WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- Airmen at Whiteman Air Force Base got an upgrade to their quality of life when the newly renovated Discovery Hall enlisted dormitory reopened on March 14, 2024.
The renovations cost about $12 million and took around 2 years to complete.
Tech. Sgt. Travis Makara, 509th Civil Engineer Squadron Airmen dormitory leader said that almost everything about the dorm is brand new, including paint, flooring, appliances, plumbing, and even the furniture.
“I think we got every penny out of this renovation,” he said. “Every change that has been made, has not only been for the quality of life for the Airmen but also for the retainability of our new furniture and amenities.”
Much of the work was done by the Army Corps of Engineers, while the furniture was purchased by the base. The dorm now has over 1,900 pieces of new furniture, costing around $600,000.
The newly refurbished rooms now come with many new amenities such as full extra-large mattresses, new ceiling fans, and more storage space.
A fresh coat of paint, new flooring, and additional lighting makes the dorm feel roomier inside than the other dorms, said Makara.
Along with the rooms being refurbished, the common areas of the dorm have been remodeled as well, such as the laundry room and kitchens on the first and second floors.
“It took a lot of coordination towards the back end of the project,” said Stephanie Terry, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil engineering technician. “The base, the contractor, and the furniture company did really well working together to get this done.”
Discovery Hall reopened with 34 residents, among them seven who were moved from older dormitories to help new Airmen acclimate to life at Whiteman AFB.
Team Whiteman leadership will continue remodeling the rest of the enlisted dorms in the coming years, improving quality of life to help Airmen stay mission ready while maintaining high morale.