Liberty members take loan from locker

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kristopher Levasseur
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Liberty members arriving at RAF Lakenheath may be without their household goods for days, weeks or months. During this period, they may not have kitchen appliances, utensils or infant items such as strollers or car seats.

Lucky for them the Airmen's Loan Locker at the Airmen and Family Readiness Center has a supply of everyday items for them to check out.

"The Airmen's Loan Locker is not just for people PCSing in," said Tracey Wright, 48th Mission Support Squadron family services coordinator. "Anyone with a valid identification card and is here on orders can come in and check something out anytime."

Items can be checked out for a maximum of 30 days when PCSing in or out of the base. If the items are needed for longer than 30 days, the loan locker can extend the loan for two weeks.

"If a two week extension is not enough, we can keep extending it by two weeks until the items are no longer needed," said Mrs. Wright. "The maximum loan for any other loan besides a PCS loan is two weeks."

According to Master Sgt. Mark Gilliard, 48th Mission Support Squadron AFRC superintendent, the loan locker has recently begun loaning out linen from the linen exchange service as well.

"It's an amazing resource that sometimes is overlooked or undervalued by military members," said Maj. Tony Lombardo, 48th Component Maintenance Squadron commander. "We told our British landlord about it and they were amazed we could borrow all the things we did at no cost and use them until our items came in."

One item the loan locker frequently loans out is British specification car seats.

"A lot of people don't know that they need a British spec car seat for a British car," said Mrs. Wright. "It is hard enough for most people to buy a new car, let alone buy a new car seat."

The Airmen's Loan Locker provides a service many Liberty members find helpful to their lives in the military.

"We were greeted with a smile and a warm welcome to Lakenheath," said Major Lombardo. "My wife and I commented to each other about the friendly service as we left. They made PCSing in for us just that much easier."

For more information, call the Airman and Family Readiness Center at 226-3847.