Air Force Assistance Fund -- Airmen helping Airmen

  • Published
  • By Brig. Gen. Andrew Mueller
  • 81st Training Wing commander
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Each year, between February and May, Airmen across our entire Air Force embark on a fundraising campaign in support of the Air Force Assistance Fund. This fund exists to provide financial support to four charitable organizations that support the entire range of our Air Force families. The AFAF campaign is unique in that it is the full spectrum of airmen--active duty, reserve, air national guard and retied airmen-- reaching out to help fellow airmen in need.

From first term Airmen through Air Force retirees, all can all benefit from the four organizations supported by the AFAF -- the Air Force Villages, Inc., the Air Force Aid Society, Inc., the
General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation and the Air Force Enlisted Village, Inc. These organizations help Airmen and their families with aid to help overcome an emergency situation, with educational need, or enable a secure retirement home for widows or widowers of Air Force members who are in need of financial assistance.

In 2010, AFAF statistics show that Keesler Airmen and their families received more than $180,000 dollars in loans and grants using the financial aid programs enabled by donations to the AFAF. In addition, base organizations received more than $40,000 dollars to support family-oriented programs such as Bundles for Babies, Give Parents a Break and several other programs which help our Team Keesler community. Across the Air Force, direct assistance to Air Force members and families totaled $18.3 million and helped 39,000 airmen!

Over the next few days, take a minute or two to learn more about the AFAF by seeking out your unit's key worker, visiting the AFAF website at www.afassistancefund.org or contacting 2nd Lt. Joshua Anson, 81st Logistics Readiness Squadron, the base's AFAF project officer. Anyone can contribute to the AFAF, but only active-duty and retired military members can do so via payroll deductions.

Early this year, I wrote about remaining faithful to the 70 year heritage of training, caring and innovating here at Keesler. A 69-year partner in this legacy of caring has been the Air Force Aid Society -- providing worldwide emergency assistance, sponsoring education assistance programs and offering an array of base community enhancement programs that have improved quality of life for Airmen and their families - a legacy which you can support today through a contribution to the Air Force Assistance Fund.