Photo By Senior Airman Savannah Carpenter | U.S. Air Force Col. Russell Reese, 23d Wing commander, greets Retired Maj. Gen. Ed...... read more read more
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MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Strong support doesn’t happen by accident. It starts with understanding the challenges facing Airmen and their families and building the connections needed to help them navigate those challenges.
Retired Maj. Gen. Ed Thomas, Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) chief executive officer, visited Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Sept. 1, 2026, to meet with installation leaders, helping agencies and community partners to strengthen the network supporting Moody’s military community.
Thomas’ visit was part of an effort to better understand the needs of military families at the installation level, connect with the people helping to meet those needs and identify opportunities to increase awareness of resources available through AFAS.
“The 23d wing is really doing the nation's work in an incredible way right now,” Thomas said. “What you learn is that you can't lead an Airmen and family organization from behind a desk, so I've come to Moody to listen to Airmen, spouses, first sergeants, commanders, and understand where life is getting hard. Essentially, I want to know where AFAS is working, where we've got gaps, and where we need to change.”
For Moody leadership, that support is directly connected to readiness and the wing’s ability to take care of its people. “Taking care of our Airmen and their families is fundamental to our ability to execute the mission,” said Col. Russell Reese, 23d Wing commander. “When we connect our people with the right resources before challenges become crises, we strengthen the readiness of the entire force. AFAS is an important partner in that effort, and we’re grateful for their commitment to being there for our Moody family.”
While many of the challenges military families face are not new, Thomas said the pressures surrounding them continue to evolve. Housing, food, transportation, childcare and the rising cost of everyday life can place significant strain on military families, particularly when an unexpected expense leaves little room to recover. For AFAS, understanding those pressure points is essential to ensuring its programs remain relevant to the force.
“We've got to be listening,” Thomas said. “This is part of what we call our ‘campaign to connect’: our listening tours to come and understand firsthand what the challenges are. We're as relevant as we need to be, and as the force deserves us to be for them, and I think I'd also say we're listening harder, we're simplifying access, we're modernizing programs, and we're looking for places where a relatively small amount of help can make an outsized difference.”
At Moody, AFAS provides Airmen and families with support for a range of unexpected financial and family needs. Assistance can include emergency financial support, rent and mortgage assistance, pay-related issues, transportation and vehicle expenses, childcare, permanent change of station (PCS) related needs, Bundles for Babies, and car and booster seat assistance.
That support is already making a measurable difference at Moody.
In roughly 19 months, AFAS provided $204,664 in direct assistance across 422 cases involving Moody Airmen and families. In the first seven months of 2026, AFAS issued 196 grants, with vehicle-related needs accounting for $21,500 in assistance. Community programs also reached 45 families, providing support through programs such as Bundles for Babies, Child Care for PCS and car and booster seat assistance.
Child car seat grants alone reached 37 cases and $8,150 through July, surpassing the 29 cases recorded during all of 2025. The previous year, AFAS provided nearly $75,000 in assistance for pay-related issues and rent or mortgage needs, helping families bridge unexpected financial gaps.
AFAS’ support for Moody families also extends to times of widespread crisis. Following Hurricane Helene in 2024, AFAS provided approximately $2.4 million in assistance to Moody families, demonstrating the organization’s ability to surge support when military families face challenges beyond their normal resources.
That support is strengthened by AFAS’ local presence at Moody. Cristina Capriato, an Air Force spouse assigned to Moody, is AFAS’ only team member assigned to a local base. Her presence provides a direct connection between AFAS and the Airmen and families it serves at Moody.
For Thomas, the value of that assistance goes beyond the dollar amount.
“Don’t wait until the $500 problem becomes a $5,000 crisis,” Thomas said. “AFAS exists precisely because sometimes life happens faster than a paycheck can respond.”
That philosophy is closely tied to readiness. Thomas said financial challenges can follow an Airman to work, making it harder to focus on the mission. By encouraging Airmen to seek help before a problem becomes a crisis, AFAS helps restore stability and, ultimately, military readiness.
For AFAS, success is not simply making Airmen aware that the organization exists. It is ensuring they know what support is available and where to go when they need it.
“Success isn’t that everybody knows our name,” Thomas said. “Success is that everybody knows what AFAS can do for them and knows where to turn to when they need help.”
Thomas wants to ensure AFAS continues to be part of the installation’s everyday support network, a resource leader, first sergeants and families can turn to before a temporary setback becomes a crisis.
Ultimately, the mission is not simply about providing financial assistance. It is about helping Airmen and families regain stability, stay focused on what matters and remain ready to support the mission. By being there when life gets hard, AFAS helps ensure Airmen know they do not have to face those challenges alone.
“The stories that stick with me aren’t usually about the size of a check,” Thomas said. “They’re about the moment you know that somebody realizes we’re going to be okay.”
For Thomas, that is the role AFAS strives to play, stepping in when an Airman or family needs help, strengthening the support network around them and helping turn uncertainty back into stability.
“We’re that wingman,” Thomas said. “That’s our job. That’s where we want to be. That wingman to our Airmen.”
| Date Taken: | 09.15.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.15.2026 21:44 |
| Story ID: | 574822 |
| Location: | MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Strengthening support: AFAS CEO visits Moody AFB, by SrA Savannah Carpenter, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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