931 CES prepares 931 ARW command suite

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Preston Webb
  • 931st Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  
MCCONNELL AFB, Kansas – The 931st Civil Engineer Squadron began renovating several offices April 2, 2016, in Building 1 at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. The offices were renovated as part of the expansion of the 931st Air Refueling Wing and are slated to serve as the command suite.

This change in location will enable wing leadership to better coordinate with mission partners to increase the overall effectiveness. It will also enable Building 1 to function not just as headquarters to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, but the base as a whole.

“Moving to Building 1 is going to increase our total force integration and create a better overall command face for the base,” said Capt. Monica Riggs, 931st Air Refueling Wing executive. “With commanders in the same building, it's easier for them to stay on the same page.”

Throughout the April Unit Training Assembly, the 931 CES removed a closet, cabinets, doorways, and a wall. They also added a new wall, painted over the renovations and left the office clean and ready for the commander to move into.

“When we started working, people were still trying to move out of the office – people with a job we couldn't interrupt,” said Tech. Sgt. John Shankles, 931 CES heavy equipment operator. “We had to work around more people, furniture and equipment than usual but we made great progress.”

All the changes created more usable office space. The primary alterations – creating or eliminating walls and doors – were completed during the UTA with the rest of the projects slated to finish before April 8.

“Bringing commanders just down the hall from one another doesn't just benefit the 931 ARW, it benefits everyone on McConnell,” Riggs said. “In the end we all have the same mission and same goals so we need to do what we can to work together.”