Retiree performs outstanding volunteerism

  • Published
  • 19th Force Support Squadron
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. --  A Little Rock Air Force Base retiree was this year's recipient of the 2009 Air Force Volunteer Excellence Award.

Retired Chief Master Sgt. Donald Smith, has been a volunteer for the Retiree Activities office for more than five years, and has helped Little Rock Air Force Base in numerous ways.

The Air Force Volunteer Excellence Award was established to recognize federal civilians, family members, military retirees and federal retirees who perform outstanding volunteer community service of a sustained, direct and consequential nature.

The retired chief consistently assists retirees on matters pertaining to retirement affairs and Veterans Affairs disabilities. He helped active duty personnel into the ID card section when they were updating the CAC cards, and works scheduled and unscheduled shifts to ensure coverage and availability to more than 52,000 Arkansas military retirees and their family members. He also maintains records on more than 61 retiree volunteers.

He doesn't let all his work on the base keep him from doing other things in the nearby communities. He's also a volunteer with the City of Vilonia Service as Co-Chairman for the Vilonia Sewer Department. There he puts in 20 hours a week to oversee the operation and personnel, and is currently overseeing a $2.6 million expansion of the sewer plant.

With all the work the retired chief is dedicated to, it isn't a surprise that his demonstrated volunteerism sets the pace for others and has had a positive impact on the military and civilian population, retired members and their families on base, said Carolyn Craig-Sprow, 19th Force Support Squadron, volunteer manager.