AFAF: assisting Airmen in times of need

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Daniel Phelps
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  From the time that Airmen enter basic training, the wingman concept is drilled into them. The idea is to always look after and take care of fellow Airmen. It carries with us throughout our careers and becomes a lifestyle.

Beginning by helping out with hospital corners at Basic Military Training to helping each other out on the flightline, watching each other's back in a combat zone, or just simply volunteering for Airmen Against Drunk Driving, we have learned what it means to be a wingman.

This concept is exemplified through the Air Force Assistance Fund.

The AFAF is the only fund for Airmen that allows them to give back to their own, according to 1st Lt. Emily Young, 20th Component Maintenance Squadron propulsion flight commander and AFAF installation project officer.

The AFAF was established as an annual effort to raise money for the four charities that support the Air Force family in times of need. The charities help by aiding in emergency, assisting with educational needs, or providing a secure retirement home for the surviving spouses of Airmen in need.

Two nonprofit retirement villages are supported by the AFAF, the Air Force Village and the Air Force Enlisted Village.

Established in 1970, the Air Force Village is located in San Antonio, Texas. It is a retirement village for retired officers of all military branches, as well as those who served honorably and separated, including their families.

The Air Force Enlisted Village was founded in 1967 to provide a safe, secure and dignified place for surviving spouses in financial need. It provides a home and financial assistance.

Another charity the AFAF supports is the General and Mrs. Curtis LeMay Foundation, which helps spouses of all Air Force retirees with financial grants to support them for any need.

The largest benefactor of the AFAF is the Air Force Aid Society, according to Claudia Bostic, community readiness consultant and a retired Air Force master sergeant. It began in 1942 and helps the Air Force family directly.

Ms. Bostic explained, the AFAS began as a society to help with educational needs and has since expanded. It is a proactive organization that contributes to programs such as Bundles for Babies and Youth Employment Skills, relieves stress for families of the deployed, gives phone cards, and aids with financial crises through loans or grants.

"The AFAS grows in the direction of need," Ms. Bostic said. "For example, the FALCON loan is a new loan that addresses the need of small loans without getting Airmen into the problem of high-interest payment cycles."

"The great thing about the AFAS is that it impacts Airmen right now," she said.

Airman 1st Class Joel Gilbert is a 20th Component Maintenance Squadron aerospace propulsion apprentice here. He is originally from the U.S. Virgin Islands and was helped out by the AFAF.

Airman Gilbert recalled:

While he was stationed at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, he found out his grandfather was very sick. He was dealing with liver disease and had a stroke. At the time, Airman Gilbert wanted go back home and visit his grandfather. His grandfather and grandmother had raised him for about six years of his life, so they were very close.

At the time, Airman Gilbert did not have the funds to visit him. Unfortunately, he was not aware of the benefits of the AFAF.

In October 2009, Airman Gilbert arrived at Shaw and found out his grandfather had passed away. Although, he had the leave, he again did not have the finances. His supervisor at the time, Tech. Sgt. Randall Stewart, told him about the AFAF and how it could help him.

Airman Gilbert went to the Airmen and Family Readiness Center and filled out an application for help from the AFAF. He needed about $900 to go to the Virgin Islands.

Through a very simple process, noted Airman Gilbert, the AFAF found him cheaper tickets and loaned him the money to go home. They offered him a simple plan to pay back the interest-free loan.

The AFAF loan enabled him to go home for about 12 days to attend the funeral and spend time with his family.

This really meant a lot to him, Airman Gilbert remarked, because he was concerned that he was not going to make it.

"Knowing about this great program helped aid me in a time of need. I would recommend it to anyone," he said, "I now also make a contribution back because of how it helped me. This is a great way to give back to Airmen."