MacDill’s volunteers take the load off, critical to success

  • Published
  • By Nick Stubbs
  • Thunderbolt editor
The heart and soul of the Air Force may be its Airmen, but it is an equally dedicated group that works to ensure those Airman are free to go about the important work the mission demands. 

Without volunteers at MacDill, "we'd have a problem," as Mike Tyler, director of the base volunteer program puts it. 

So just how does he define "problem?" 

To start, thousands of man hours currently covered by the volunteer force would fall on the shoulders of Airmen, and the thousands, even millions of dollars in pay and benefits
would have to be budgeted to make up for the difference if volunteers were to suddenly withdraw their support at MacDill, he said. 

"We'd have a lot of things going undone, and a lot of active duty people finding they have a much bigger workload. 

That kind of shift in the workforce could have a devastating impact on the mission, Mr. Tyler said. Which is why he and the leadership of all the commands at MacDill can't say enough about the volunteer support the base receives. 

In all, about 500 volunteers help the 6th Air Mobility Wing and its mission partners with chores from manning phones, working counters, assisting patients at the clinic and in general making things run smoother at MacDill. While there are countless jobs handled by volunteers, no one area benefits more than the 6th Medical Group, which utilizes volunteers extensively at the base clinic and pharmacy. 

"It is the one group where most of the volunteers give their time," said Mr. Tyler. "It pretty much is the bulk of the (volunteer) force." 

Volunteers come from all walks, but most are retirees, said Mr. Tyler. Most of them are retired military or the spouses of former military members. They all have something else in common, which goes to the spirit of all they do. 

"They all have a sense of great pride in their country, the service, and want to give back something for all they've received," said Mr. Tyler. 

Margaret Bohon, a volunteer of 30 years, is an example. 

"I felt like giving something back for what the service has done for us," she said, referring to her husband, who died 12 years ago after serving 21 years in the Air Force. 

Unlike Mrs. Bohon, the volunteer career of Edward Byrne, a 30-year Air Force vet, began this week.

"It's my first day," he said Tuesday. "I'm looking forward to it." 

Mr. Byrne said he recently found himself with more spare time on his hands and wanted to use it well, so he decided to join his wife, who already volunteered at Pharmacare. 

"The base needs volunteers, so I decided to join," he said. 

James Henderson has been volunteering for 10 months. Also retired Air Force, he currently works at Pharmacare. 

"I wanted to give back to the community, give back for what the military has given tme," he said.