First Sergeants restore memorial

September 11, 2001 memorial layout.

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First Sergeants restore memorial

The September 11, 2001 memorial at the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, undisclosed location, Southwest Asia, show effects of the harsh environment. The memorial that was initially dedicated in 2008 by the base 5/6 council was repainted and restored by base volunteers in time to mark September 11, 2013. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Christopher A. Campbell)

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First Sergeants restore memorial

Mr. Mike May, 386th Expeditionary Communications Squadron, telephone installation and repair contractor, restores a memorial mural here, Sept. 5, 2013. The memorial is the September 11 tri-wall that was initially painted in 2008. May is restoring the memorial that has degraded due to the years of wear and tear. He also has researched the images used to create the walls and is making minor changes to make the walls a little more authentic. May, a native of Tampa, Fla., was asked by the first sergeants to work with them to bring the memorial back to life. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Christopher A. Campbell)

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First Sergeants restore memorial

Mr. Mike May, 386th Expeditionary Communications Squadron, telephone installation and repair contractor, restores a memorial mural here, Sep 5, 2013. The memorial is the September 11 tri-wall that was initially painted in 2008. May is restoring this due to the degradation that has happened due to the years of wear and tear. He also has researched the images used to create the walls and is making minor changes to make the walls a little more authentic. May, a native of Tampa Fla. was asked by the first sergeants to work with them to bring the memorial back to life. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Christopher A. Campbell)

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First Sergeants restore memorial

Senior Airman Steven Bultemeier, 386th Expeditionary Communications Squadron, telephone maintenance and client service technician, repaints a memorial mural here, Sept. 5, 2013. The memorial is the September 11 tri-wall that was initially painted in 2008. Bultemeier is one of 13 volunteers helping to resurrect the memorial. Bultemeier is deployed from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., and is a native of Castle Rock, Colo. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Christopher A. Campbell)

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First Sergeants restore memorial

Members of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing work together to restore a memorial here, Sep 5, 2013. The memorial is the September 11 tri-wall that was initially painted in 2008. The first sergeants took the project on and with 13 volunteers from around the base, 2.5 gallons of paint and more than 150 man hours the project is finished. The project will be completed once there is a clear have a finishing coat in an attempt to preserve the memorial for years to come. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Christopher A. Campbell)

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First Sergeants restore memorial

The September 11, 2001 memorial at the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, undisclosed location, Southwest Asia, was initially dedicated in 2008 by the base 5/6 council. Thirteen volunteers recently completed restoration of the memorial in time to mark September 11, 2013. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Christopher A. Campbell)

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First Sergeants restore memorial

Published Sept. 10, 2013
By Master Sgt. Christopher A. Campbell
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The First Sergeants and various members of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing came together to paint and restore a 9-11-01 memorial on base. The First Sergeants saw the wear and tear to the tribute from the harsh desert elements and voted unanimously to restore the walls. So the "shirts" raised the money and contacted Mr. Mike May, a telephone installation and repair contractor with the 386th Expeditionary Communications Squadron to help with the restoration project. May was the lead artist for the restoration project. May along with 13 volunteers, First Sergeants and other members of the 386th AEW, worked more than 150 hours and used approximately 2.5 gallons of paint on the project. Other than some minor artistic changes to make the murals more authentic to the photos or memorials this project will have a finishing coat in an attempt to preserve the memorial for years to come.