GRAND RAPIDS, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – The Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) welcomes thousands of military members and veterans each year, and now there is a special place at the airportfor them to call their own.
SpartanNash which is based in Grand Rapids and the leading distributor of grocery products to U.S. military commissaries, along with airport officials opened the Military Welcome Center November 9th. The private space is located pre-security near the Concourse A exit, and is open for active military, veterans,and their families. The Military Welcome Center is open to military members, veterans, and their families 24 hours a day.
Tara Hernandez is Marketing & Communications Directors for Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority and says it’s a quiet and serene space..
“You know I can tell you that when my husband came back from deployment, you’re in a different mindset. When you come into a space like the airport where it’s busy and people are kind of pushing around each other and kids are screaming and all this kind of stuff is going on, sometimes it takes a moment to sort of recompose your thoughts to get back to civilazation. That’s exactly what this apace is.”
The center offers refreshments, charging stations, an airport arrival/departure monitor, and lounging spaces, as well as veteran profiles and programming offered by WGVU and PBS. There are also interactive maps and murals where military personnel and veterans can pinpoint where they have been stationed or deployed. The new space is a part of the airport’s overall Gateway Transformation Project.
