Holiday message to Travis Team

  • Published
  • By Col. Jay Flournoy
  • 349th Air Mobility Wing
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- --  "You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give."
                                                                                                      --Winston Churchill

Happy Holidays! As members of Team Travis and as members of the Total Force we can all be proud of the fact that we're members of an elite team of volunteer citizen airmen, sacrificing our limited free time away from our loved ones for the purpose of serving our country. I am constantly amazed at the level of dedication that each of you puts forward in making your individual units shine. During this Holiday Season, I'd like for everyone to dig just a little bit deeper into the "spare time" bucket to volunteer to help others in need and to make a difference in a stranger's life.

Volunteerism is on the rise with 26.8 percent of all Americans volunteering across the country and data shows that, since 1989, the volunteer rate among teens (age 16-19) has nearly doubled, growing from 13.4 percent to 24.5 percent in 2007. This is fantastic news but I truly believe that we can do better than that. Most adults say that they are too busy to volunteer, however, those same adults watched over 436 more hours of television per year than those who have recently volunteered. The benefits of volunteering range from the pride and satisfaction gained in knowing that you've made a difference in your community to actually improving ones health. Data shows that volunteers have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer. As one who's quickly approaching the "later in life" category, this statistic got my attention.

During this Holiday Season and beyond, please join me in getting involved in a cause that will make our communities and the places we serve better for everyone. Either through work, your church, your school, your child's school, a charitable organization, your neighborhood or a long list of other avenues, step up to take on a project that will have a positive impact on someone else's life. Take that little bit of extra time to extend a helping hand to those in need. Mahatma Gandhi once said - "The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others."

Thanks you for everything that you do here at Travis and for the fantastic example that you already set by serving your country. Have a safe and Happy Holiday season.

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."
                                                                                                     --Aesop