LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- The 19th Force Support Squadron hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of the installation’s newest morale, welfare and recreation facility, Sept. 2.
The Drop Zone is a state-of-the-art communal gaming lounge exclusively for service members and their families and is designed to satisfy even the most die-hard of gamers.
Both Xbox and PC gaming options are available for participants at the Drop Pod terminals, which feature a 4K monitor and surround sound audio dome. Over 60 of the most popular games are available for players and new games will be added every month.
“Folks on this installation can use this space to come together as a community through this addition to the third space initiative,” said Col. John Schutte, 19th Airlift Wing commander. “Whether they play individually or online, the Drop Zone gives people the opportunity to get out of their dorms or their homes and game together in a COVID-19 safe environment.”
The third space initiative is an 19th Airlift Wing effort to develop locations across LRAFB where service members and their families can go to unwind from the stressors of work and home life. This new initiative is derived from the third space theory which suggests that people need to be able to separate their two primary spaces of work and home to prevent them from conflicting.
As outlined in the theory, people’s first and second spaces, which can be conflicting to each other, are usually their home and work place. The third space is a hybrid space between the two, allowing the person to interact with others in a way that allows them to decompress while participating in an activity they enjoy.
Moreover, the third space is supposed to be the in-between space where the seemingly oppositional first and second spaces of a person work together to generate new knowledge, discourses and literacy forms.
“It’s imperative for us to have opportunities for Airmen to get outside of their dorm room or their home, and to be away from work where they can relax and enjoy common goods and hobbies,” said Col. Derrick Floyd, 19th Missions Support Group commander. “This third space is here for our gamers, who happen to be many of our young Airmen and Marines across the installation. We hope this allows for those who love gaming to connect in a communal space.”
For more information on the Drop Zone, call (501) 987-3338.