News>Ribbon Cutting Celebrates Partnership, School Renovations
Story at a Glance
• The ceremony marked the completion of a $3,000 renovation project, managed by the Transit Center Theater Security Cooperation division, improved sanitation and kitchen facilities at the school. • The project , which included renovations to the school's kitchen cabinetry, lights and plumbing fixtures, along with a flushing of the hand washing room drain lines, and an overhaul of the kitchen bathroom consisting of a new toilet, sink and light fixtures, was completed in less than four months.
Photos
Lt. Col. James Donelson addresses attendees during a dedication ceremony at the Grozd School, Kyrgyzstan, July 5, 2012. Donelson expressed the importance of continued community partnership and friendship between the U.S. and Kyrgyz Republic. He is the 376th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron commander at the Transit Center at Manas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brett Clashman)
Kydykeiev Bilyalovich addresses attendees during a dedication ceremony at the Grozd School, Kyrgyzstan, July 5, 2012. Bilyalovich expressed how much the Transit Center at Manas has impacted the school and the Grozd Village community. Bilyalovich is the mayor of the village. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brett Clashman)
Sultabaeva Manaevna, Grodz School principal, addresses attendees during a dedication ceremony at the Grodz School, Kyrgyzstan, July 5, 2012. Manaevna said she was very thankful for the Transit Center at Manas providing renovations for the school. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brett Clashman)
Koroleva Karlovna thanks Airman 1st Class Riley Teston for the work he has done with the renovations at the Grozd School, Kyrgyzstan, July 5, 2012. Teston managed the $3,000 project from funding to full completion in 84 days. Teston is a Transit Center at Manas Theater Security Cooperation humanitarian assistance water and fuels systems maintenance journeyman deployed out of Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. and is a native of Augusta, Ga. Karlovna is a chef at the school and has been working there for five years. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brett Clashman)
Koroleva Karlovna uses a sink to run water into a cooking pot at the Grozd School, Kyrgyzstan, July 5, 2012. Renovations to the kitchen sponsored by the Transit Center at Manas Theater Security Cooperation humanitarian assistance division will help Karlovna provide food for the children. Karlovna is a chef at the school and has been working there for five years. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brett Clashman)
Kydykeiev Bilyalovich and Lt. Col. James Donelson inspect the new sinks that were recently installed at the Grozd School, Kyrgyzstan, July 5, 2012. The sinks along with a number of renovations such as new cabinets and plumbing were part of a $3,000 renovation project sponsored by the Transit Center at Manas Theater Security Cooperation division. Bilyalovich is the Grozd Village mayor and Donelson is the 376th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron commander at the Transit Center at Manas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brett Clashman)
(left to right) Kydykeiev Bilyalovich, Lt. Col. James Donelson, and Sultabaeva Manaevna cut a ribbon during a dedication ceremony at the Grozd School, Kyrgyzstan, July 5, 2012. The ceremony was to highlight the renovations completed by the Transit Center at Manas Theater Security Cooperation division at the school. Bilyalovich is the Grozd village mayor, Donelson is the 376th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron commander at the Transit Center at Manas, and Manaevna is the Grozd School principal. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brett Clashman)
by Capt. Martha L. Petersante
376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
7/5/2012 - GROZDENSKIY VILLAGE, KRYGZSTAN -- Members of the Transit Center at Manas, along with the Grozdenskiy Mayor and School Principal, took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Grodenskiy School, July 5. The ceremony marked the completion of a $3,000 renovation project, managed by the Transit Center Theater Security Cooperation division, improved sanitation and kitchen facilities at the school.
The project included renovations to the school's kitchen cabinetry, kitchen lights and plumbing fixtures; flushing of hand washing room drain lines; and an overall of the kitchen bathroom that consisted of a new toilet, sink and light fixtures, was completed in less than four months.
To meet the needs of the school, the TSC project team utilized a unique approach when first faced with the unfunded, unprogrammed requirements request. Instead of condensing the entire scope of work into one contract, "the team utilized the specialized training of Master Sgt. Todd Davis, a contracting Field Operating Officer, who is certified to take a contract and complete the work by breaking the scope into smaller detail work," said Maj. Brian Miller, TSC director of operations.
This approach, combined with the internal capabilities of our TSC Civil Engineer team to perform on-site renovations allowed for the project to be taken from "funding to full execution in 84 days," he said.
"We are absolutely pleased to have been able to complete renovations at the Grodz School and we celebrate today, not only the improvements made to the Grodz School, but also the opportunity that has been created through improving the environment for learning--for educating the next Kyrgyz generation," Lt. Col. James Donelson, 376th Expeditionary Operations Squadron commander, and event keynote speaker said.
During the ceremony welcoming remarks, the school's principal, Sultabaeva Aibiykeck Manaevna, reinforced the partnership and friendship between the Transit Center and Grozdenskiy Village. She said that the school is incredibly grateful for the assistance and they had been waiting for a long time to have the capability to feed the primary students, on site, in a new, safe environment.
"This assistance talks to the U.S. and Kyrgz Republic relationship," she said, "We are very grateful for this project. I hope for a continued partnership and friendship in the future."
The smile on Ashybaeva Burul Bekmuratorna's, one of the school's kitchen workers, face said it all when asked what she thought of the renovation project and how it made her feel to be able to provide a meal to the students. "We work for children and if they are happy, we are happy too. I [want to also] wish luck to our American friends and I want the friendship between our two nations to prosper [in the future]."
