Airmen use downtime raise money for wounded warriors

Photo By Staff Sgt. Jackie Sanders | Lt. Col. Daniel Brown, 651 Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron commander, is pied in the face during a morale function held by the 651st EAES and 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron Aug. 12, 2013, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Airmen from the two squadrons teamed up to raise $800 for the Wounded Warrior Foundation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jack Sanders)  

AFGHANISTAN

08.12.2013

Story by Senior Airman Jackie Sanders 

451st Air Expeditionary Wing

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Not content with providing medical care and transport to wounded warriors, some airmen here launched a fundraiser to help those wounded warriors once they returned to the United States.

Airmen with the 651st Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron planned a fundraiser during their monthly morale function to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Foundation. When members of the 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron learned of their plans, they volunteered to support.

“We wanted the money to help out as many people as possible,” Senior Airman Sandra Prado, 651st EAES and event coordinator. “The Wounded Warrior Foundation just made sense. Being aeromedical evacuation we see a lot of wounded warriors come through and we want to do what we can to help.”

The contest allowed airmen to volunteer to put their name on a board to be pied in the face at the monthly morale event. Other members of the squadron would then vote, $1 per vote, and the top five airmen would receive the honor of being pied.

“It was a whole group effort,” sad Prado. “When everyone came in over the month and saw the board they always asked, ‘Who’s up,’ or ‘Who’s the top five?’”

In addition to the top five vote-getters, squadron leadership from the 651st EAES and 772nd EAS got pied as well. In total the squadrons raised $800 for the Wounded Warrior Foundation.

“A lot of people had a great time,” Prado said. “Everyone seemed happy.”

Other festivities also included grilled food, pin-the-tail-on-the-C-130 and a piñata for members with a birthday in the month of August.

The squadron plans on continuing the monthly morale events in the future, said Lt. Col. Daniel Brown, 651st EAES commander.

“It’s a way for us to give back and have a little fun,” he said.

• Date Taken: 08.12.2013
• Date Posted: 08.20.2013 06:49
• Story ID: 112261
• Location: AF