Donation funds new camera purchase

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Joseph Kapinos
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Airmen and family members can now keep the lines of communication open, thanks to a donation by the Officer's Spouse Club to the Friends of Family Support here Mar. 12. 

The $2,100 check was presented by Mrs. Jill Ayres, president of the OSC, and Mrs. Becky Daw, first vice-president, to Mr. Tom Slaughter, an Airman &Family Readiness Center staff member. 

"The Friends of Family Support is a private organization," said Mrs. Cheryl Anderson, the Interim Director of the A&FRC. "Since no one can directly donate to the Airman and Family Readiness Center, having this gives us the opportunity to receive funds from other organizations, such as the OSC." 

The center will use the donated funds to purchase three digital video cameras, a digital camera, memory cards and DVD-R disks along with cases for the cameras. Airmen and family members will be able to sign out the cameras and equipment, and then keep the disk filled with memories. 

"They can make a tape of a special event, such as a graduation or a school play, which can be sent to a deployed member. Or a member can make a tape before the deployment and have it while they are gone" said Mrs. Anderson. 

According to Mrs. Anderson, keeping in touch with family members is always important to a deployed Airman, but this new equipment will help family members as well, due to the ability for the Airmen to tape messages or read stories for the children. These can be watched over and over by the family during the deployment. 

All of the equipment purchased for the center is state-of-the-art and solves many of the problems faced by family members in the past. 

"My husband taped his entire story reading on VHS tape before he deployed," said Tech. Sgt. Karlyn Beadles, the A&FRC readiness NCO. "He also taped a special birthday message. Then the VCR broke and ruined the tape, so the kids didn't get to hear anything he recorded." 

Taking care of Airman and their family members is the core mission of the center, and now with these cameras, they have added another facet of their ability to support the Warriors of the North. 

"Our job is the support of the mission of the base. One of the biggest issues concerning members and their deployment is communication. Now with these cameras, part of that problem is solved" said Mrs. Anderson. 

"This is the perfect gift," she added.