MAFB Airmen and civilians aid in MApril cleanup

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joshua Smoot
  • 341 Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Despite the temperature being in the 30s and freezing rain, roughly 40 Malmstrom Air Force Base personnel volunteered for the annual MApril cleanup April 26.

This year's MApril cleanup was scheduled for the last Saturday of April and the first Saturday of May.

"It makes me feel proud to work with these individuals every day," said Adam Schilling, 341st Comptroller Squadron budget analyst. "The weather was cold and wet, but these Airmen made a commitment and they stuck with it. With the way the weather was, it would have been easy to make an excuse not to show up, but these Airmen did. That's their commitment to keeping our community beautiful."

Volunteers from Malmstrom joined with Neighborhood Housing Services of Great Falls, Montana, for the annual event to keep the city of Great Falls in good condition. Malmstrom has been involved with the cleanup for more than 34 years.

"Even though it's not the base, some of these Airmen (including myself) live off-base," said Master Sgt. David Garcia, 341st Civil Engineer Squadron section chief of pavement and equipment. "It's nothing more than taking care of our city as we do with our base. I believe it shows a sense of pride to the community, and to those passing through, that the people of Great Falls care about its appearance. The pride we have for our base should carry over to Great Falls."

On average, Malmstrom volunteers collect nearly 18,000 to 20,000 pounds of trash each year.

"With the little amount of Airmen we had out this Saturday, we gathered a whopping
26,000 pounds," Garcia said. "That's not bad for four hours of trash collection."

To support the NHS's request for assistance, Malmstrom utilized six dump trucks, four one-ton trucks with Tommy-lifts and one pickup truck, along with the manpower to operate the equipment.

"We are given areas that are heavily utilized by the community of Great Falls that collect an abundance of trash over time," Schilling noted.

MApril Cleanup is just another way the Great Falls community and Malmstrom work together and continue to build a strong bond.

"It shows that we are more than just members of the Air Force, we are members of the community as well," Schilling said. "Actions like this don't go unnoticed."

"We currently have a good bond with the city of Great Falls," Garcia added. "That is a bond we wish not to tarnish."

For people interested in volunteering with MApril Cleanup, the second cleanup is scheduled for tomorrow, May 3, weather permitting. Roughly 100 Airmen are signed up to volunteer.

"I would really like to thank the men and women of Wing One for taking time out of their personal day to come out and help make their city a little more presentable to the public," Garcia said. "Most importantly I want to thank them for continuing to carry on with a 34-year tradition between Malmstrom and the city of Great Falls and making it a success. This, of course, is only possible through efforts of volunteerism."

For more information regarding tomorrow's cleanup, contact Garcia at 731-6462 or Tech. Sgt. Garfield Turner at 731-6463.