Keesler employee wins Air Force Civilian Technician Supervisor of the Year

  • Published
  • By Angelique N. Smythe
  • 81st Training Wing Public Affairs

Keesler’s Casualty and Survivor Benefits counselor recently received the 2017 Air Force Civilian Technician Supervisor of the Year Award. 

Upon the death of an active duty member, Raymond Alexander, 81st Force Support Squadron, has the somber task of sitting down with family members to inform and assist them with claiming their benefits. He also provides briefings to retiring and separating service members on survivor benefits and life insurance benefits. 

“We give them the sense that we, the Air Force, still care about them,” he said. “I’m the focal point for everything they need to help cut through the red tape to ensure their benefits are intact.”

For 13 years, Alexander has briefed grieving family members on entitlement benefits, filed numerous paperwork and ensured Defense Finance and Accounting Services provides payment within a timely manner to survivors. Prior to this, he spent over 25 years as an Air Force active duty service member in the personnel career field. 

On a daily basis, Alexander sees an average of five to six people who walk into his office to discuss entitlements. Without counting actual phone calls, that’s around 1,500 customers per year from all branches of service within Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. 

“It could be someone who is retiring, someone whose spouse just passed away or someone who’s just looking for information on what they are entitled to,” he said. 

Among his many accomplishments, Alexander processed claims for up to $63 million for 250 families in 2017. 

His experience has allowed him to help those who are about to retire because he has already gone through the active duty retirement process. 

“Some of the anxieties that they’re about to experience, I’ve already done,” he said. “It’s just to let you know that it’s not scary. Your future is going to get better because you have 20 years of service and when you’re looking to be hired by another employer, they take that into consideration.” 

In regards to grieving family members, Alexander shows each individual the same compassion he’d show his own mother. 

“I look at the widow like it’s my mom,” he said. “What can I do to help you? Where do you turn? I get all these questions. Who can I go to? Well, that’s my job. It’s like, mom, come here let me take care of you. Dad, come here let me take care of you . . . I’ve had clients that come back and  call me to say, ‘Mr. Alexander, I want to thank you for taking care of my mom.’” 

Casualty officers may often be overlooked because they primarily work behind the scenes. Until someone passes on active duty, the Air Force as a whole may not recognize the scope of a casualty and survivor benefits counselor’s responsibilities. As an introvert himself, Alexander said he often shies away from the spotlight. 

“All I want to do is come to work, take care of my widows and retirees and just go about stuff,” he said. 

However, his colleagues find him very well-deserving of this esteemed award. 

“He’s the best person for that job,” said Jackie Pope, 81st FSS Airman and Family Readiness Center flight chief. “He’s kind; he’s empathetic. He will go above and beyond to help his clients. There's really nothing that he won't do to assist his clients and his fellow co-workers. It makes me cry. He has built relationships with his clients that have stood the test of time and  he’s just a phenomenal person.”  

He’s had to leave home to provide support for other families at odd hours and even on major holidays. 

Alexander’s character was truly tested when he had to tend to a family that lost a service member two days after Christmas in 2016. 

“That one hurts more than anything else because the day she passed and I met with the husband, is the same day that my sister passed,” he said. “However, it's about taking my emotions and putting them aside to make sure he had what he needed. While I'm there trying to brief him, my family is trying to call me; and I can't stop what I'm doing because it's not only a husband grieving, but three young boys as well. I needed to make sure they were OK.” 

“Alexander is awesome at what he does,” said John Lowe, A&FRC consultant. “He puts a lot of heart into reaching out, listening and providing guidance to people in a professional manner. There’s just no words to explain what it means to the families.”