RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
"Commitment to Caring" is the theme of this year's Randolph Air Force Base Air Force Assistance Fund campaign from March 31 through May 11.
The installation's "fair-share goal" is $88,459, a figure set by the Secretary of the Air Force based on persons served by the Military Personnel Flight, but base AFAF project officer Capt. Kelly Travis said he hopes the Randolph community will again more than double that amount. Last year Randolph personnel committed more than $191,000 to the campaign, 225 percent of the assigned goal.
"We will easily surpass our goal again this year," he said. "We definitely go above and beyond our share here at Randolph."
The Air Force Assistance Fund equally benefits four charities that meet the needs of active-duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and retired personnel and their families - the Air Force Aid Society, the Air Force Enlisted Village Indigent Widows' Fund, Air Force Villages Indigent Widows' Fund and The General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation.
The Air Force's goal this year is $5.7 million. In their memorandum announcing the campaign, Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley applauded the contributions of Airmen, saying their "selfless donations" enable the Air Force charities to "remain healthy and able to provide quick and reliable assistance when and whenever needed."
"Whenever Air Force active, reserve, guard or retired members become victims of natural disasters or endure the personal hardships of deployments, accidents, illness, aging or death, their Air Force Wingmen traditionally provide a vast variety of emergency and financial assistance through the annual AFAF campaign," they said.
Captain Travis said Randolph servicemembers contribute so readily to the campaign because of a personal connection to so many of the people the fund assists. All three Air Force Village locations are in San Antonio, and the city has a large population of retired Air Force personnel.
"Servicemembers get to interact with the retirees here," he said. "They see where their money's going."
In addition, the fund benefits active-duty personnel and their families through the Air Force Aid Society. Captain Travis said the agency has helped him in the past.
"Everybody in the Air Force has benefited from the fund or known someone who has benefited from it," he said.
Captain Travis said the fund provides an opportunity to help military personnel who served our country during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and other conflicts.
"They deserve our help, our commitment," he said. "If we don't help them, why should we expect those in the future to give to us?"
Captain Travis said personnel who wish to contribute to the Air Force Assistance Fund will be able to obtain a form from their unit project officers or go online to the AFAF Web site, www.afassistancefund.org, download and fill out the form and give it to their point of contact. He said project officers will personally contact each servicemember in their unit, but civilian personnel may also donate to the fund.
Donations may be made through payroll deduction, cash, check or money order.
The Air Force-wide campaign recommends a fair share based on rank, but Captain Travis said every contribution - even the equivalent of the cost of a fast-food meal or cup of coffee per month - is helpful.
He said special fund-raising activities, including a kickoff event, will be announced as the campaign progresses.
For more information, call Captain Travis at 652-9356 or 652-9357.