Managing Lives

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Chad Strohmeyer
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  When unaccompanied Airmen need a place to live or maintenance done in their room, there is only one office they call.

Yokota Airman Dorm Leaders ensure all ten dormitories are cleaned, inspected and maintained with only a five-person staff.

"When it comes to safety and morale, our job is extremely important," said Tech. Sgt. Jason Gonzalez, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron ADL. "Our work directly affects the lives of more than a thousand people."

With the recent Dormitory 208 flooding and subsequent moving of 193 Airmen, morale has been a top priority for us, added Gonzalez.

"After the dorm had flooded, it left a lot of people displaced," said Gonzalez. "We were working around-the-clock to ensure they had rooms in lodging that night."

When the dormitories are functioning without the need of repairs, the daily grind of an ADL consists of processing paperwork for inprocessing and outprocessing Airmen, providing clean linen, working with bay orderlies and performing walk-arounds to check for building damage.

"We stay exceptionally busy throughout the day," said Gonzalez. "All of us must remain flexible with our hours to ensure the Airmen are taken care of."

With the added workload, Yokota is looking for two dedicated technical sergeants to add to the team.

"This is a great opportunity to strengthen ones career," said Chief Master Sgt. Ronald Draper, 374th Airlift Wing command chief master sergeant. "Being responsible for the well-being of so many people is a task for only the best NCOs."

If you are a Tech. Sgt. and interested in applying to become an ADL, contact Mr. Steve Evans at 225-8045 for more information.