An Air Force chaplain’s son receives education support from AFAS Captain Chadwick Potts joined the Air Force in 2003 to serve God and his country. He has found his calling serving as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force for the past 17 years. Capt. Potts’ son, Ezekiel, says that his father has found comfort with the Air Force family he counsels and supports. The chaplain has also found that these Airmen are there for the Potts family when needed, Ezekiel says. This includes education support from the Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) for Ezekiel. Eligible dependent children and spouses of active duty and retired Airmen can work toward their dreams of a college degree with AFAS education grants, scholarships and interest-free loans. Ezekiel applied for education assistance before he started college at Concordia University Wisconsin. With the high cost of a college education, Ezekiel knew he would need help to avoid having huge student loan debt. “Without scholarships or assistance, I would have finished four years of college with $80,000 of debt,” he says. Fortunately, the Society was there for the Potts family to help Ezekiel better afford his education. “Thanks to AFAS, I will be able to breathe easier after college and focus on important things,” Ezekiel explains, “instead of constantly having to worry about overwhelming debt.” Ezekiel
A retired Airman’s son attends Caltech with support from AFAS Andrew Pasco’s father retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel after 20 years of active and reserve duty combined. Lt Col Pasco joined the Air Force to be a pilot because of his strong desire to serve his country. It means a great deal to his father that “he could help make the world a safer and better place for everyone”. Lt Col Pasco was part of the Air Force family during his service, and this Air Force community continues to offer support even after retirement. It’s this family that is helping his son achieve his dream of attending a world-class university. During Andrew’s senior year of high school, he was accepted to the prestigious California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Andrew immediately began researching scholarships to help offset the high cost of tuition and found the Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) Gen. Henry H. Arnold Education Program “Hap Arnold Grant,” in which he received a merit scholarship. The $5,000 merit scholarships from AFAS are available to dependent children of active duty and retired Airmen who demonstrate outstanding academic potential based on GPA. To be eligible, Andrew had to first apply for AFAS’s Hap Arnold Grant, which is a needs-based grant. It is not necessary to qualify
One Airman’s spouse looks forward to a new career in psychology made possible by AFAS Airman First Class Seth Brown comes from a military family. His dad served in the Navy, his mom served in the Army, and A1C Brown himself served in the Army when he was younger. Then he moved to the Air Force two years ago, and he’s been a part of the Air Force family since. Being a part of the family includes being eligible for education grants. A1C Brown’s wife, Jacquelyn, learned of the General Henry “Hap” Arnold Grant, a centerpiece of Air Force Aid Society’s education support. After 10 years in one career, Jacquelyn was ready for a change. And the Hap Arnold grant from AFAS gave her the extra incentive to make her move. Not wanting to take on debt to return to school, the Hap Arnold Grant allowed Jacquelyn to start a new degree without the added financial stress of student loans. Jacquelyn explains that the grant “truly was the deciding factor in my returning to school,” she explains. Jacquelyn wants everyone to know about the opportunities that the Society can provide to other spouses of Airmen. “I decided to return to school after wanting to change career fields for many years,” she explains. With the support of her husband and because
Quick action from AFAS allowed an Airman to go home Last August, Technical Sergeant Kimberly Oguinn was taking a class in New Jersey. On the evening before she was to head back to Dover, she received a phone call from a paramedic telling her that her father had passed away unexpectedly. The next morning, TSgt Oguinn headed back to Dover Air Force Base. Because her supervisor, Master Sergeant Walgren, had called the Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) in advance, TSgt Oguinn and her kids were able to fly home the next day. TSgt Oguinn had been away from her hometown of Lacey, Washington for 13 years. In her time of need, AFAS helped her get back within hours. The unwavering kindness from the Society meant that “in any time of need, they’re going to get me home,” TSgt Oguinn said. To her family, “it showed them that the military cares about them as well.” The assistance that TSgt Oguinn received meant more than plane tickets to attend her father’s funeral. It also meant that she could put more money toward the funeral’s expense and avoid paying a loan with a high-interest rate. This relieved some of the stress during a difficult time. “Without AFAS, I know there are a lot of us who would be in a very bad financial
Melissa Aparicio is expanding her knowledge and career path Melissa Aparicio isn’t new to the healthcare industry. She has spent the past 9 years working as an ER technician. Because of her desire to expand her knowledge in the medical field, she enrolled in the pharmacy technician program at Delaware Technical Community College, thanks to the Air Force Aid Society (AFAS). “I just want to learn more about medicine, and the pharmacy class. It’s a great steppingstone to expand my knowledge about everything,” Melissa says. Melissa heard about the certificate program through the Airman and Family Readiness Center. Interested in the program, but unsure that she would be selected, Melissa applied with encouragement from her husband, Staff Sergeant Hugo Becerra-Marquez. To her excitement, she was accepted. Paying for the class, the exam, and even the necessary medical scrubs, Melissa probably would not have been able to take the course if not for the support from AFAS through its Spouse Employment Program (SEP). For Melissa, the program demonstrates that the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the Society “want you to have your career as well.” Not only will Melissa expand her knowledge, but she’s also meeting other spouses in the program, making friends with people she may not have met otherwise. “If anybody has an opportunity to do this, I recommend
An Airman’s spouse gives back to Airmen and finds herself returning an old favor When Jennifer Burns and her family moved to Dover Air Force Base (AFB), she was looking for some work outside of the home that offered flexibility for her schedule. She decided that volunteering would be a good fit, and she has been a volunteer receptionist at the Dover Airman and Family Readiness Center ever since. As a receptionist, Jennifer may be the first person an Airman or family member sees or talks to when visiting the Readiness Center. She has heard all types of emergencies from those who need help when the unexpected happens. Many families don’t have money budgeted for such events, so they come to the Air Force Aid Society (AFAS). Jennifer feels great responsibility when people come to her seeking assistance, especially when it’s needed quickly. “It’s rewarding to know that we were able to help them in what could have been a crisis situation,” she says. Her experience is not just as a volunteer with AFAS. Jennifer previously participated in the Air Force’s Heart Link program for new military spouses. From learning the rank insignias on uniforms to understanding the vocabulary and acronyms of everyday military talk, Jennifer found great value in the Air Force’s Heart Link Program in helping her acclimate
