AFAF starts at Lakenheath

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Connor Estes
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  The 2011 Air Force Assistance Fund campaign started here March 28 and will run to May 6. This year's theme is "Commitment to Caring" and continues the AFAF's heritage of Airmen taking care of Airmen.

Contributions to this campaign will help support four Air Force charities. The Air Force Aid Society, Air Force Enlisted Village, Air Force Village and the General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation.

"These charities are a great way for Airmen to contribute to something that will directly impact other Airmen in a profound way," said Capt. Brian Cruz, 48th Medical Surgical Squadron Laboratory operations chief and AFAF installation project officer. "It's wonderful for our Air Force family to come together to help each other."

According to the memo from the Secretary of Air Force Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, the four charities within AFAF are described as follows:

"The Air Force Aid Society is always there to provide emergency financial assistance, educational loans and spouse tuition assistance. They also provide more than 10 community programs, such as 'give parents a break' and 'phone home,' to help Airmen and their families cope with the stresses of military life and deployments.

"The Air Force Village and Air Force Enlisted Village provide retirees' widows and widowers with a home and community to live in and be cared for. It was founded by the Air Force Officers' Wives' Clubs in 1964 with a compassionate mission: to provide a dignified, appropriate and cost-effective retirement community for the widows of retired Air Force officers.

"The LeMay foundation seeks out and lends a helping hand to widows and widowers of Air Force retirees through financial gifts of assistance."

Of the two major Air Force fund drives annually, the AFAF campaign is one that was created by Airmen, for Airmen.

"That's really what the campaign is all about," said Senior Master Sgt. Lara Burback, 48th Force Support Squadron Military Personnel Section superintendent and assistant AFAF installation project officer. "We as Air Force members must ensure we take care of our own."

Last year Airmen came together and gave more to AFAF charities than ever before, donating $18.3 million. Liberty Warriors were responsible to $109,559 of that.