Units can request 'Appreciation Nights'

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cortney Paxton
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  The hard work of Team Malmstrom members is apparent throughout the successful mission carried out on base and within the missile complex, but sometimes it's hard for these Airmen to sit back and really appreciate the work they're doing.

Malmstrom's Grizzly Bend recognizes this dilemma and offers a chance for all squadrons or groups, as a whole, to either request or participate in appreciation nights.

"We tried to label each night or pick a customer base," said Rick King, 341st Force Support Squadron Grizzly Bend manager. "We came up with Tuesdays as officer appreciation night; Wednesday has always been maintenance appreciation night... Thursday we had kind of labeled as enlisted appreciation night and Fridays were always up in the air. However, the security forces group recently has kind of taken ownership of Friday nights."

The 341st Maintenance Group has been a "die-hard" when it comes to appreciation nights adopting Wednesday as theirs, King said.

The maintenance group has had their appreciation night in place for some time, and King encourages other groups or squadrons to challenge their frequent attendance by setting up their own. Anyone can request an appreciation night, either recurring or just for one night.

"It doesn't necessarily have to be (a recurring event)," King said. "What I ask people that call me looking to develop a program or run a special event is to give me six week's notice. That allows me to get the marketing and publicity into the Beacon. So that gives us an opportunity to provide publicity and get it advertised for a better opportunity of success."

Once an appreciation night has been scheduled, work on the event can be started. The events can consist of various different activities to include video game, ping-pong, air hockey, foosball or pool competitions; entertainment; provided food or TV in the ballroom.

"What we like for them to do is give us an idea," King said. "We'll throw out some food and there's a daily special on lunch and dinner. We have ideas and if they have particular ideas then we can just come together and discuss them."

According to King, developing an appreciation night for Airmen on base boosts morale, provides a means of teambuilding and is just overall a great excuse to get together outside of the workplace.

"My focus right now is Airmen and enlisted," he said. "As we move forward and I'm able to talk with more squadrons and groups, what I want to get off the ground is an enlisted only night and an Airmen only night."

Supporting the members of Team Malmstrom is one of the Grizzly Bend's main goals, and offering appreciation nights is just one small way to accomplish that.

"We want to give our customers what they want," King said.