Beyond-the-wall: JBAB beautifies community through perimeter cleanup

More than 50 volunteers came together on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., Feb. 6, 2024, to clean the base’s outer perimeter and collect nearly 50 bags of litter and debris.

The perimeter cleanup was organized by Beyond-the-Wall, a volunteer group dedicated to ensuring a professional and sustainable environment for those living and working on and around JBAB. Through Adopt-A-Block, JBAB officially took responsibility for the area, committing to keeping Overlook Avenue Southwest, from JBAB’s Arnold Gate to the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s main gate, clean for the community.

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Craig Harrison, U.S. Air Force Honor Guard member and Beyond-the-Wall organizer, said the group wants the area to be “clean for everyone, not just the military members. This is where we all live and we are responsible for doing our part to take care of it.”

“Community is a priority for the [11th Wing],” said U.S. Air Force Col. Ryan Zeitler, deputy commander of Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling and the 11th Wing. “It’s about establishing stronger community partnerships with our neighbors.”

Since Beyond-the-Wall’s inception in 2023, the group has collected more than 400 bags of litter and debris from the outer perimeter of JBAB. They hope to increase their efforts in 2024, more than doubling the number of cleanup events from 2023.

Explaining their motivations, Senior Airman Alexander Wolfe, U.S. Air Force Honor Guard member and Beyond-the-Wall organizer, said, “The pride of what we do isn’t just within these walls, they’re beyond the wall too.”