Airport lounge offers service personnel a place to relax

by Senior Airman Omari Bernard
JBER Public Affairs

9/11/2014 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Long layovers between flights can be tiresome, but as service members pass through the Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, they can seek refuge in the Atwood Military Lounge.

Whether it's for just a moment or a few hours, the Atwood Lounge, operated by the Armed Services YMCA of Anchorage, shelters weary military and Department of Defense travelers from 8 a.m. to midnight every day of week.

The lounge provides a home away from home for traveling service members and their families.

By presenting their military identification card, service members, retirees and family members have access to a TV area, a small business center with Internet access, light snacks, and a shower facility.

"If you're in the military, you travel a lot, whether you're going home on leave or on orders," said Senior Airman Aric Shott, 673d Security Forces combat arms instructor and Atwood volunteer. "Volunteering at the lounge gives us a chance to say thank you to those who support us and keep the lounge open for others that pass through."

The Atwood Lounge is run by volunteers and is funded by the ASYMCA and donations.
It is located in the South Terminal's level 1 of the airport, behind the escalators, near the baggage claim areas.

"The way it works is each organization or squadron on base runs it for half a month," explained Tech. Sgt. Stephen Van Mill, 301st Intelligence Squadron cyber transport operator. "I volunteer all the time; the ASYMCA needs our help."

According to the ASYMCA, therare more than 30 programs and services throughout Alaska to ease the lives of junior-enlisted military personnel and their families. The programs and services offered are customized to meet the specific needs of the military communities in which they operate.

Volunteers of the Atwood Lounge can relate to stress factors such as financial constraints, separation from family, and extended periods of travel in confined spaces.

"I've stayed in military lounges like this several times," Schott said. "Its nice to have a place where you're not going to be bothered and can get out of the regular airport."
According to the ASYMCA website, more than 10,000 service members have passed through ASYMCA military courtesy lounges like the Atwood Lounge each year.

As someone who has stayed in military lounges more than seven times, Schott said he knows the value of places like the lounge.

"It's good knowing that people [service members] who come through Alaska have a place to stay," Schott said.

Anyone can help keep the lounges open by participating in the ASYMCA Adopt-a-Lounge program. Military units or booster clubs can adopt a lounge and earn a stipend for providing volunteers. More information can be found at their website, www.asymca.org/alaska/programs/airport-military-courtesy-lounges.