--- title: "An Air Force base is setting up reserved parking just for junior enlisted" description: "Airmen ranked E-1 through E-4 at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma will now have the pleasure of parking in reserved spots at the BX." date: "2021-10-20" modified: "2021-10-20" authors: - name: "David Roza" job_title: "YouTube Writer/Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/david-roza/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-reserved-parking-e-4-tinker/" categories: - "Air Force" - "Around the World" - "Military Branches" - "News" - "United States" --- # An Air Force base is setting up reserved parking just for junior enlisted ![]() *Tyler Adkisson, an equipment operator with Alutiiq, installs new E1-E4 reserved parking signs at the Tinker Exchange parking lot, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Oct. 12, 2021. Col. G. Hall Sebren Jr., 72nd Air Base Wing commander, directed that reserved parking for senior leaders be reduced. Some of the previously reserved spaces will be reallocated to junior Airmen, while others are returned to regular shoppers. (U.S. Air Force photo by Paul Shirk)* The Air Force has long been ragged on by soldiers, sailors and Marines for being soft, but that might not be a bad thing. After all, who wouldn’t want life to suck less? Just this year, the service announced it will be allowing airmen to[ walk on their physical training test](),[ put their hands in their pockets]() while in uniform, and even (gasp) use a[ cell phone or drink water]() while walking in uniform. Now, one Air Force base is flying even closer to the sun by setting up reserved parking spaces for junior enlisted airmen. That’s right, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma[ announced]() on Tuesday that reserved parking spaces for senior leaders would be reduced at the base’s exchange and commissary, while dedicated spaces for junior enlisted airmen would be added. Normally, base facilities like the commissary and exchange have reserved spots for senior leaders such as chief master sergeants, colonels and general officers, the[ base wrote](). But these new spots are assigned to airmen basic through senior airmen, who represent E-1 to E-4 on the Department of Defense enlisted pay scale. It’s worth pointing out that unlike more senior airmen, junior enlisted personnel generally have to live on base in the barracks, so it’s likely that they’ll be frequenting base exchanges and other facilities more often. The final signs marking out these spots will be installed in the coming weeks, and not a moment too soon, according to some reactions on social media. “Every base we’ve been to, I've rarely seen those higher rank spots used,” wrote one commenter on Facebook. “They always sit empty.” “The majority of high-ranking reserved exchange spaces just sit empty for weeks at a time,” wrote another [on Reddit.]() Still, other reactions were mixed. Junior enlisted service members are literally at the bottom of the totem pole in military land, so they rarely get the same perks as their superiors. But some commenters were suspicious. After all, the Tinker press release did not specify where in the parking lot the new reserved spots are located. “At the back of the lot, farthest from the door to the BX,” wrote one commenter on Facebook. “Plot twist: the parking spots are in another area of the base,” wrote another. Others said the reserved parking situation at Tinker was getting out of hand. For example, the press release said there were also reserved spaces for honor guard, alert vehicles, pregnant mothers and Gold Star family members. Still, others called for more reserved parking spaces, such as for retirees or for E-5 airmen so there would still be incentive for E-4s to get promoted — though that was likely a joke. “Why not just offer valet parking?” wrote one commenter on Facebook. Apart from special parking spots for people with disabilities or who are pregnant, the notion of reserved parking spots does seem at odds with the idea that “all men are created equal,” as set forth in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, or “first come, first served” and “dibs,” set forth by restaurants and schoolyard playgrounds, respectively. It’s a nice gesture, but there may be more substantial things that institutions can provide for the well-being of junior enlisted airmen. Keep in mind that Tinker was the same base where a[ colonel told an aircrew they failed America]() because they nixed an unsafe training mission. “I can’t express to you the level of disappointment I have right now,” Col. Gary Donovan, the commander of the operations group for the 552nd Air Control Wing, told airmen in July after they declined to violate Air Force safety regulations to fly a training mission aboard[ E-3]() Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) jets. ![]() *A Boeing E-3G Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft on final approach to land June 16, 2017, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. (U.S. Air Force photo/Greg L. Davis)* If you spend any amount of time tuned into an Air Force social media forum, you’ll find that parking spaces are not what many airmen are calling for to make their lives better. Instead, you’ll see calls for making the Air Force Personnel Center[ less of a pain]() in the butt;[ hiring more aircraft maintainers]() so they’re not constantly burnt out; and making leadership[ less toxic](). “I’m a big proponent of treating junior enlisted better, but this just seems kinda stupid,” wrote one commenter on Reddit reacting to the parking spot news. It’s not all bad though. Now lower-ranked airmen won’t have to wait so long to stock up on the energy drink of their choice before returning to a 15-hour shift at an undermanned shop. Go Air Force. ## More great stories on Task & Purpose - **The best hacks to make** [**military life in the field suck less**]() - **Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller sentenced to forfeit $5,000 in pay and** [**gets letter of reprimand**]() - **The Sgt. Maj. of the Army wants leaders to** [**stop scheduling training just for the sake of it**]() - **Airman stuck with $19,000 repair bill** [**after gate guards wreck his car**]() - [**NCIS wished the US Navy happy birthday**]() **with a photo of a Russian warship** - **We salute this Army first sergeant for looking exactly** [**how we’ve all felt in the field**]() **Want to write for Task & Purpose?** [**Learn more here**]() **and be sure to check out more great stories on** [**our homepage.**]() ## Author David Roza writes scripts about military news for the Task & Purpose YouTube channel, and he also writes articles about military pay, benefits, health care, child care, culture, and other personnel topics on a freelance basis. Roza previously covered the Air Force and Space Force for Task & Purpose from 2019 to 2023 and for Air & Space Forces Magazine from 2023 to 2025. In the course of that reporting, he has set off a ‘Hollywood explosion’ with Air Force bomb techs, turned the (unarmed) keys of a nuclear missile bunker, hovered over the Nevada desert on an Air Force rescue helicopter, and got the best sleep of his life on the floor of a C-17 over the central Pacific. Share tips and story ideas with David at [david.roza@teamrecurrent.io]()