ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. -- A lactation room is constructed to provide a sanitary and private place for breastfeeding mothers to care for their children. A lactation room was constructed within the 28th Bomb Wing headquarters building and opened with a ribbon cutting at Ellsworth, Aug. 1, 2022. The 28th Bomb Wing is committed to women’s health, considering it a core component of a lethal, ready force and the newly opened room supports mothers who support the mission by providing a cleanly and private space for nursing mothers to pump for, feed, or change their children.
A team of eight Airmen volunteered more than 40 hours a week to plan, design, and renovate the room.
Tech. Sgt. Ashley Aring, 28th Operations Group executive assistant, said $4,000 was provided through morale funds, which were allocated by commanders and invested into the lactation room. The funds enabled 33 improvements, which included renovations like new paint and carpet.
“It gives Airmen the space where they can come in, they can relax, pump what they need to and store whatever breastmilk they do provide,” said Aring. “Also, we hold squadron events here and it gives mothers and fathers the opportunity to come in and change their kids’ diapers, because the building doesn’t have any dedicated spaces to change children’s diapers.”
The team of volunteer’s vision was to create a flexible and comfortable environment for families especially while they’re pumping..
“The lights are adjustable, so it has the whole ergonomic part of it met, so if mom wants to come in here and read, she can turn the lights up,” said Aring. “If she wants to nap while she’s pumping and set an alarm, she can do that too and turn the lights off or down, either way it's flexible.”
The lactation room features reclining chairs, a sanitation station, and a refrigerator for families to use.
“I think the lactation room is an asset for our Airmen that continue to work while being mothers,” said Staff Sgt. Alexi Bosarge, the 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs noncommissioned officer in charge of community engagement. “It allows Airmen like myself to take care of our babies while serving in the Air Force.”
The Air Force remains committed to women’s health, considering it a core component of a lethal, ready force. The implementation of a lactation room balances mission readiness needs of units while affording nursing mothers the opportunity to continue breastfeeding.
“Having a dedicated space saves nursing mothers an immeasurable amount of time during the duty day by allowing service members to quickly lactate in a clean and comfortable space at their convenience throughout the duty day,” said Col. Derek Oakley, the 28th Operations Group
Commander.
The 28th BW continuously works to advance the quality of life for all of its personnel, ensuring that Airmen are always prepared to execute the mission and answer their nation’s call anytime, anywhere.