Building fun: Scott officer amasses Lego collection

Published Aug. 28, 2015
By Senior Airman Megan Friedl
375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- By day you'll find Lt. Col. Danielle Budzko commanding the 15th Operational Weather Squadron, but after work she turns in her analysis and charts to build another Lego neighborhood or construction set.

Since age 4 she's been amassing a sizeable collection--2,000 sets in all--that includes vintage and modern structures, as well as ones she built from scratch.

Now as a mother of her own four-year-old girl, she said she hopes to share the love of Legos with her too.

"One of the new Lego series is called 'Lego friends' which is girl-oriented, so I hope that will help interest her more into playing with them. One of the dolls in the series is even named Olivia, just like my daughter," she said.

As a young girl, Budzko said she loved to build and design so much she even considered becoming an architect. As she grew older she stopped playing with them and started to follow her other passion for weather and decided to become a meteorologist.

However, as a college student she revived her love for Legos when as a freshman, she created a Lego replica of her dorm hall. Now she's the owner of more than 2,000 sets of Legos, which varies from some basic sets during the early 1970s to more intricate designs from the 2000s up to present day. As a fan of the movie empire, she also owns many of the Star Wars collectible sets.

Airmen in her squadron also show interest in her hobby, too.

Second Lt. David Bumpass, 15th OWS senior duty officer, said, "When commanders aren't afraid to share their hobbies and things about themselves, it helps Airmen to open up about themselves, increases unit cohesiveness and builds morale."

Bumpass also has a Lego collection he started at the age of four with his very own blue and yellow Lego race car. He hasn't been able to keep up with his collection recently, but hopes to add more to it in the future.

Budzko adds to her collection mostly by ordering over the phone with Lego consultants so she can buy individual pieces to add more of a unique aspect to her creations. Sometimes, she travels to the official Lego store in St. Louis to see what they have to offer in person.

It's more than just collecting the sets that inspire her she said, it's the memories of family time as well.

"In the 1980s, my family would just build together while watching the Atlanta Braves, and those were some of my fondest memories," said Budzko.

Her older brother also keeps up with building Lego creations. As a retired Navy chief petty officer he jokes with her that once she retires that they will live together again to just build more of their Lego creations together.

Budzko said once she retires and her daughter grows older, she hopes to have more time to build more creations, broaden her Lego collection, and take her daughter to Legoland.