PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Several changes to reserved parking across the installation have materialized over the past three months. In that time, the 45th Civil Engineer Squadron has removed, installed or modified more than 750 reserved parking signs.
The changes reflect Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, 45th Space Wing commander's vision of what reserved parking should look like on the base.
"My goal is to have our base reflect the community we serve,” Monteith said. “I wanted to reduce the number of spots based on rank and entitlement, starting with my own. Quite frankly I can walk a few extra feet, if that means we are able to re-designate a space to one that honors individuals who have demonstrated outstanding duty performance or have justifiable needs for convenient parking. In the end, these adjustments reflect our commitment as senior leaders to better serve our Airmen and their families.”
The new changes were made consistently across the entire installation. Each parking lot was evaluated individually to ensure changes support each unique mission. The initiative targeted the removal of signs that were outdated, infrequently used or simply didn’t make sense.
With the high number of reserved spots prior to the changes, users and patrons often faced rows upon rows of parking spaces that were empty or seldom used. Removal of the many organizational specific spaces thereby increased parking capacity at many administrative and community support facilities.
In addition to freeing up spaces, there were a few notable additions to include spaces for Purple Heart recipients, expectant mothers, Honor Guard and award winners. These spaces have been placed at key locations to demonstrate a small token of gratitude and support for those who earned it.
"I am extremely pleased with the outcome and hard work our Civil Engineer Squadron put into this project. It was a common sense approach toward doing the right thing, which makes it an easy initiative for us all to support," concluded Monteith.