Photo By Daniel Martinez | Jessica Pfeffer, Red Cross Armed Forces International Services specialist, holds a...... read more read more
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OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. - Wearing a collared sweatshirt with the American Red Cross emblem, a bespectacled man warmly smiles while handing a prescription to a customer at the Ehrling Bergquist Clinic pharmacy. This moment may appear small and routine, but this exchange also symbolizes a deeper connection – the partnership between the Red Cross and Offutt Air Force Base.
As the Red Cross volunteer lead, Ken Noltie not only volunteers himself, but also provides 11 qualified individuals to assist with Offutt’s pharmacy operations. This role is one part of the Red Cross’ greater mission to deliver essential support to service members, their families, and veterans.
“We have an excellent relationship from the commander level on down and over at the [55th Wing] as well,” Noltie said. “Here I do a lot of interaction with the clinic leadership, the chief and the commander and her folks.”
In addition to his role at the clinic, Noltie serves as a senior volunteer partner for the regional director of Service to the Armed Forces and international services, which provide emergency communications, deployment support, and crisis assistance to military families.
“So here, our main job is in the pharmacy,” Noltie said. “In the pharmacy, we pass out all the medications…Our job is to make sure that we have the right patient and the right medicine.”
According to Master Sgt. Paul Forbes, 55th Medical Group pharmacy flight chief, Red Cross volunteers are crucial for maintaining daily operations.
“They’re essential in a pharmacy world,” Forbes said. “Most pharmacies don’t have enough manning to run filling, verifying and activation while also simultaneously dispensing.”
Forbes added that volunteers help ensure consistent service for patients while easing workload demands on active-duty medical personnel.
“Having the Red Cross here on a day-to-day basis for the most part is keeping these windows open and keeping patients in and out on a timely basis,” he said.
Beyond clinic operations, the Red Cross supports Offutt Airmen and families through deployment-focused programs, emergency response, and training services.
“We do a yellow ribbon event and that is for deploying units,” Noltie said. “They’re going to learn about what the Red Cross has to offer in case of an emergency.”
The organization also assists families affected by local or global emergencies, often when individuals are unaware that they qualify for support. For example, when a fire ravaged an apartment complex in Bellevue, Neb. in 2025, the Red Cross provided disaster relief to military residents.
“A lot of them were surprised,” Noltie said. “They didn’t think that they could qualify for Red Cross assistance… Our mission is to help when it’s needed.”
Through international services, the Red Cross can also help military members reconnect with loved ones following disasters or disruptions in communication overseas.
“We help with what’s called restoring family links,” said Jessica Pfeffer, Red Cross Armed Forces International Services specialist. “We get cases from military members, and they’re worried about their family because they can’t communicate with them.”
Pfeffer said assistance begins with a single point of contact that routes individuals to the appropriate services. “They’ll route it to the right area with that one phone number,” she said.
Noltie emphasized that whether support is provided at a pharmacy window or during a family emergency, the mission remains the same.
![]()“We are here to help,” Noltie said. “It doesn’t matter what time of day, what the emergency is.”
| Date Taken: | 02.09.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.11.2026 15:43 |
| Story ID: | 557779 |
| Location: | NEBRASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 6 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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