Rescue - Caring for those who came before us

  • Published
  • By Capt. Nicole Teser and Lt. Col. John Bartrum
  • 920th Rescue Wing
Joint Base Langley-Eustis Air Force Base, Va. --  During his second inaugural address on March 4, 1865, President Lincoln stated, "To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan."
 
To the 920th Aerospace Medicine Flight, Joint Base Langley-Eustis Air Force Base, Va., these words restated a theme of the Founding Fathers, that while we are nation of independence -- we have an obligation, moral or otherwise, to help those who served, as well as the families of those who perished on the battlefield.

A relatively small entity, the 920th AMDF consists of approximately 24 Airmen, but its two-dozen Airmen have enormous hearts. In addition to the everyday mission of medical service for Airmen, they have adopted a mission of caring for service members who came before them. This has been demonstrated on numerous occasions, during holiday celebrations and unit family picnics, through fundraisers, and drives to which have addressed the basic needs of homeless veterans.

Each unit training assembly the 920th AMDF places a collection suitcase at the customer sign-in counter, allowing Reservists throughout the base to donate toiletries such as soap, shampoo, shaving cream and lotion. These donations are then delivered to the local Veterans Affairs staff who distributes them to local homeless veterans.

Additional monetary funds were raised at the dunk tank during the family day picnic. Each November, prior to Veterans Day, 920th AMDF Commander Lt. Col. John Bartrum matches dollar-for-dollar of all funds donated by Reservists.

Reservists didn't stop there; they took the cause to their community. Staff Sgt. Jennifer Shockley who owns a local bakery, hosts a coat drive each winter. As an incentive those who drop-off a coat receive one of her renowned cupcakes.

As the unit point of contact for these drives, Capt. Nicole Teser, has also engaged customers in her civilian optometry practice to donate slightly used warming items.

Overall, in November 2012, the 920th AMDF donated 38 pounds of toiletries and $328 to the local veterans program. The following month, the unit delivered 25 pounds of warming items, including gently used hats, gloves, scarves, and coats. This month the unit anticipates making another donation of approximately 50 pounds of clothing items.

Next month, the 920th AMDF will engage other Reserve units in its "Kiss a Veteran" fundraiser, where members can purchase chocolate kisses for $1. The proceeds will go to the local Veterans Affairs Homeless Program.

The 920th AMDF is looking forward to a productive year, with hopes of exceeding its fundraising efforts of previous years by collaborating with other units to improve the lives of those less fortunate that served before us.

The 920th AMDF is one of three 920th RQW units that are geographically separated. The other two are: the 943rd Rescue Group, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. and the 304th Rescue Squadron, Portland International Airport, Ore.

The 920th RQW is the Air Force Reserve Command's only combat search-and-rescue wing. To learn more about the 920th RQW, visit their website, Facebook page, or follow them on Twitter.