Selfless service: What right looks like

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tiffany M. Grigg
  • 23d Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --   



Integrity First.

Service before Self.

Excellence in All We Do.

While these watch words are important for all U.S. Air Force members to adhere to, Airmen should also take it upon themselves to be more than an active-duty member but an active community member as well, wherever they are in the world.

One Airman who exemplifies service to the base as well as a commitment to the local community is Tech. Sgt. Jacqueline Haro, 23d Maintenance Group maintenance training scheduler.

For her service, both on and off duty, Haro was selected to be the first recipient of the Parker and Dr. Lucy Greene Exceptional Service Award.

"It was pretty cool being the first recipient of this award, because it's not what I expected when I started [community efforts] last year," said Haro. "I didn't put in for an annual award this year, because I just like to do this stuff and I want to help as many people as possible, so this award coming along this year was a nice surprise."

With the help of Haro, the Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA) Chapter 460 expanded from one monthly volunteer project to a multitude of efforts to better the community.

"Once I took over the program committee for AFSA Chapter 460, there was already one established monthly volunteer effort which was for the soup kitchen," said Haro. "I took [charge of] the program, and now monthly we [support] Habitat for Humanity, a food bank, soup kitchen and Adopt-a-Road. We also do blood drives, clothing drives and homeless dinners. You name it, we've probably done it."

Through the AFSA Chapter 460, Haro spear-headed a multitude of community events to include a POW/MIA Remembrance Poker Run.

"We did the POW/MIA poker run, where riders pay an entry fee [to visit] five destinations and at each [location], they pull a card and at the last [stop] they turn in their 'poker hand'. [With the poker run], we raised almost $2,500 for the Wounded Warrior Project, and it was the first run to ever happen here," said Haro.

Another successful volunteer event led by Haro is the Adopt-A-Road program.
"Adopt-a-Road came about last year from a base community which is where I got the Adopt-a-Road information. I contacted the city, I did all the appropriate paperwork, picked out a road and coordinated things for the fines... we were up and running in about two months. "

Out of nearly 6,000 Airmen here at Moody and approximately 2,500 Airmen in the 23d Maintenance Group, Haro was nominated by Maj. Michael Irwin, 23d Maintenance Operations Flight commander for the award.

"Sergeant Haro epitomizes the character traits that we want in all our Airmen," said Irwin. "She's a true leader amongst her peers."

While taking care of primary Air Force duties is a main focus, volunteerism is another area looked at on an Airman's Enlisted Performance Review. For the main duties, a possible motivator is not losing your job, however, for the extracurricular activity of volunteerism, it may take a different kind of motivation.

"I would not have won this award without the support of my husband, Steven Haro, and my executive council that we had this year," said Haro. "Giving back has always been inside me. It's not something I've ever needed to force, it's just there."

For Haro, volunteering is not merely another bullet for her EPR, it is a part of who she is.

"I feel like it completes me as a person and it's important that I teach my kids to give back to those less fortunate. Even with everything going on in my life right now, I still find that time to give back and that will never change."