Airmen's Attic expands offerings Published Aug. 17, 2009 By Senior Airman Kimberly Moore Limrick 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Keesler's Airmen's Attic has made some improvements and invites Airmen to come check it out. Master Sgt. James Messer, Superintendent Education and Training, volunteered to take over as president of the Airmen's Attic in June and soon saw its potential. "The focus for the past month has been to get the infrastructure in place," Messer said. "Shelves needed to be built so the First Sergeants provided money for material and the 366th Air Force Civil Engineer students and instructors built 380 square feet of shelving during off-duty hours. This was an inexpensive way to get the most for our money, and what an awesome team effort it was." "My vision," he said, "is simple; Airmen taking care of Airmen." The Airmen's Attic is available to all Keesler E1 to E5 personnel as a way for them to get free household supplies. Available items are donations from other Airmen and base personnel. Requested items include maternity clothes, baby clothes, kitchen items and toys. Items that can't be accepted are those that can't be washed such as mattresses. "Now that the infrastructure is in place," Sgt. Messer said, "our focus is to increase our inventory and get the word out about the new hours." "Because we are collocated in the old chapel with the Thrift Store we wanted our hours to match theirs and become a one-stop-shop," Sgt. Messer said. Lt. Col. Richard Cole, 81 Force Support Squadron commander agreed, "Our long term objective is to maintain a co-location of the Airmen's Attic with the Thrift Store," he said. "These two organizations complement one another in providing needed services for our Airmen." New hours of operation are now Mondays, Wednesdays and the last Saturday of the month, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donations can be dropped off during those hours and anyone wanting to volunteer their time by working in the Airmen's Attic can contact Staff Sgt. Kristi Knowles at 377-3224 to get on the schedule.