Photo By Senior Airman Ericka Engblom | The Aspiring Troops Enhancing Airman Morale members host weekly meetings to discuss...... read more read more
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CLOVIS, N.M. - Last year, a task force dedicated to preventing airmen from driving under the influence was assembled to help prevent airmen from putting themselves in harm’s way. The members of this task force were charged with finding alternative ways for their fellow wingmen to have responsible fun. Today, still supporting their core mission here at Cannon Air Force Base, these members operate under a different name, the Aspiring Troops Enhancing Airmen Morale, and they are seeking support that could potentially save lives.
The A-T.E.A.M., formerly the DUI Task Force, was originally founded in 2010 by Col. Stephen Clark, the wing commander at the time, to help prevent trending DUI’s, said Senior Airman Marcus Shannon, 27th Special Operations Maintenance Operations Squadron, engine management. Although the group has a new name, they have maintained the same overall objectives of reducing DUI occurrences while promoting a fun environment.
The team recently had a lot of success with ‘Rendezvous’, which ended up having a club lounge atmosphere, said Shannon. Hopefully the A-T.E.A.M. can recreate similar events like that in the future for our base airmen.
“Really what we do is try to keep new airmen from binge drinking, while exposing them to alternatives for fun,” said Shannon.
“We currently have over 170 signed members, but only about 20 are active participants in our meetings,” said Shannon. “What we really need now is the support and participation of our airmen, because in the end this is all about them.”
Something like this really takes commitment, dedication, and hard work, said Shannon. Becoming a member shouldn’t be about bullets for an enlisted performance report, it should be about giving back to our fellow airmen.
“We have the resources and the command chiefs help to make Cannon a great place for our airmen,” said Shannon. “We are just now getting back on our feet with the assistance of wing leadership, and we are starting to build something really solid.”
The A-T.E.A.M. is currently involved with the First Term Airmen Center in an effort to foster a positive outlook toward Cannon from new incoming airmen.
This group really is about empowering airmen to accomplish their goals, said Chief Master Sgt. Matthew Caruso, 27th Special Operations Wing, command chief. It promotes esprit de corps while enhancing our base and community morale.
“I would encourage airmen to join who feel strongly about the A-T.E.A.M. mission,” said Caruso. “I want those airmen who have a strong tie to the idea of potentially saving a life of one of their wingmen.
“It’s my hope that in the future every squadron has at least one representative at our meetings,” said Caruso. “I would hope that added support would increase our ability to host more events for our airmen.”
For information on how to become part of the A-T.E.A.M. call 575-784-7360.
| Date Taken: | 07.26.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.10.2011 18:29 |
| Story ID: | 75145 |
| Location: | CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO, US |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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