Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas –
A group of Joint Base San Antonio-
Randolph Company Grade Officers
Council members picked up trash along
Farm to Market Road 78, the highway
that runs parallel to JBSA-Randolph,
in conjunction with the "Don't Mess
with Texas Trash-Off" event May 9.
The event was hosted by the Texas
Department of Transportation to encourage
volunteers to pickup litter along
roadways, parks, neighborhoods and waterways
throughout the state.
CGOC members gathered at the JBSA-Randolph
Visitors' Center at 8:30 a.m. and
fanned out to clean a two-mile stretch of
FM 78 for the next two hours.
Capt. Elizabeth Cramer, Randolph
CGOC president, said the "Trash-Off"
is one of two times during the year that
about 20 CGOC members help clean
the highway.
The CGOC participates in TxDOT's
Adopt-A-Highway program, which allows
an organization to adopt a two-mile
stretch of roadway to cleanup.
Cramer said CGOC members have participated
in the state highway cleanup
program for 13 years.
In March, Cramer received a letter
and certificate from TxDOT commending
CGOC for its years of participation in the
Adopt-A-Highway program.
Cramer said she has seen all sorts
of trash picked up along the highway
during previous cleanups, including
paper, cans, bottles and large debris
such as broken concrete.
In a cleanup in December, she said
CGOC members picked up enough litter
to fi ll 20 trash bags.
Capt. Christine Mulshine, Randolph
CGOC leadership and professional development
committee chairman, said
the trash she saw when she participated
in a highway cleanup last year
was an eye-opener.
Mulshine added that cleaning the highway
is one way CGOC members are helping
out their community.
"The CGOC is doing our part to make
sure the environment around the base is
clean and healthy," she said.
Cramer agreed. "I think an event like
this tells outside community members
that JBSA-Randolph works together as a
team to support the community and give
back," she said.
The next highway cleanup for CGOC
members is scheduled for the fall.