JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Several Navy and Marine Corps commands in the San Antonio area recognized key volunteers in the most recent annual Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, or NMCRS, fund drive during a quarterly sea service leadership meeting at Navy Medicine Education, Training and Logistics Command, or NMETLC, at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston July 10.
“I think it’s really important to make a statement for all of us,” said Rear Adm. Rebecca McCormick-Boyle, NMETLC commander and the senior Navy officer in the area. “Once a year, we have the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society fund drive for our own. It’s by our own, for our own. We have an opportunity to contribute so if somebody is in need, they get taken care of.”
McCormick-Boyle chose to have the small recognition ceremony during the sea service meeting to demonstrate appreciation by San Antonio area Navy and Marine Corps leaders for all of the volunteers involved. It was something the admiral wanted to do in front of the commanding officers and other senior leaders.
“I think it’s important to acknowledge the people who made it go, all the key people in your commands who had to ask for donations,” she said. “It’s sometimes really hard to get people to open the wallet.”
Overall all, the San Antonio area collected $60,389.57 through various fundraising and donation activities.
Angelica Botkin, NMCRS San Antonio Office director, expressed her own appreciation and announced the achievements of several Navy commands.
Joint Electronic Warfare Center had the highest rate of contributions with 100 percent of the command donating this year. Navy Operational Support Center, or NOSC, had the second highest rate of contributors.
Navy Medicine Training Support Center had the highest total contributions with $22,513.57. Navy Technical Training Center-Lackland had the second highest total.
NOSC had the highest improvement with 196 percent over last year’s contributions.
“It’s important to know that we have a small but growing footprint here,” McCormick-Boyle said. “Most of us are doing quite fine. But for many of us, it’s just tough. When you move and you’ve got a kid and a spouse and the car breaks and you’ve got to get the kids to school, it’s hard. Remember the relief society is there for us.”
The NMCRS San Antonio office opened at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston in 2016, operating part time and became a fully operational NMCRS branch July 1.