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Chocks gets new fire pit

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Courtney Dotson-Essett
  • 434th ARW Public Affairs
GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. --  Unit Training Assembly weekends are filled with maintenance, briefings, and training that can make for a jam-packed work day.

When the day is over, it’s not uncommon for Airmen to head their separate ways to decompress. Wing leaders are hoping to change that with the construction of a new fire pit at Chocks.

Instead of signing out and going to lodging, wing leaders hope that Airmen will head to Chocks after the duty day and spend some time relaxing and socializing around the fire pit.

“This is something the wing wanted to do to kind of keep up morale,” said Master Sgt. Joshua Moormann, 434th Civil Engineer Squadron heavy repair shop superintendent, the project’s foreman.

Moormann, alongside three other reservists, began construction in mid-August and finished the pit in time for the October UTA. “We’ll finish up this week with prep work and then a contractor will come in and lay the gas lines,” Moormann said.

Once the gas lines were installed, Grissom’s very own poured and stamped the concrete.

“This is a self-help troop construction project,” said Senior Master Sgt. Adam Loos, 434th CES engineering superintendent.

A self-help troop construction project means the group of reservists working on the project also do this work in the civilian world.

Loos said that sometimes projects may be out of the scope of contractors or have a budget that doesn’t require outside contractors. That’s where self-help troop work comes in. Highly skilled traditional reservists support the base by completing these projects.

“This is a good teaching tool,” said Loos “This is somewhat of a refresher, but just another avenue of concrete work they’re going to do.”

The five foot wide fire pit has seats surrounding it and looks just like the previous patio at Chocks.

“It’s a good way to relax after the duty day, sitting around the fire,” said Moormann.

The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Men and women from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission.

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Public Affairs Staff

Material contained on the Official Grissom Air Reserve Base Internet Web Site is written and produced by members of the 434th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office. The award-winning staff includes:

Ben Mota
Chief, public affairs

Maj. Elias Zani
Public affairs officer

Master Sgt. Wendy Day
Staff writer

Tech. Sgt. Alexa Culbert
Staff writer

Senior Airman Elise Faurote
Staff writer

Senior Airman Benjamin Cowles
Staff writer