AFAF marks 40-year 'Commitment to Caring'

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Joe McFadden
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  Forty years after reaffirming their pledge to help fellow Airmen in need, the 2013 Air Force Assistance Fund, themed "A Commitment to Caring," kicked off March 25 and will run for the following six weeks.

The AFAF is an annual Air Force-wide endeavor to benefit active-duty, Guard, Reserve and retired Airmen as well as their dependents and surviving spouses in need through four charitable organizations, according to the program's website.

Last year, Airmen set a campaign record, garnering $7.84 million in campaign pledges - more than 120 percent of the 2012 goal.

"When we all give just a little, as a family, it is an attainable benchmark," said Michael Donley, Secretary of the Air Force, Gen. Mark Welsh, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Chief Master Sgt. James Cody, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, in a letter to all Airmen. "You smashed the record last year, making us all extremely proud. We look forward to watching, once again this year, how our fellow Airmen come together to care of one another."

The total goal for the Air Force is to raise nearly $6.55 million, with Hurlburt Field's contribution of more than $178,981, said 1st Lt. Matthew Bottorff, officer in charge of client systems of 1st Special Operations Communications Squadron and base AFAF keyworker. 

"The campaign is run by Airmen, Airmen donate the money, and Airmen and their families are those who benefit," he said.

All donations will go toward any of the four Air Force charities: the Air Force Enlisted Village, the Air Force Village Foundation, the Air Force Aid Society, and the General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation.

While acknowledging strained economic realities of today, Bottorff highlighted the maximum impact of individuals giving a relatively small amount when compared to the burden placed on families in need.

"If everyone on this base packed a lunch instead of spending $5 at lunch just once a month and gave that money to the AFAF, we could raise more than half a million dollars," he said.  

All funds donated to these organizations through the AFAF can be used for emergencies such as a death in a family or after a house burns down. They can also be used for educational or special needs assistance and securing a retirement home for surviving spouses of deceased Airmen.  

"Every Airmen or someone they know may someday need aid," Bottorff said. "This is a way we can guarantee that no Airman or their family gets left behind."

Airmen interested in contributing to this year's AFAF can contact Bottorff or their unit keyworker.

For more information, visit www.afassistancefund.org.