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Still serving -- Volunteer retirees assist facilities around base

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  • By Senior Airman James Bolinger
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines spend twenty years or more serving their county. They deploy to remote locations around the globe, supporting freedom and protecting the American way of life. When they retire, many are driven to stay involved with the DoD, but may not know how.

This is where the Dover Air Force Base Retiree Activities Office steps in to help.
Manned by devoted volunteers, the office helps retirees find volunteer opportunities on base.

"We have almost 175 volunteers working on base right now," said retired Col. Mike Sibbald, Retiree Activities Office assistant director. "They work at the pharmacy, museum and several other facilities around the base."

In 2004, the Retiree Activities Office recorded nearly 34,000 hours of volunteer time.
The office maintained that number in 2005, logging 33,164 hours and expects to continue the trend throughout 2006, said retired Lt. Col. Ken Smith, RAO director.

"Our members work four hours a week on days of their choosing," he said.

"Still Serving," the office's motto, is fulfilled by the extensive volunteer program in place here, said Mr. Smith.

Richard Muckey, a retired technical sergeant, has been volunteering at Dover Air Force base for more than 15 years.

"I like to work with people on base and help them out," said Mr. Muckey, who volunteers at the Air Terminal's Passenger Service Center. "(Volunteering) also helps me keep current about the military."

The pharmacy is a facility on base the retiree activities office provides a lot of support for, said Mr. Smith.

Peg Hallock has been volunteering at the pharmacy for 20 years. Her husband was retired Air Force. "I retired and had nothing else to do," she said. "I volunteer for the camaraderie; we do things together outside of work."

There is a lot of self-satisfaction when you volunteer, said Mr. Sibbald. Retirees come into the office with questions about benefits or where they can find something on base, and having the ability to point them in the right direction is a great feeling.

"I got a lot from the Air Force, and now, I can give something back," he said.

Noreen Maher's husband is retired Army, and she has been volunteering at the USO of Delaware since September. "I wanted to help the troops coming through Dover," she said. "I get to meet a lot of people. I enjoy working with retired people and talking to deployed troops and people from other states as well as other volunteers."

The success of Dover's retiree volunteer program is apparent not only in the amount of volunteer hours accumulated a year, but also in the responses given by active-duty members.

"They are the backbone of the pharmacy," said Tech. Sgt. Meredith Tyler, 436th Medical Support Squadron NCO in-charge of pharmacy outpatient services. "They are lifesavers for us and help us out here tremendously."

Despite this support, the RAO is always looking for more volunteers. The office needs volunteers to work at the AMC Museum, base pharmacy, USO, Air Terminal, base clinic and Fitness Center. For more information, call the RAO at 677-4612 or stop by their new office in Building 520, Room 126.