Video: USAF Academy Cadets Spend Week Helping Build Habitat Home

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TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – Alexandra Hutchinson spent part of Thursday morning, helping put windows in
a Tolbert Street house.

She is one of ten cadets from the U S Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs,
who are doing what is called an “alternative spring break.” This group is
getting this Habitat for Humanity house ready so electricians and plumbers
can do their work.

“You get to meet all the people who live in the houses and stuff, it’s
really a rewarding experience,” Hutchinson said.

Cadets have been in town all week. Most of them have never worked on a
construction site but they say the supervisors are patient.

“Sometimes we cut wood wrong or something and they are like , oh it’s ok we
can fix that,” Hutchinson said.

Wes Partin is construction manager at Habitat for Humanity of Northeast
Mississippi and says the cadets are great ambassadors for the Air Force.

“They’re super people they’ve given up that week that they could have gone
home to family, or gone somewhere on vacation, yet they thought it was
worthwhile to come help,” Partin said.

This group includes two cadets who are members of the Sri Lankan Air Force.
They are part of a program that allows a select few from other nations to
train in the United States, and take that knowledge and skill to their
country.

Don Dassanayake wanted to help make a difference on his spring break.

“I was finding that kind of stuff, because I have been going through all the
military stuff and I wanted to do this kind of stuff to, so that’s why, it
was a good opportunity for me,” Dassanayake said.

The cadets will head back to Colorado this weekend.

The Tolbert Street house should be ready by early May.