Going Green at the "Deid" in 2015

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Kerry Jackson
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar --  It's a new year and personal resolutions are being made around the globe ranging from health and fitness improvements to smoking cessations, but one Airman here has a resolution that she wants everyone in the Al Udeid community to try out: Go Green!

You've heard it all before: “recycle, save the earth, think about the children,"— be prepared to hear it again, says one Airman.

“Going Green is important to me as an Airman because it’s clearly aligned with one of our Air Force core values: Service before Self,” said Senior Airman Dana Vahey, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron emergency manager. “To me it’s about service to our country, and also service to our planet—both are things I value, so I remind people anyway I can to Go Green!”

Vahey, who has been a part of the Al Udeid community here since July, said that small changes can have a major impact on the environment.

“Take a simple action like brushing your teeth, which people perform multiples times a day, and think about the amount of potable water we’d saved globally by simply turning off the water while brushing,” Vahey said. “Now multiply that by the number of times you brush your teeth and water really adds up.”

Vahey believes awareness and small actions are key to better caring for our environment.

“Many times when we waste our natural resources, and don’t do the things that help preserve the environment, it’s not because we are doing it intentionally – a lot of times we just don’t think about it,” said Vahey. “That’s why I try to remind myself and others to take care of our environment, and to help them understand the impact it has on the planet and the people living here.”

Vahey, who has practiced green living since she was a child, has some tips that anyone living in the Al Udeid community can do to Go Green including:
-Turn off lights in rooms when you’re the last one out.
-Unplug chargers (phone, lap-top, etc.) when not in use.
-Turn off air conditioners when not in use
-When time allows, eat at the dining facility to reduce plastic-ware/to-go container waste.
-When dining at the DFAC, use reusable bowls or plates versus plastic or Styrofoam
-Turn off computer monitors, number-lock and caps-lock keys before leaving.
-Print documents two-sided and in black and white.
-Put computers, printers, scanners into sleep-mode at the end of shift.
-During warmer months, don’t keep doors open to buildings with air-conditioning longer than necessary (if you’re waiting for a Wingman, open it when they get to the door).
-When taking daily trash out of office trash cans, consolidate garbage into a larger bag if it has extra space (conserves little bags for another day’s use).
-Flush toilets with green water-saving handles up (when the situation allows).
-Two words: Deployment. Showers. Take short showers.

Vahey, who is deployed here from Joint Base Andrews, Md., added that conserving the environment is not just about humans it’s also about the animals we share the planet with.

“These energy conservations habits are not just about us, they are about preserving a beautiful environment that has given so much to us. It’s about the animals who aren’t able to speak up about their homes being destroyed.” She added, “I am not without fault when it comes to the environment, but I try to do good where I can. As E. E. Hale said, 'I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something.”