Airmen charged only with maintaining Eifel Pride

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Dylan Nuckolls
  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany --  If you've been driving through base, you may have seen Airmen wearing yellow vests picking up trash near the side of the road. You may also have wondered "what did they do to get stuck with that task?"

But those vests and job are not a punishment. They're a sign of pride - Eifel Pride.

Eifel Pride is a two-week program where first-term Airmen keep the base clean as they settle in to their first duty station.

The program doesn't just keep the base clean; it allows new Airmen to meet other new Airmen, and learn about the base, helping in their transition to their first duty station.

"The three main things that we try to hit on in Eifel Pride besides making sure the base is clean is we try to aid in a smooth transition for Airmen as this is their first duty station by getting questions answered or pointing them in the right direction to get it answered," said Staff Sgt. Clinton York, NCO in charge of Eifel Pride, 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron. "We like to try and set them up for success by letting them know what to expect especially with their careers and letting them know that they are the best person to look after their career. And last, we like to instill the pride that this is their home for the next two years and to keep it clean."

Eifel Pride allows participants time to get their in-processing appointments and anything else they need to do before they start working at their assigned squadrons. This allows new Airmen to be ready to start working in their shops and not worry about anything that might pull them away from their duties.

But apart from the convenience of getting familiar with the base, some Airmen listed the chance to network as the program's greatest benefit.

"The biggest thing we get in Eifel Pride is meeting other new Airmen," said Airman 1st Class Ciera Taylor, dental assistant, 52nd Dental Squadron. "We get to go out and make new friends."

So if you see vest-clad Airmen cleaning the streets of Saber Nation, don't think about what they did to get the job but how you can welcome them to the base.

"Take pride in Saber Nation," York said. "This is your home. Do what you need to do to take care of it."