Faced with Uniform Sizing Dilemma, Maxwell Exchange Solves for Yes
When officer trainee Michael Egnoto came into the Peterson Space Force Base Military Clothing store last fall to purchase his uniform for his Officer Training School (OTS) graduation at Maxwell Air Force Base on May 25, associates knew it would be a tall order to fill.
At 6 foot 3 inches, Egnoto’s measurements exceeded the standard sizes carried in Military Clothing stores. A special order was placed, but six months later, Egnoto still had not received the uniform.
With Egnoto traveling from his Colorado Springs home to Maxwell AFB for his graduation in less than seven weeks, Chief Master Sgt. Everton Hixson, senior enlisted advisor for the Officer Training School at Maxwell, reached out to Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Osby, the Exchange’s senior enlisted advisor, who in turn contacted the Military Clothing buying team at Exchange headquarters. Senior Buyer Lynn Castro then reached out to Maxwell AFB Exchange General Manager Patricia Murauskas for assistance.
Montgomery, Alabama, tailor Sieu Tang Wood (left) and Maxwell Air Force Base Exchange Services Business Tech Sheree Kelly-Calloway stand with officer trainee Michael Egnoto during the fitting for his specially tailored uniform, which was completed in time for his May 25 Officer Training School graduation.
Murauskas asked Services Business Tech Sheree Kelly-Calloway to find a solution. Kelly-Calloway contacted Sieu Tang Wood, a local tailor whom the Exchange had partnered with in the past, for assistance with altering Egnoto’s uniform.
Tang suggested starting with the largest uniform available on the Military Clothing store racks, then supplementing with additional fabric.
“The tailor shop is extremely busy during this time of year due to high school proms and weddings,” Kelly-Calloway said. “Despite this, Ms. Tang was more than eager to assist us in getting a uniform that would fit Mr. Egnoto.”
Kelly-Calloway contacted the Officer Training School Military Clothing store at Maxwell to have a service jacket and pants set aside. She then contacted Egnoto and let him know he could bring the items to the tailor shop to get his measurements.
There was just one problem: the only time Egnoto was authorized to leave the installation was after the alterations shop’s closing time. Determined to solve for yes, Kelly-Calloway reached out to Officer Training School leadership to secure permission for Egnoto to leave the installation during the shop’s business hours for a fitting on Saturday.
With permission to leave the base secured, there was just one more piece missing: additional material to finish the alterations. Kelly-Calloway picked up with phone again, this time reaching out to Master Sgt. Vickey McLester of the 908th Logistic Readiness Squadron’s material management team, who provided two pairs of the trousers to be used for additional fabric and lining.
On April 29, Egnoto came to the tailor shop to pick up the completed uniform. Kelly-Calloway was there to witness the final fitting.
“This is a great example of family serving family,” Murauskas said. “You can tell from the smiles in the photographs everyone was elated at the outcome. I’m super proud of Sheree and the fact that everything was accomplished in such a short time.”
