EDIMGIAFAD

Airman, June, 2004 by Chuck Roberts

Black-eyed peas, fried chicken and banana pudding join the spread of traditional Southern fare offered at Owens Boarding House. The $6.50 all-you-can-eat deal includes a bottomless glass of sweet iced tea.

If you can manage room for seconds, you may have to nudge the person beside you to pass the bowl of macaroni and cheese or turnips from the end of the long tables where folks sit family-reunion style. And chances are pretty good that at least one person in the food chain will be from Robins Air Force Base, Ga.

Each day around lunchtime, hungry Airmen and civilian employees make the short journey across the highway and railroad tracks separating the base from the city of Warner Robins. But according to part-time cook Dennis Graham, the two entities are inseparable.

"That is Warner Robins right there," Mr. Graham said, pointing toward Robins in describing the relationship between city and base. When he isn't manning a kitchen, as he's done for 37 years, he's a backhoe operator who said Air Force homes are about 80 percent of the business where he plies his trade.

Joe Balshal, who manages the boarding house, agreed about the harmony that has become a mainstay. "If you're closed for a holiday, we're closed. On your payday, business is booming." Accordingly, the effect of the terrorist attacks came as no surprise. "It was kind of like a small ghost town here," he said of the chairs that remained empty because of the reduced comings and goings of base people as a result of increased force protection measures at base gates. If the base were to close, Warner Robins would in turn become a ghost town, he added.

Historic harmony

History and economic data back up their assessment of the intertwined relationship. In 1941, what is now Warner Robins was a sleepy little whistle-stop known as Wellston, located just south of Macon in the central part of the state.

According to John Shoemaker, president of the Macon Chamber of Commerce, future-minded local citizens at that time realized the potential impact of an air base in middle Georgia. They purchased land in Wellston and gave it to the Air Force.

By the time Georgia Air Depot, as the base was originally known, was ready to open its gates in 1943, World War II was in progress and base officials decided to adhere to the policy of limiting parades and celebrations, especially during the early days of the war when the outcome was in doubt.

However, proud local citizens were so enthusiastic about a dedication ceremony that an exception to policy was made, perhaps, in light of the fact that Wellston had changed its name the year prior to Warner Robins in honor of the depot's namesake, Brig. Gen. Augustine Warner Robins, generally recognized as the father of modern Air Force logistics, according to historian Dr. William Head.

Those founding fathers proved to be sage prognosticators. The base has become the state's largest single employer with about 13,500 civilians on the federal payroll. Its economic impact on Georgia is estimated at $4.1 billion.

EDIMGIAFAD

Perhaps then it's no surprise that it's only a matter of time before new arrivals to the base hear the term "EDIMGIAFAD" or rather "Every Day in Middle Georgia is Air Force Appreciation Day."

"I think that just says it all," said Bob Turpin, a retired senior master sergeant who settled in Warner Robins where he now stays busy as a volunteer tour guide at the Museum of Aviation where more than 700,000 visitors view its 93 aircraft and hundreds of exhibits each year, "I've never been in a community where the relationship is so good," he said.

In his letter posted on the chamber of commerce Web site welcoming new arrivals to the city, Mayor Donald Walker quickly points out that Warner Robins is "proud to be the home of Robins Air Force Base," and boasts that EDIMGIAFAD is a way of life in this city of about 50,000.

Warner Robins doesn't possess a charming downtown with quaint historic architecture as found in other Southern communities. Instead, busy Watson Boulevard divides the city in half as it runs from Interstate 75 to the base. Strip malls, eating establishments and a host of other businesses line the roadway.

Southern hospitality

But just a few blocks away in every direction are peaceful neighborhoods housed in pine and dogwood trees, and vibrant azalea bushes. And just like the more elegant historical sites such as Augusta or Savannah, you'll find plenty of warm Southern hospitality.

It took Staff Sgt. Chris Rhonemus awhile to adjust to the warmth and friendliness of the local population. But now, he said, "I love it here. It's the best base I've ever been to."

Sergeant Rhonemus said his family enjoys the employment opportunities, affordable housing, schools with attentive teachers, the hot weather and a location that offers great nearby trips to Atlanta, Savannah, the mountains and the Florida panhandle beaches.

Master Sgt. Ben Simmons said he enjoys the acceptance from the local community expressed routinely through military discounts, or citizens always at the ready to help an Airman in need. "No one ever turns their back on the military," said the Humbolt, Tenn., native assigned to the 116th Logistics Readiness Squadron. "It's a great place for me--a great neighborhood and location."