New self-help store serves cadets
Cadet 4th Class Eden Hewes, U-Fix-It store customer, drives a screw into her wardrobe to repair a latch, at Vandenberg Hall, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., Jan. 14, 2025. U-Fix-It is a new self-help store at Sijan Hall and is open to all cadets and Academy personnel to support minor maintenance and repair issues. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Zach Vaughn)
By Tech. Sgt. Zach Vaughn
U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The Academy’s 10th Civil Engineer Squadron recently opened a self-help store in Sijan Hall. Dubbed “U-Fix-It,” Academy leadership intends for the store to expedite aesthetic improvement requests in order to beautify campus dorm rooms, common areas and workspaces.
“Our U-Fix-It store provides a one-stop shop to facility managers by expediting their maintenance requests,” said Raymond Johnson, 10th CE Operations Flight Chief. “It allows cadets an avenue to keep their facilities to the standards expected of a military service academy.”
Cadets can sign out tools via a hand-receipt. However, they must submit an Air Force Form 332, Base Civil Engineer Work Request, to their facility manager for approval for any paint, spackle, or other project requiring an expanse of materials. Johnson emphasized the importance of Cadets including their squadron commander on any self-help requests. Upon approval, U-Fix-It managers can issue supplies such as picture hangers, drywall anchors, paint and more.
Kelley Meyer, a base maintenance contractor, installs a woven wire mesh window screen onto a frame at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., Nov. 13, 2024. Meyer oversees a team of contractors who operate the self-help store for cadets and all Academy personnel. His team advises customers on proper safety measures and maintenance techniques to beautify campus dorm rooms, common areas and workspaces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Zach Vaughn)
“I know that cadets have a lot of studying to do so their time is valuable,” said Kelley Meyer, 10th CES base maintenance contractor. “With that being said, I would like cadets to see what’s available to them at our self-help store and to continue their learning, even if it’s a small skill-set that will benefit them in the future.”
In addition to supplies, the store has a team of expert craftsmen, such as Meyer, who bring decades of experience from the civilian sector to provide training and technical advice ensuring cadets perform minor maintenance safely and correctly.
“Self-help projects don’t need to be a burden,” said Meyer. “We want this to be something that USAFA personnel look forward to doing and to be proud of. It can be really fulfilling.”
The U-Fix-It Store isn’t just limited to Cadets, according to Johnson. All Academy personnel can use the store front to address minor issues in their workspaces.
Cadet 3rd Class Guy Lockhart, U-Fix-It store customer, holds tools he used to repair his computer desk at Vandenberg Hall, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., Jan. 14, 2025. U-Fix-It is a new self-help store at Sijan Hall and is open to all cadets and Academy personnel to support minor maintenance and repair issues. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Zach Vaughn)
“We’re committed to making sure the U-Fix-It program is successful,” said Johnson. “This bolsters our capability to meet the intent of the Superintendent’s Pride in Ownership operations order.”
The facilities across the installation, and specifically the cadet area, are decades old, many of them built in the 1950s and 60s. Johnson encourages cadets to act on ensuring they do their part to keep their areas up to Academy standards.
“We’re here as a support system for cadets more than anything,” said Meyer. “We want to help make their surroundings nicer. If a cadet has an issue with their room and they want something fixed, we’re here to be a resource.”
The U-Fix-It store is located on the ground floor of Sijan Hall and open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.