FORT CAMPBELL, Ky., March 8, 2012--An assembly line of dressers, desks and night stands filled the third floor hallway of Building 6944 Desert Storm Ave.
A crew of nine men and women from Angels Attic Thrift Store in Murray, Ky., Feb. 23 moved dozens of solid oak bedroom furniture pieces down several flights of stairs to the moving truck below.
"They are definitely getting a workout," said Debra White, environmental protection specialist with Fort Campbell's Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services, of the Angels Attic crew. "They'll put it to good use."
Building 6944 is one of nine Korean War era hammerhead barracks at the 6900 block of Desert Storm slated for demolition in late spring.
Thanks to a partnership between DLA Disposition Services and Angels Attic, the quality Army furniture housed in these barracks will survive long past the buildings' demolition.
Angels Attic is a non-profit retail store in southwestern Kentucky that sells lightly used household goods, clothing and furniture. Proceeds from store sales benefit the Calloway County Community Clinic, a free medical clinic for the working uninsured, and other nonprofit agencies, like the Red Cross.
Thrift store Manager Mike Crook said the six-piece solid oak bedroom sets from the Fort Campbell barracks will sell for $145 each.
"Furniture of this quality at my place not only raises money … for our mission, but it also helps a lot of people that normally can't afford it," Crook said.
The opportunity for Angels Attic to claim this furniture almost did not happen.
White said the Directorate of Public Works signed over the property to DLA Disposition Services several weeks ago. The nine buildings housed 739 beds, 470 nightstands, 584 wardrobes, 192 under bed drawers, 159 desk chairs, 498 desks and 613 dressers. At the time there was a discussion about demolishing the furniture with the buildings, she said.
"To demolish these buildings with the furniture in it was just crazy to me," White said. "It's good furniture I want[ed] to get it to somebody that [could] use it."
Still, there is a procedure to follow to dispose of or to donate Army property. First, White posted the furniture on DLA's Reutilization Transfer Donation Website -- https://www.dispositionservices.dla.mil -- making it available to anyone in the military.
After a 42-day cycle the furniture remained, so DLA offered the property to its government liquidation contractor, White said. Again, no interest.
Having no success disposing of the furniture through traditional Army channels, White was authorized to donate the property to any non-profit organization that was willing to load the furniture and transport it themselves.
"If we didn't donate it to somebody… we'd have to back in 80-yard dumpster containers and haul it all to the landfill," White said.
Having partnered with Angels Attic last fall on another project, White contacted Crook.
"They've been so nice to us to work it out," Crook said. "It's a win-win. It helps them accomplish their mission and it helps us to accomplish ours."
To accomplish their mission, the Angels Attic crew has been busy. They've emptied two barracks so far. Out of Building 6943, they loaded more than 800 furniture pieces into four moving trucks. Furniture from that building included 256 beds, 92 nightstands, 88 wardrobes, 92 under bed drawers, 90 chairs, 91 desks and 100 dressers.
"I knew it was solid oak and I knew it was something that would sell at our place, but I had no idea of the volume," Crook said.
"You don't realize how much you move out until you unload all this and you have 60 wardrobes lined up. It's quite mind-boggling."
Crook, a woodworker in his spare time, said the furniture is in "fabulous condition" and it will help "a good cause."
Having saved the furniture from a landfill and being able to help others in the process, White considers this partnership -- and mission -- a success.
"I just appreciate the chance to get the furniture to somebody who can use it and benefit from it," she said.
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