GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 17th Training Wing implemented new Expectant Mothers’ parking areas near the Norma Brown building and base commissary, here Sept. 2.
Expectant Mother parking spaces are not required by law. Creating the parking spaces for Expectant Mothers and Spouse of a Deployed Member is one way the Air Force takes care of its people at the Wing level.
“This is another way to demonstrate that we care about all of the people that make up Team Goodfellow,” said Chief Master Sergeant Casy Boomershine, 17th Training Wing command chief. “We are continuously looking for ways to lend support and simply make things better.”
The Department of Defense called for change. Goodfellow stepped up to provide its members with inclusion resources, such as these maternity parking spaces near frequently visited buildings.
“The Expectant Mothers and Spouse of a Deployed Member’s designated parking spots at locations throughout the base is 100 percent in line with the Goodfellow Way,” said Col. James Finlayson, 17th Training Wing vice commander. “Taking unmatched care of our family members is a huge part of how we make our base an assignment of choice for our service members.”
These initiatives represent powerful changes happening across the Air Force. Taking care of families is a top priority within Air Force leadership.
“The actions I am directing are a necessary first step, but hard work remains, and we will continue to learn as we move forward,” said Defense Secretary Mark Esper, in a 14 July memorandum. “Shifting culture requires steadfast attention; these actions will maximize our efforts to ensure a diverse workforce at all levels, an inclusive environment and equal opportunity for all who serve.”
These changes were brought to the foreground by our leadership team. They recognized creating these parking spaces is a way to make a real, tangible, and positive difference in the lives of so many on base. This act of kindness is only the beginning of what the team will bring to the Goodfellow family.
For more information about Goodfellow Cares, please call 325-654-CARE (2273).