Wing self-help team provides 'home' for Nomads Published Feb. 12, 2009 By Chrissy Cuttita Team Eglin Public Affairs EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- While large scale military construction plans are in the works for the incoming Joint Strike Fighter training center, existing 33rd Fighter Wing structures are getting a face lift thanks to the wing's facility improvement team. The leader of that team has cared for 33rd FW "Nomad" facilities for more than a decade and has witnessed the changing history of the wing firsthand. "I have seen eight wing commanders come and go," said Jeff Meyers, facility operation specialist "The commanders that stand out in my mind most are; (retired Gen. William) Looney, (retired Maj. Gen. Felix) Dupre and Col. Todd Harmer (current wing commander). They all have one thing in common - they really care about their people and take care of their troops." Mr. Meyers is the "go-to-guy" for the facility portion of the drawdown while assisting in the interim facility moves. His history with the 33rd FW started when he was assigned to the wing as an enlisted aerospace repair technician in 1992 and, like other wing personnel today, he volunteered to work in the self-help shop in 1996 until he retired in 2003. "He taught us a lot and he's a real good guy to know," said Tech. Sgt. Chad Dye, who is learning renovation skills with the self-help team when he's not on the flight line maintaining avionics equipment on F-15 aircraft for the 33rd Maintenance Operations Squadron. "I needed a change and this stuff is right up my alley." Since 1965, when it was a tactical fighter wing, the 33rd FW has had its own site on Eglin, providing Nomads who fly and maintain aircraft their own facilities like a gym, dining hall and recreation area, not far from their work areas. "We save the government a quarter million dollars," said Mr. Meyers, about having military members employed as volunteers in the self-help center verses contracted work. "The beauty of self-help is limited resources and pride in what we do." "I love it. It's the Air Force's best kept secret," said Tech. Sgt. Anthony Beemer, self-help volunteer and NCO at the 33rd MOS avionics shop. One of the most unique requests the team received however, was the creation of a 30- by 30-foot addition to a building dubbed "Murphy's." Mr. Meyers said he's seen this place used for social gatherings change from being a picnic pavilion years ago to the central gathering facility for Nomad ceremonies and recreation it is today. "For the Murphy's pool room addition, we had to convince the base civil engineer squadron that the 33rd FW Self-Help team could handle the complexities of work and the different systems; electrical, plumbing and heating ventilation and air conditioning," he said. "CE's idea of self-help was limited to painting and replacing ceiling tile." While most of his requests are paint, ceiling tiles, carpet, equipment installations, the team was able to get this addition approved. Mr. Meyers said he and other Airman helped with most of the construction and poured the foundation. Another major project was the design and renovation of Nomad Hall, an auditorium not only used by the wing but also Team Eglin. The hall required $100,000 in material for installing new electrical wiring, theater seats, hardwood on the stage and tile. Other projects related directly to the warfighter - an alert facility was needed after Sept. 11 to meet the nation's quick-response requirements and a memorial built for 12 Nomads who were killed during the Khobar Towers bombing. Volunteers will continue to support self-help projects the wing needs until they move this summer as a result of the wing's drawdown. Mr. Meyers will relocate to Eglin's energy office. Off-duty team members have been known to continually hone their skills gutting out their own homes using the remodeling skills they learned by being members of the wing's facility improvement team. Sergeant Dye hopes to start up a tile business one day while Mr. Meyers said his house is under renovation again. While Nomads have always wandered - from downing MiGs over Vietnam, to record combat kills over the Persian Gulf, to owning skies over Iraq and continuing on with Operation Noble Eagle - the 33rd FW calls their campus on Eglin "home," maintained by their own.