LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
After nearly four months of planning, designing and renovation, the 1st Fighter Wing's Eagle Flight heritage room at Airman Leadership School reopened in a ceremonial unveiling July 18.
The room features a bright, new paint scheme, which includes detailed hand-painted representations of the F-22 Raptor and F-15 Eagle. Display cases feature 1st FW regalia and memorabilia, and high-quality graphics of wing heraldry and photographs, provided by the Air Combat Command graphics shop, adorn the walls.
The project began in April when Master Sgt. Leyla Gillett, ALS commandant, offered one of the school's heritage rooms to the 1st FW for renovation. Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Jurgella, the 1st FW command chief, wanted to see the 1st FW heritage live on in the building, and assembled a committee to make the vision and reality.
Master Sgt. Stephen Parcell, 1st Maintenance Squadron NCOIC of precision-guided munitions, coordinated the efforts of more than 20 volunteers from the 1st Maintenance Group and 1st Operations Group, with the help of ACC Graphics and Brian Laslie, the 1st FW historian.
"We wanted to give the students of ALS something to look back on about the heritage of the 1st Fighter Wing, hopefully driving them to take pride as they pass through the school," Sergeant Parcell said. "We want to keep the heritage here so it isn't lost."
After the planning phase, the volunteers began stripping away the aging gray paint, replacing it with a vibrant shade of yellow. Airmen 1st Class Jacob Bristol and Shane McNaughton of the 1st MXS spent nearly a week detailing the F-22 Raptor painting.
"This was a chance for us to step outside of our comfort zone and do something we're not used to," Airman Bristol remarked. "It gives a sense of pride knowing we'll be in this building soon and will see our work live on, having made our mark."
At the unveiling, Chief Jurgella explained his lack of surprise at the excellent results, praising the 1st FW's Airmen.
"I asked a couple of squared away NCOs to make this happen, and they did, and always do," he said. "These Airmen set a new standard for the heritage rooms here, in line with the standard of ALS."
Airman Leadership School is a five-week program designed to develop Airmen into effective front-line supervisors. It is the first professional military education that enlisted Airmen encounter, and focuses on developing leadership abilities and effective communication.