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NATC-A Airmen set foundation for morale

  • Published
  • By MC3 Jared E. Walker
  • 438th AEW PA
KABUL, Afghanistan --  For many service member serving overseas, the USO and MWR can the difference in one's tour of duty. One of the calling cards of serving overseas for Americans regardless of branch is working most of the day away, however this doesn't include time to relax and just shoot the breeze. Within the coming months, NATO Air Training Command -Afghanistan members will be celebrating the grand opening of a new morale area that includes a USO trailer. They can thank Tech. Sgt. Darryl Guppy, Tech. Sgt. Arthur Barad and a band of volunteers for making it a reality.

"This whole effort originally started back in around April or May from wanting to paint a couple of barriers and asking a couple different commanders for permission," said Tech Sgt Guppy. "After a while we ran into Col. Griffin who had this NATC-A Pride Program and soon we went from wanting to paint t-walls to eating chow and discussing ideas about setting something up".

Col. Rice would go on the explain to the two that the leadership and the Command Chief Master Sgt. had thoughts of building something, but didn't have anyone interested in running this for them. Guppy and Barad would soon take over. Before they knew it other people from various squadrons came to help out.

"People would spend from a couple hours to a couple of days helping us. Most didn't have the experience or the background, but still contributed their time," said Tech. Sgt. Barad.

The first of the many things to be built was a gazebo. Once the gazebo was built, everyone started using it for cook outs and after ceremony parties.

"Getting ready for the Tunnel to Towers Race back in late September had a lot to do with getting everything around here ready. Once the T-walls were removed people started to notice that this was becoming a nice place and everyone seemed to get involved," said Barad.

The next thing Barad and Guppy plan to build is another gazebo, a permanent fire pit, painting all the T-walls and setting up the flag poles. Another large step is making room for the USO trailer which is on the way to KAIA.

"This trailer has been donated to us by USO, since we qualify and we don't have any MWR or USO here at KAIA. One side of the trailer will have a 70 inch TV, on the other side will have three computers which are networked together and WIFI will also be included in the trailer as well. This is going to be a place where everyone can together," said Barad.
December is the goal to have the morale area set up and ready for us to NATC-A members.

"Improving the quality of life not for where we work, but for where we live as well is our goal," said Barad. "That's all Guppy and I am concerned about. The other bases in Afghanistan have so much more to offer and this place just doesn't, so we're trying to make up for that."