Barksdale helps local community stay cool

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Sean Martin
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Airmen from the 2nd Maintenance Group, along with KSLA News 12, have teamed up to help the local community through Operation Beat the Heat.

Operation Beat the Heat, hosted by the Caddo Counsel on Aging, helps to provide fans to elderly people, in the surrounding area, who may not have air conditioning or cooling units.

The idea started with Tech. Sgt. Matthew Warner, 2nd MXG quality insurance inspector, watching the news one morning before work.

"They were showing a small clip of people donating fans to the elderly," said Warner. "This got the wheels spinning in my head and I thought this would be a great thing for Barksdale to participate in."

Warner and Tech. Sgt. Lucas Hartsuff, 2nd MXG quality insurance chief inspector, are hoping to be able to donate 20 fans from their squadron.

"Twenty fans is the goal we set for our squadron," said Hartsuff. "If this is something that becomes bigger than we envisioned, and we get the entire base involved, that would be great for the relationship between Barksdale and the local community."

Donating these fans is a way for Barksdale to show its appreciation to the elderly in the local community.

"A lot of the community consists of veterans who have served before us and paved the road for us to do what we do each and every day," said Hartsuff. "This is a small token of our appreciation for everything they have done and continue to do for Team Barksdale."
In order to ensure individuals do not receive duplicate fans, the CCOA keeps records of individuals who have already been given a fan.

"The CCOA keeps a database of all the places and people who receive fans in order to distribute to different people each year to ensure the biggest number of elderly individuals receive fans," said Hartsuff. "If someone received a fan in the past and it breaks, the CCOA will replace the fan with a new one."

Fans can be brought to the 2nd MXG quality assurance office at any time until Aug. 1. This is when the fans will be taken to the CCOA.

"Anyone can come by and with a fan or monetary donation," said Warner. "We are a 24-hour operation, so there will always be someone here to receive the fans. They can even e-mail us to set up a meeting time and place."

After Aug. 1, individuals still interesting in donating a fan can stop by the KSLA studio until Sept. 1.

Although this is the first year Barksdale is participating in this event, Warner hopes this becomes an annual event.

"I hope this is something the base is able to do each year," said Warner. It is a great way for us to show our support for the local community and help out those in need."

For more information on Operation Beat the Heat www.caddocounselonaging.org.