Couple's bedroom gets homecoming makeover

  • Published
  • By Airman Madelyn Ottem
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Members of 60th Force Support Squadron Full Access Marketing and Balfour Beatty Communities worked together Aug. 13-14 to make the "Homecoming Home Makeover" possible in support of a deployed service member and his active-duty spouse.

The $5000 event was put together to show military appreciation by renovating and decorating a room in the home of the deployed service member.

Staff Sgt. Rachel Hawkins, 60th Aerospace Medical Squadron public health technician, won the Quality of Life magazine contest after being submitted by a friend who felt that Rachel and her deployed husband deserved the makeover.

Rachel surprised her husband, Staff Sgt. Ethan Hawkins, 60th Inpatient Squadron medical technician, Aug. 15 when he returned from his 7 month deployment in Bagram, Afghanistan, by revealing the room.

Rachel was deployed to Herat, Afghanistan for nine months and returned in March 2011, but due to overlapping deployments the couple had not seen each other since July 2010.

Ethan was greeted by a cheering crowd of family and friends on his front lawn when he arrived home from the airport.

Full Access Marketing, Balfour Beatty Communities and other contributors were able to create a romantic bedroom makeover that included repainting, refurnishing and decorating the entire bedroom.

The couple agrees that their favorite new part of their room is the bed.

"It is much more comfortable than our old one," said Rachel.

The organizers wished to thank all involved for their donations of supplies, money, time and labor.