Incirlik offers plenty of volunteer opportunities

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. S.J.B. Bryant
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey (USAFENS) --  In 1992, a Canadian cultural group led a study on why people volunteer and found the main reasons were because volunteering provides opportunities for personal achievement, allows people to make new discoveries about themselves and others, and enables them to feel they are forming social bonds and strengthening their community.

The group also found that by offering incentives to volunteers -- such as achievement, recognition, feedback, personal growth, social change, family ties and a feeling of belonging -- the volunteers would be happier to keep volunteering and not dread the tasks asked of them.

Incirlik volunteering efforts have seen the same type of results. However, unlike the civilian sector, there is never a lack of volunteers here. While the civilian sector is in constant competition for volunteers and have trouble managing this scarce resource as well as keeping volunteers satisfied, the military community here is the complete opposite, according to Julie Halstead, family support center community readiness specialist.

“We have a wide variety of volunteer opportunities -- the chapel, schools, youth center and scouts utilize the greatest concentration of volunteers,” she said. “However, we have several ‘niche’ positions in which people contribute their unique expertise to the mission such as at the Tax Center and legal office.”

Mrs. Halstead also noted that aside from some of the ‘normal’ volunteer opportunities like reading to children and office duties, there are some unique opportunities for volunteers. For example, Christine Baker, a military spouse, created her own volunteer opportunity while she and her husband were stationed at Incirlik.

“I graduated in 2003 with a degree specializing in occupational health and safety ...” said Mrs. Baker in a Hidden Heroes newsletter interview. “Upon arriving here, I discovered that there were two groups on base who had employees in my field, Vinnell Brown Root and the 39th Medical Squadron bioenvironmental engineering element -- unfortunately neither was hiring.”

So, Mrs. Baker made a decision. Since she was a recent college graduate with limited work experience, she decided to volunteer which would give her the experience she needed and help the Bio Environmental element. Everyone benefited, she said.

Mrs. Baker’s story is just one of several on base. There are literally hundreds of hours volunteered by Incirlik people every week. Even simple things like babysitting at community events is an appreciated form of volunteering, said Mrs. Halstead, who put out the call for volunteers to help with the FSC’s events for families of deployed personnel.

“I put out a request for volunteers to come play with the kids during our potlucks and we got an overwhelming response, mostly from dorm residents who mentioned missing their own children or nieces and nephews back in the states,” said Mrs. Halstead. “It’s a win-win situation -- they play with the kids while the weary parents get a chance to enjoy a meal and have some adult conversation.”

One thing Mrs. Halstead wants to stress is that the days of the ‘typical’ volunteer are no more. Stop by the FSC to find out about many more volunteer opportunities available. Spouses, students, single/unaccompanied airmen, officers, civilians, family members -- everyone can contribute something to the base through volunteering, she added. Regardless of what activity volunteers donate time to; their time and effort will always be appreciated.

The first person to do that would be Mrs. Halstead who sums up the importance of volunteering with simple words.

“‘How important is volunteering?’ That can be easily answered by taking a minute to consider what life would be like at Incirlik if no one stepped up to coach our children in sports, teach Sunday School, run the Thrift Shop, etc.,” she said. “Programs like these enhance our quality of life. As for the volunteers, their service helps them plug into the community, hone job skills and often network toward paid positions.”