Volunteering: an ACE up your sleeve

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Zachary Perras
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a volunteer as "a person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service."

By this definition, all Airmen are volunteers. Every Airman willingly raised their right hand when they swore to defend the Constitution of the United States. They volunteered themselves to a commitment, one which only a small percentage of Americans can make claim to.

Throughout an Airman's career, the theme of volunteerism may be centralized in their progression and vital to rounding out their Airman's concept.

At Eielson, this is no different. Many opportunities for Airmen to volunteer their time are available - and a perfect place to start is with Airmen Committed to Excellence.

"As an Airman, it is an inherited responsibility to become an effective follower," said Tech Sgt. Calvin Speed, ACE supervisor. "I feel that those Airmen Committed to Excellence have purpose in becoming an effective follower, which is the foundation in becoming an effective leader."

He said being involved with ACE could provide Airmen the confidence needed to overcome fears that may be preventing them from participating in base or community activities. ACE is not only a volunteer hub for Eielson, but also a way for Airmen to become active within the base community and start networking.

"It allows Airmen to interact with higher echelons, establishes an opportunity for senior leaders to become effective mentors and provides early team-building with peers," he said. "ACE ... creates a foundation of valuable resources that will build on the four Cs: confidence, courage, candor and commitment."

ACE is a professional organization, one that helps promote a winning spirit and augments other professional development programs while being a volunteer program itself. It grants willing Airmen easy access to taking the first step of volunteering.

Airman 1st Class Zackary Cunningham, an emergency manager with the 354th Civil Engineer Squadron and president of ACE, has been involved with ACE for over a year and a half and said the organization offers a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, such as assisting with the recent Operation Bug Out, where local educators participated in a mock deployment line. These opportunities ultimately allow Airmen here to get out and give back to the community.

"We do anything from help the Armed Services YMCA run the [courtesy lounge] at the airport to helping the school districts learn about the deployment process," Cunningham said. "ACE's volunteer opportunities are endless."

The best way to get involved is to simply attend the meetings and read ACE-related e-mails that are sent out, Cunningham said.

ACE meets every fourth Wednesday of the month. Cunningham said meeting locations have been moving around the base so Airmen can visit different areas and possibly see parts of the base they haven't been to before.

Aside from discussing volunteer opportunities, ACE meetings typically involve visits from the career assistance advisor who helps discuss career development for Airmen here.

"If I could say one thing to new Airmen at Eielson, it would be the more involvement [Airmen have] with the community and the base, the more [they] will like this base," said Cunningham.

While ACE isn't the only volunteer opportunity available, it's a great beginning. For more information, contact Cunningham at zackary.cunningham@us.af.mil.