chaptersinaction In 2011, Cape Fear Chapter mem-
bers worked 87 volunteer hours at the new USO and donated $500. More members joined the effort this year, and during the first quarter of 2012, they worked 181 hours. One member, Lt. Col. Tom Delahunty, USA-Ret., often fills in when there’s a vacancy so the center can remain open. “We set out to fill as many shifts as possible, and we’re accomplishing that goal,” says Smith. “It’s a good way to support the troops, and I’m hoping we’ll add even more volunteers.”
Support for the USO Many MOAA chapters support USOs in their areas, including the South- ern Nevada, North DFW (Texas), Olympia (Wash.), Southwest Illinois, Aiken (S.C.), and Mile High (Colo.) chapters, to name a few. Some chap- ter members volunteer at a local USO, while others provide financial support or donate food, furniture, TVs, and other items. “We make a quarterly donation to
the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport USO of $100 or more and also have members bring snacks to donate for the Christmas rush for hundreds of trainees from Fort Leonard Wood [Mo.] who go home for the holidays,” says Greater St. Louis Chapter Presi- dent Col. Charles Ehlert, USA-Ret. In Florida, members of the St. Pe-
tersburg Area Chapter donated $250 to support the launch of a new USO at Tampa International Airport. Chap- ter member Lt. Col. Gary Gilchrist, USAF-Ret., is the new USO’s treasurer. Chapter president Lt. Col. Terry Carr, USA-Ret., and his wife, Paulette, and Col. Bill Lofgren Jr., USAF-Ret., at- tended the groundbreaking ceremony. Mayport (Fla.) Chapter members also support the USO. Several mem-
bers volunteer at the Jacksonville International Airport USO, and the chapter hosts “No Dough Dinners” at the Mayport USO that provide lower enlisted servicemembers and families with a free meal right before payday.
A proper welcome Chapter members support other fa- cilities that act as a home away from home for servicemembers and their families when they travel. Minnesota Chapter members have donated thou- sands of dollars over the years to the Armed Forces Service Center (AFSC) at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which isn’t affiliated with the USO or the local airport author- ity. The AFSC is funded by donations and staffed by volunteers — including many chapter members. In 2009, Gen. Andrew Jackson
(Tenn.) Chapter members supported an effort to build a military lounge at Nashville International Airport, which has no USO. Members donated lamps, books, chil- dren’s toys, a flat- screen TV, DVD players, two recliners, several paintings, and other items. Accord- ing to CWO5 John Wade Sr., ARNG-Ret., chapter president, members volunteer at the military lounge, which to date has served about 30,000 servicemembers and their family members. Recently, members of the South-
Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport. Barbara Bullock, Betty Cerrone, Rutti Cramer, Yvette Furtado, and Jeanne McKenty — nicknamed the Fear- less Five — sought out and formed a partnership with the Armed Forces YMCA and worked for nearly three years to raise $63,000 of the $70,000 needed to get the center up and run- ning. They also trained more than 100 volunteers who work at the center, which opened April 23. “It’s always been our intention to dedicate the Military Welcome Cen- ter to our Vietnam [veterans],” says Cramer, whose late husband, Col. Robert Cramer, USA, served three tours in Vietnam. “We want any vet- eran who comes through our airport to feel welcomed and supported.” Along the way, the Fearless Five
has donated $1,000 to support the Military Welcome Center.
Southwest Oklahoma Chapter
The
west Oklahoma Chapter’s auxiliary group, composed of spouses and auxil- iary members, spearheaded the effort to build a military welcome center at
overcame obstacles and enlisted help from a variety of city, state, and mu- nicipal organizations and area busi- nesses, as well as officials at Fort Sill. “When we ran into
roadblocks, we just found detours around them,” says McKenty, an auxiliary member. To date, the
Southwest Oklahoma Chapter has donated a total of $1,000 to support the center, and 20 chapter mem- bers and members of the chapter’s auxilia- ry work as volunteers. “[I’m] amazed at
[the Five’s] energy and determination to
make the Military Welcome Center a reality in the face of layers of bureau- cracy and some naysayers,” says Brig. Gen. James Cerrone, USA-Ret., chap- ter president. “They made it happen.”
AUGUST 2012 MILITARY OFFICER 43
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