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Suitland, Md. - A major renovation at a massive Air Force base is hoping to make injured soldiers feel welcomed and in good hands.

It's hard enough being a combatant overseas, away from family and friends, but it's even more difficult when you have to come back injured and in need of medical care. The aeromedical staging facility at Andrews Air Force Base just completed a major renovation to make soldiers feel as if they're receiving a proper welcome home.

"I knew my arm was destroyed and I knew my face had some type of significant damage because it was hard for me to talk and hard for me to breathe," said Senior Airman Michael Fletcher. He was seriously injured when his humvee flipped over in Iraq (web | news) .

He says the key to his two-year recovery was the attention and care from medical professionals. "You're stressed out. You don't know if you're going to live, die. You don't know what your situation is and it helps to have someone around you to comfort you at all times."

That's what the aeromedical staging facility at Andrews Air Force Base aims to achieve with its $4.9 million renovation to the building and its technology. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held to symbolize the opening of the improved unit.

"It's almost like you've checked into a hotel. You know exactly what your room is. These people have all been squared away even before they get here." To make every soldier feel like they're at home, each of them will receive a handmade quilt, donated by volunteers. Some of the quilts even come with a personalized message.

The facility receives about 100 wounded, ill and injured soldiers every week from all branches of the military. "In its present format we can take care of 45 patients, but it can easily expand so we can now take care of 107 if there was a surge of patients coming back," said Col. Robert Miller, U.S. Air Force.

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