Former Air Force master sergeant selected as Retiree Activities director

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Abigail Klein
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  A retired Air Force master sergeant was recently named McConnell's director of retiree activities for 2010.

Paul Ward was selected to replace retired Air Force Lt. Col. John Person, 22nd Contracting Squadron contracting specialist, who had held the position for more than four years.

Mr. Ward, a Vietnam Veteran who retired in 1974 after more than 20 years of service, is the first enlisted retiree activities director at McConnell. The position is normally appointed to former officers, Mr. Ward said.

In addition to appointing a new director, Harry Feikert, a retired Air Force master sergeant who served from 1951 to 1977, was appointed deputy retiree activities director, as a new means of maintaining the relationship between retirees and McConnell as well as the continuity of base retiree activities, said Mary Eary, 22nd Mission Support Group secretary and retiree activities volunteer secretary.

Military retirees play an important role at McConnell because they help maintain a strong relationship between military members and the community.

"On this base, these retirees have a real passion for the base, and they want to know what is going on on 'their' base," said Mr. Ward.

To maintain this relationship, the director manages and coordinates approximately 55 retired volunteers who assist at the base clinic, thrift shop, learning center, outdoor recreation, chapel, and other organizations.

The director also organizes monthly retiree luncheons at the base community center to help keep military retirees current about issues affecting McConnell and the military.

This event, which occurs second Tuesday of every month, includes speakers from variety of base agencies and is open to all military retirees in the community.
"There are programs available on base that retirees are entitled to, but because [retirees] are out of the service, it has to be brought up to them regularly," said Mr. Feikert.

Mr. Ward said during his time as director, he hopes to streamline the various retiree activity offices and increase the number of retiree volunteers here.

"[Volunteering] at McConnell is something that keeps retirees close to their military background, we've lived in civilian communities but the [military] is our home," he said.

For more information about retiree activities, contact the retiree activities office at 759-3500.