Experience the wonder of serving Published May 6, 2008 By Maj. Christopher Wyckoff 305th Mission Support Squadron commander MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. -- Whether in uniform or not, being an Airman is a truly remarkable experience. Filled with challenges and obstacles to overcome every day, being an Airman is a coveted and exciting profession that allows all of us to serve and be involved in a mission that is beyond ourselves. Every day we know, although during those tough times we sometimes need to remind ourselves, that what we do as a team is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. We ensure our country's freedoms and hope to inspire and assist others to earn theirs. Our job, supported by a 100-percent volunteer force, is to serve others. It is the incredible dynamic of people voluntarily coming together to do and be something larger than themselves while willingly sacrificing time from their families and potentially sacrificing themselves that makes our institution one of the most respected and trusted professions in the world. Each day as we go about our jobs pushing excellence and the mission, we see the volunteer spirit that makes our country and Air Force distinct from any other. In the midst of combat operations and support around the world, joint basing, Air Force reorganization and downsizing in virtually every functional area, and our other daily tasks and training that transform a 24-hour day to 25, our commitment to volunteer and support activities which augment and further our support of people is astounding. Whether actively supporting the Top 3, McGuire 56, Company Grade Officer Club, squadron booster clubs, Airman's Attic, or Air Force Week and the Air Expo, volunteerism, the willingness of our team to donate additional time away from our normal professions, is an essential commodity to our success as a service and protector of freedom. Without our team's willingness to volunteer time and effort, critical programs which augment our mission and take care of and build our Airmen and their families would never happen to the detriment of our service. Recently, Team McGuire celebrated the accomplishments of some of our volunteers who support activities like Hearts Apart (events for families of deployed members), Airman's Attic, and Phoenix Spouse (support and tie between families and units). These exceptional individuals (listed below) volunteered their time and effort to programs that affect, grow and bolster our team. Without their efforts and willingness to give, these programs and others would not be possible. The "Wonder of Serving" stems from that initial volunteer effort. Whether it is serving in the DoD or serving others through volunteer efforts, we have all been brought together of own free will to do and be something larger than what each could have ever obtained by ourselves. Become, and always push, excellence in volunteering. Airman and Family Readiness Center: Airman 1st Class Christopher Alba, 305th Security Forces Squadron Airman 1st Class Kristofer Blackburn, 305 SFS Emily Christofaro, 305 SFS Staff Sgt. Brett Moneypenny, 816th Global Mobility Squadron Daniel Yerkes, 816 GMS Cynthia Bush, 305th Mission Support Squadron Betsy Conzo, 305 MSS Valerie Fioretta, 305 MSS Airman's Attic: Amy Robideaux, 305th Maintenance Squadron Tech. Sgt. Sean Flower, 305th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Rebecca Hackett, 305th Aerial Port Squadron Senior Airman Kyle Heathington, 305 APS Nicole Heathington, 305 APS Talitha Pankins, 305 APS Monica Hill, 305th Civil Engineer Squadron Tammy Burr, 305th Contracting Squadron Airman 1st Class Shandra Sanders, 305th Logistics Readiness Squadron Staff Sgt. Yarie Vrablic-Velez, 305 LRS Staff Sgt. James McCutcheon, 305 MXS Staff Sgt. Lou Pascavage, 305 MXS Tech. Sgt. Joshua E. Schiever, 305 MXS Jessica Valle, 305 MXS Senior Airman Gwen Allen, 305 OSS Lauren Happel, 305 SFS Adam Crepeau, 317th Training Squadron Tech. Sgt. Donnie Gamble, 373rd Training Squadron Airman 1st Class Chris Hollingsworth, 373 TRS Aaron Jackson, 373 TRS Senior Airman Salim-Hadji Jean-Pierre, 373 TRS Tech. Sgt. Felicia Arrington, 421st Combat Training Squadron Brian Lockhart, 421 CTS David Balista, 421 CTS Hope Lockhart, 421 CTS Darlene Balista, 421 CTS Aaron Bennett, 605th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Sarah Morgan, 605 AMXS Airman 1st Class Amber Labee, 605th Maintenance Squadron Ryan Labee, 605 MXS Kristine Greene, 816th Contingency Response Group Staff Sgt. Richard Bowen, 817th Contingency Response Group Francis Gilson, 817 CRG Staff Sgt. Kala Labadie, 817th Global Mobility Squadron RJ Green, 819th Global Support Squadron Naomi Woolford-Drakes, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center Ashley Stainbrook, 305th Operations Support Squadron Tech. Sgt. Felix Agosto, 305 MSS Hearts Apart: Jean Person, 305th Air Mobility Wing Senior Airman Rachel Martinez, 305 AMW Airman 1st Class Rebekah Phy, 305 AMW Vernon Ng, 305 APS Senior Airman Gregory Schmidt, 305 APS Airman 1st Class Adam Acosta, 305 MSS Juan Luna, 305th Services Squadron Staff Sgt. Dale Reavely, 305 SVS Paul Reavely, 305 SVS Carol Reavely, 514th Aeromedical Staging Squadron Phoenix Spouse: Marlene Katz, 2nd Air Refueling Squadron Colleen Livie, 2 ARS Allyson Ludington, 2 ARS Jen Johnson, 21st Air Mobility Operations Squadron Renee Lindquist, 305 AMXS Tammy Norman, 305 AMXS Kimberly Henne, 305 APS Dawn Theroux, 305 APS Georgia Dupuis, 305 CES Michelle Kelley, 305 CES Rebecca Rodriguez, 305 CES Dionne Lewis, 305th Comptroller Squadron Robin Edgell, 305 CS Liz Behr, 305 LRS Ann Joslyn, 305 LRS Felicia Pretty, 305 LRS Catherine Baird, 305th Medical Group Patricia Bellocq, 305th Maintenance Operations Squadron Jacquelin Meier, 305 MSS Jennifer Bathe, 305 MXS Kimberly Gwara, 305 MXS Beth Hibbard, 305 MXS Yvette Kunce, 305 MXS Susan McCutcheon, 305 MXS Anna Pastore, 305 MXS Jen Pelletier, 305 MXS Virginia Rice, 305th Operations Squadron Melissa Norton, 305th Operations Support Squadron Rena Stoddard, 305 OSS Airman 1st Class Kristen Tlumac, 305 OSS Nicole Carrasquillo, 305 SFS Katy Lowery, 305 SFS Alisa Piteo, 305 SFS Lisa Richards, 305 SFS Kyan Warrick, 305 SFS Sarah Gallagher, 305 SVS Staff Sgt. Kristi Duffett, 32nd Aerial Refueling Squadron Tech. Sgt. Gina Jensen, 32 ARS Sheila Daniels, 57th Weapons Squadron Jennifer Roberts, 6th Airlift Squadron Tech. Sgt. Jessica Simes, 6 AS Stephanie Castillo, 605th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Renee Swavely, 605 AMXS Jessica Dunbar, 621st Contingency Response Wing Mary Williamson, 621 CRW Heather Gray, 816 CRG Christina Campbell, 816 CRG Staff Sgt. Patricia Clayton, 816th Global Mobility Readiness Squadron Senior Airman Missie Ellis, 817 CRG Staff Sgt. Monica McFarlin, 817 CRG Staff Sgt. Laura Szelagiewicz, 819 GSS Senior Airman Bobbi Sturkol, USAF EC Relocation: Airman 1st Class David Johnson, 305 AMW Tech. Sgt. Hope Sims, 305 AMW Tech. Sgt. Melvin Sims, 305 AMW Senior Airman Phillip Denson, 305 LRS Tech. Sgt. Michael Sifford, 305 LRS Valesia Vallejo, 305 LRS Senior Airman Daniel Blair, 816 GMS Senior Airman Jason Lownes, 816 GMS Jeremy Jordan, 817 CRG Staff Sgt. Joseph E. Reed, 817 CRG Senior Airman Donte Russell, 817 CRG Staff Sgt. Timothy Bankich, 819 GSS Senior Airman Joseph Barnes, 819 GSS Staff Sgt. Jason Canova, 819 GSS Staff Sgt. Jaris Ellis, 819 GSS Staff Sgt. Marc Ellis, 819 GSS Staff Sgt. John Firlik, 819 GSS Senior Airman Adrian McDonough, 819 GSS Tech. Sgt. Mark Nolan, 819 GSS Jason Swartz, 819 GSS Jennifer Walsh, 819 GSS Senior Spouse: Lee MacGregor, 2 ARS Kristin Ayyar, 305 AMW Kimberly Peterson, 305 APS Heidi Stark, 305 LRS Marie Anderson, 305 MDG Donna Hutchison, 305 MSG Donna Wyckoff, 305 MSS Patty Watson, 305 SFS Tech. Sgt. Sarah Gericke, 816 GMS Minh Kilbride, 305 AMW