the different aspects of things that make us complete military members, which in part is spiritual formation," said Ivory Baker, who is the director of the Airmen Ministry Center and who helps manage the program.

Baker compared the Connection to a Walmart that offers a wide variety of products and services.

"We do the food, we do the counseling, we do professional development," Baker said.

The Connection also provides Airmen with many volunteer opportunities throughout the area. One day Connection volunteers might be cooking and serving dinner at the Stephen Center, a homeless shelter, the next, they might be providing volunteers to paint a house as part of the Habitat for Humanity program. Senior Airman Middleton is proud of a program she started called the "Wingman Campaign" that teaches bullying prevention at local area schools.

"We talk to them about bullying, bully prevention, bully education, and what to do as a by-stander," Middleton said. "We form the wingman pact where they are taught to lookout for each other."

Baker often refers to the Connection as a type of 'leadership lab' that invests in our military's future leaders through professional development. The program can also offer immediate returns for its participants. Many have been promoted to Senior Airman early, or 'below the zone,' due in part to the leadership qualities they've gained through the program.

"The benefits of this program to the growth of our Airmen are invaluable," said Chief Master Sgt. Matthew Grengs, 55th Wing command chief and senior enlisted advisor. "They are not only learning skills that will help them at work but also in life."

The Connection's normal operating hours are Monday through Saturday, 6 - 10 p.m. and Sunday, 1 - 6 p.m. It's also available during the daytime if volunteers are available to open the doors. However, it's not rare to find junior enlisted members utilizing the facilities well into the early morning hours.

Baker says that the Connection is often busiest during the holidays when Airmen have time off from work. With the holidays approaching, he hopes even more Airmen turn to the Connection.

"I think this place probably has the best name it could have," said Airman 1st Class Hayden Andrews, who was recently assigned to Offutt. "It is a place that connects you to people, connects you to things you want to do - you can come here and there will be somebody that can get you to that."