JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – Quality care and support to Air Force families just got better at Beale AFB, California, with the soft opening of new temporary lodging facilities Jan. 10. The official opening and ribbon cutting is set for Jan. 22.
The new, 34 two-bedroom TLFs, funded with Air Force Lodging Nonappropriated Funds through the Air Force Services Center, replaces 30 TLF units in repurposed military family housing.
“Although (the previous TLFs) were well maintained, the older facilities were maintenance challenged and their location wasn’t ideal,” said Bill Davis, 9th Force Support Squadron lodging operations manager.
The new single-story, two-bedroom units have an open layout including a centrally located kitchen, which provides space for family members to interact. All units also have Wi-Fi and ample storage space for personal items, said Kevin Norton, AFSVC chief of lodging recapitalization.
“They are beautiful, state-of-the-art TLFs that not only provide all the services and amenities families need for a relaxed, quality stay, but their proximity to key base services such as the commissary, base exchange and child care center, allow members with limited transportation quick access and support,” Davis said.
The new facilities are also clustered together, Norton added, “affording traveling families the opportunity to interact with one another and, hopefully, forge lasting relationships.”
Before the new facilities, base lodging’s capability to support newly arriving families was a huge challenge, especially during high permanent change of station seasons, according to Davis.
Previously, the probability of many families being sent off base for lodging was extremely likely during those times of year, he said. That often created hardships for Airmen and families, especially those with young families because of added expenses and the distance to the base.
“The primary function of the new facility is to help offset the costs associated with a PCS move and provide all amenities needed in a safe, home-like atmosphere,” Norton said.
Davis noted local Beale leadership is “very excited” about the new and improved family support facilities the base can now offer.
“Welcoming and supporting new families and members in such quality fashion is exactly what the Air Force and Beale needs,” he said, “and dramatically improves the morale and care of our valued members.”