Airman Dorm Leaders help integrate junior troops

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Omari Bernard
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  For unaccompanied Airmen on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, the dormitories are both a place they can call home and a sanctuary where they can relax.

The dormitories are kept safe and up to Air Force standards by dormitory leaders under the Airman Dormitory Leadership Program.

"We are here to guide, mentor and lead Airmen," said Tech. Sgt. David Wheeler, an Airman Dormitory Leader with the 673d Civil Engineering Squadron.

The program aims to address problems left from the dorm manager program by improving accessibility to dorm managers during duty hours and emphasizing ADLs as mentors instead of authority figures.

"Our objective is to change the stigma left from the previous dorm manager program," Wheeler said.

ADLs are in a special-duty position and only people with above- average enlisted performance reports and recommendations from their commanders are accepted into the program.

"As ADLs, we are here to help the Airmen," said Donnamaria Ante, an ADL with the 673d CES. "A lot of times this is their first duty station, their first time away from home. We are here to mentor them and help nourish a successful career."

The ADL program provides an open-door policy where dormitory residents can walk into an ADL's office and discuss their problems.

If Airmen cannot speak directly to their supervisor or primary chain of command, ADLs are there to lend advice and guide Airmen to where they can get the information they need.

Programs located on the dormitory campus include Friday night dinners and Monday night wings (during football season), which are hosted at the Wired Café.

The ADL program also provides mentorship classes, briefs new Airmen about the dorms at the First-Term Airman Center and informs residents who are moving out of the dorms of their entitlements.

Residents who are separating from the dorms are helped by the ADLs to prepare their basic allowance for housing, basic allowance for subsistence and occasionally dislocation allowance.

The ADLs motivate Airmen to take care of the dorms and get Airmen involved by hosting programs such as dormitory councils.

Dorm councils are led by the dorm president and represent the voice of the residents.
The council brings both problems and solutions to the ADL's attention.

"We discuss what is done on a quarterly basis in the dorms," said Ante.

The dormitory council discusses with the ADLs suggested changes, what can be done better and how the ADLs can better help the dorm residents.

A dorm call is hosted by the ADL program every year to address any questions or problems experienced by individual dorm residents.

This year's dorm call will be hosted April 18.

All ADLs receive a Professional Housing Management Association class where they get to speak and cross-share ideas with other ADLs throughout the Air Force.

There is an Air Force-wide focus on dormitories and how they affect the mission and morale of Airmen today.

Airmen and dormitory leaders working together will help support the welfare of Airmen living in the dorms and the JBER mission as a whole, the ADLs said.