Volunteering for a bullet

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. -- Have you ever heard the phrase, "that would be a great bullet!" Well, if you've been in the Air Force for any amount of time, you've heard it. Why? Because most of our peers feel that by volunteering to get a good bullet, we're going to get a better enlisted performance reports or officer performance reports. So why do you volunteer? 

When I joined the Air Force and was stationed 3,000 miles from home, I began to get involved in things that I enjoyed such as Girl Scouts, Habitat for Humanities and Airmen against Drunk Driving. At the time, my main goal was to get out of my dorm room and meet people across the wing. By volunteering a lot of evenings and weekends, I had succeeded. I made a few life-long friends and had networked, but it didn't stop there. 

I wasn't only volunteering for myself. I was doing it because I enjoyed helping other people. After all, that is what volunteering is all about. I will admit that there were times at 1 a.m. on a Saturday I would've rather been sleeping in my comfortable bed; however, I was saving someone from a possible DUI, car accident or even possibly killing innocent people on the road. 

If you've ever received a Habitat for Humanity e-mail and just deleted it, you don't know what you are missing out on. When you see the new owners of the home walk in with tears of joy, you can't help but get an extra flutter in your heart. Without people coming together to bang some nails or paint walls, the house wouldn't be put together for a family that couldn't otherwise afford it. 

So, why do/don't you volunteer? There are many reasons we volunteer: bullets, friends or helping others, but whatever the reason, it is our responsibility as members of the United States Air Force to be involved in our base and local communities. There are many opportunities presented in any given week to volunteer at Columbus AFB. Take the time out of your schedule to donate a few hours of your day to volunteer. You never know...you just might enjoy what you are doing!