OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- Airmen from the 2nd Weather Support Squadron took time to give back to the community by visiting with veterans at the Omaha Veterans Affairs Medical Center Oct. 26, 2018.
The Airmen visited with veterans, at both the in-patient and out-patient areas of the hospital, whose military careers went back as far as World War II.
“I thought it was very humbling to talk with the veterans,” said Staff Sgt. Amber Lacy, 2nd WSS NCO in charge, commander’s support staff, who organized the visit.
The 2nd WSS is the newest squadron in the 557th Weather Wing and is responsible for providing support for global weather system operations, cyber security and enhancing personnel effectiveness through command and control, personnel readiness and administrative support.
By visiting with the veterans, the Airmen were able to see their own careers from a different perspective.
“They still had the military in their blood and you could tell by how they talked,” said Senior Airman Devin Shaw, 2nd WSS commander’s support staff. “Some of the members did the same jobs as some of us do now. They let us know how it was back then, and we let them know how it is now. Then we all talked about how much has changed.”
The visit also illustrated to the Airmen that the military family extends well beyond Offutt Air Force Base or those who are currently serving.
“I think we left there with a sense of pride and knowing we are part of a bigger military family,” said Billy Cowgill, 2nd WSS cyber operations flight director. “We have so much in common with these veterans regardless of service affiliation or the different times they served.”
The visit was welcomed by both patients and staff, especially as visits by active duty service members don’t happen often.
“This was our first visit from active duty in a very long time,” said Kari Bealer, chief of voluntary services for the Omaha VA Medical Center. “A representative from the 2nd WSS contacted the Voluntary Services Department and asked if visiting was an option. Active duty are always welcomed to come visit!”
After the visit both the veterans and staff could be heard talking about how special and exciting it was to see all the people in uniform visiting at the VA, said Bealer.
Since the 2nd WSS visit, members from the 55th Intelligence Support Squadron have also visited.