SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. - If you've walked through the main hallway of the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) headquarters on the 3rd floor of building 1900 over the past year, you've likely noticed a transformation. What once consisted of plain walls with some random pictures has now become a living monument to the storied history of the command.

Along the walls you will now experience photos, narratives, and artifacts -- all telling about the detailed history of U.S. Army transporters, SDDC's role in major wars and battles, the missions of the SDDC's subordinate brigades, life in the military, mission achievements, as well as former leaders of the command.

The hallway redesign project was originally envisioned in 2016 by former chief of staff retired Col. Jordan Chroman, who put together a diverse planning team that included SDDC's graphics department, protocol chief, historian, and representatives from public affairs, the Transportation Engineering Agency (TEA), Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (HHD), budgeting, facilities, and many more.

Spanning hundreds of hours of work and multi-faceted coordination throughout the command, with local businesses, and with Scott Air Force Base entities, the project became much more than a way to fill empty wall space.

Melissa Poelker, SDDC's chief of protocol, said that it became an opportunity to bring what the command does - and did - to life.

"This project gives everyone in the command an opportunity to see the direct impact the SDDC mission has on the warfighter and also showcases, through pictures and narrative, the missions of our brigades," said Poelker. "I hope that walking down the hall on a daily basis gives everyone a sense of pride for where they work."

One of the keys to the project's success was Lindsee Meyer, from SDDC's G6 Graphics Department.

Meyer developed the design layouts for each of the different wall presentation panels, gathering the required information and using her imagination to create compelling presentations for all to see.

Why did she do all of this? Because she felt the project was important to improving both the educational and aesthetical aspects of the headquarters.

"The major goal of this project is to inform personnel and visitors about our command's past and present. It is important to tell the story of SDDC's efforts during different conflicts, explain how our brigades contribute to our mission, and to highlight our unwavering support of our military branches," Meyers said.

"Additionally, the hallway redesign includes heaps of command-centric knowledge and 'fun facts' that I am sure most of our personnel were probably unaware of," she added.

While both Poelker and Meyer are relieved the project is close to completion, they admit that it was a labor of love and the end result is more than they could have imagined in the beginning.

"I am so very proud of how these designs came to life," said Meyer, adding "the outcome of this project is by far my most favorite. Everything from A to Z on this project was rough, but the final installations are ones to admire, and I hope that these will be on display for years to come."

Poelker concurred, adding, "We tried to really pay attention to detail and make sure we told the SDDC story in the best way possible."

The remainder of the project, which includes a complete redesign of conference rooms 3110 and 3062, is slated to finish up in the next couple of months with only a few touch-ups of the existing displays left to be completed.

Plans for additional redesign efforts for the main lobby of building 1900 and additional conference rooms are in the works.