MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- Small donations could mean little to many, but they mean a lot to some.
For Russell Rumley, 22nd Air Refueling Wing Director of Staff and retired lieutenant colonel, those donations meant the world to then-Airman Rumley.
“After graduating from (basic military training) and tech school, I loaded up my car with everything I owned, which wasn’t much,” Rumley said. “With a few personal items, my wife, young daughter and I left Oklahoma on our way to Hurlburt Field, Florida, my first duty assignment.”
As a young Airman on a shoestring budget, Rumley could only spare the basic necessities for his family: food, water and shelter.
“Other things my single, dorm resident friends had like video game consoles, cable TV, eating out or going to a movie were extras I couldn’t afford at the time,” Rumley said. “By the time I got promoted to Airman 1st Class, I was doing a little better financially.”
Then things took a turn.
“One of the amenities now afforded me was a home phone – a land line, which rang one day with the news that the grandmother who helped raise my younger brother and I had suffered a series of heart attacks and wasn’t expected to live,” Rumley said. “Imagine my dilemma. I badly wanted to get home but had no savings to cover the expense of the emergency travel and an older, unreliable car.”
Rumley sought help from his leadership, who leveraged funds from the Air Force Aid Society to pay for his emergency travel home.
“I was able to fly home and be by my grandmother’s side and say goodbye in her last days,” Rumley said. “This was truly a blessing in an otherwise sad and emotional period in my life.”
The Air Force Aid Society – one of four funds supported through the Air Force Aid Society – lives by the motto, “Airmen taking care of Airmen.” The donations they receive from fellow Airmen provide critical relief in times of need, whether it be medical supplies, rebuilding after disaster or emergency travel during crisis.
This year, McConnell’s campaign has raised more than $14,000 over five weeks, surpassing McConnell’s 2024 total contributions by about $2,600.
However, the campaign has reached only 63% of its $22,239 goal and needs help pushing through the remaining 37% before it ends on April 25th.
If all McConnell military personnel donated $5 to the campaign, the base would raise more than $13,000 alone. A recurring monthly donation would raise even more to help Airmen in times of need.
“Thankfully, because of my career choice, I was part of an organization that in times of need helps take care of their own,” Rumley said. “I know firsthand the lasting impact the (AFAF) can have on an Airman’s life, and it’s why I continue to support the AFAF and a reason for my continued service in the Air Force today.”
Donations are accepted on afassistancefund.org through the e-giving portal. Donors can choose to benefit one specific charity, or spread their donation among the Air Force Aid Society, the Air Force Enlisted Village, the LeMay Foundation and the Air Force Villages Charitable Foundation. Other ways to donate include:
- Texting AFAF to 50155
- Cash or check to a Unit Project Officer
- Setting up a monthly payroll deduction with a Unit Project Officer