I cannot thank you enough! I was delighted to discover you covered childcare
for service members recovering from surgery. In fact, I just recently
indicated your organization at our wounded warriors event.
-a note from a coordinator at the Family Assistance Center for the Missouri National Guard Family Program
I came to the Armed Forces Foundation as a fresh-faced graduate, excited and ready to put the skills I had learned to work for our nation’s military families. With a father and brother serving in the Army I felt blessed to have the opportunity to work for an organization committed to supporting the servicemen and women who sacrifice so much. However, nothing could prepare me for what I would get in return.
At the AFF, we interact with individuals in critical situations every day. Whether requesting financial assistance, enjoying a warm meal at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center or blowing off steam on a fishing trip, the positive attitudes of these military families never waver. They are strong, proud and undeniably gracious.
I will never forget my first day on the job. Tasked with the responsibility of manning a prescreening of the latest X-Men movie for recovering service members and their families, I was both nervous and eager for my first real assignment. Though I was still learning the ropes and getting my bearings, the families were nothing but patient and understanding. In speaking with the families I was quickly struck by their upbeat outlooks, their continued patriotism and their ability to laugh in the face of what lay ahead. To the casual observer these men and women may appear defeated, but I assure you they are they are not.
It is this attitude that serves as a daily reminder for who and what the AFF stands for, and a personal push to meet the mission of “Serving Those Who Serve.”
Corrine Mis, AFF Staff Member
Over the past two years working for the Armed Forces Foundation I have been privileged and honored to work with some of the most talented and appreciative men and women in our military. Being able to support our mission and escort service members and their families to one of kind experiences has been eye opening.
From amazing stories to sad details it has all been a humbling experience that has helped me grow as an individual and appreciate the tremendous sacrifices these service members and their families endure. I will forever cherish the friendships we have created and remember all those lives we have touched.
The Armed Forces Foundation’s mission is simple – to support those military members and their families in need. I am very happy to say we see these actions take place every day, and I am honored to be a part of such a fantastic organization.
Sean Conway, Financial Development Officer
To work at the Armed Forces Foundation is a dream come true. The ability to serve those who are most deserving is a rewarding feeling that cannot be adequately described to those who have never experienced a Wounded Warrior forgetting about all that is going on in life for a moment and just enjoy the world around them. I had this experience on recent trip to the Texas Motor Speedway.
A young Sergeant had recently lost his left leg and the temporary use of his right one during an IED attack in Afghanistan. We were at a tailgate party in the infield which made it difficult to see the race, especially for those that were sitting down. The tailgate at which we were at had an RV camper, with a ladder to the roof so that onlookers could enjoy the race from a higher vantage point. We were thinking that there was no way this young Sergeant was going to ever be able to see the race from this spot.
One of the sponsors had a different idea in mind and was going to make sure that this hero got to see the race from the best spot possible, on top of his RV. This man put the young Sergeant on his shoulders and carried him straight up the vertical latter then set him in his waiting wheelchair. Once he was situated, the Sergeant had an entirely new perspective on the race and I remember the pure joy he had from being so high up. I still get goose bumps today thinking about it how much of an impact this simple, yet selfless act had on a man who sacrificed his body defending the principles of the United States and to the protection of his neighbors.
Stories like this make me so proud to work where I do, every time I hear them. The best part is that the Armed Forces Foundation makes these type of stories happen all time, and if you speak to the tens of thousands of people who we have helped, one begins to understand the impact that we have across the nation and in our military community. If there is one thing that I have taken away from my tenure here, it is that taking an extra second out of your day to thank a random military member on the street, in the airport or at a sporting event. You may think it doesn’t mean anything but I can assure you it does.
-Josh Stokes, Director of Operations
Being an Army brat myself, I have always had a deep respect for members of the military. My father was a combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam. This was a time when Americans did not support the war and therefore did not support the troops upon their return home. Thankfully that era has passed and now I am proud to be part of an organization where we celebrate our troops.
One of the most memorable people I’ve met while being a part of the Armed Forces Foundation is Daniel. He came to Las Vegas with the AFF in 2008 as part of the Salute the Troops weekend at the Venetian. Although he was still unsteady on his feet due to heavy medications, he maintained a contagious positive attitude and always had a smile on his face. He recently (late 2011) moved back to his hometown of Indianapolis (which shows you how long it takes to recover from various wounds received at war) and is still smiling in all the photos I see of him (thanks, Facebook).
-Tanya Finch
On Wednesday October 24th, 2011, I walked into the Armed Forces Foundation (AFF) office for my first day of work as Program Manager. Excitement was rushing through me as I got ready hit the ground running.
This position was a far cry from my last, where I worked as a junior staffer in the United States Senate. Congressional staff works for countless hours on legislation that is unlikely to actually become law; victories are simply few and far between. However, at the AFF, we get to see victories every single day; whether it’s the Army wife who received financial assistance to make her car payments so she can visit her husband recovering from wounds sustained in battle, or the Marine who is able spend a day at a NASCAR track, meeting his favorite drivers and relieving some stress. This job is great because every day I wake up and know that I am making a difference.
I have met some incredible people in the short time I have been here but I know that this organization is the real deal and will continue to grow in fulfilling its mission of “serving those who serve.”
-John Purcell, Program Manager
Signing up for the Marine Corps Marathon had been a relative breeze…I just happened to be talking to a friend who worked at the Armed Forces Foundation and he told me they were looking for two more people to raise money and run the race for their charity. Since my oldest childhood friend was soon to enter active duty in the Marine Corps and even sooner to be married, I jumped at the opportunity. I could think of no better wedding gift than to run a race specifically dedicated to honor the brave men and women of the armed forces and to raise money to benefit them and their families.
I must say, however, that for a gift that was supposed to have come from me…I owe a lot of it to other people. A few weeks into training, once Eye of the Tiger had penetrated deep into my top 25 most played and I had lost many precious weekend hours to long runs in grueling humidity, my zeal began to fade. But it was also about this time that I began talking to and emailing friends and family about my gift and asking for contributions. This is the part I dreaded because I hate spamming people and I hate soliciting. However, almost as soon as I had sent out my first email, my inbox was full of encouraging emails from nearly everyone in my contact list. But the support expressed was far more than the obligatory mom and grandma “so proud of you” emails. Old high school acquaintances, colleagues, broke friends with student loans came out of the woodwork of my contact list to wish me luck and ask how to contribute. I was overcome by the support and love a few emails had stirred up: people realized that supporting our troops was not about supporting a specific policy, war or peace. Supporting our troops is about supporting our sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and friends who are willing to make enormous sacrifice for all of us. The love and support I received spurred me through the remaining weeks of my training.
The morning of the race was awfully cold and came awfully early. As my roommate and I made our way from the Pentagon metro station, we encountered Marine after Marine, helping to direct foot traffic, collect bags or assist in some other way. They had been there since two in the morning. I encountered them throughout the rest of the race; they were handing out water, food and helping exhausted runners to their feet. I joked about them having to work cancelling what the race was all about, but it was an amazing feeling to shake hands with them face to face. I also ran past hundreds of people who had woken up early on a Sunday to stand in the cold, hold signs and ring cowbells for complete strangers. Some passed out water or candy, others just distributed high fives. The miles between the cheer sections were trying, but my pace inevitably picked up whenever I heard cowbells ahead.
As I crossed the finish line, I can honestly say I choked up a little. Some of it I will chalk up to sheer exhaustion, my body really had no idea what was going on at that point. But the enormity of being surrounded by so many people who understood what their support meant was overwhelming. I can honestly say that running would have been impossible without the love and support. I can’t even begin to imagine what it means to our soldiers and their families.
–AFF Marine Corps Marathon Participant
