Photo By Senior Airman Rachel Coates | U.S. Air Force Capt. Joseph Kim, 347th Rescue Group chaplain, pours milk into a coffee...... read more read more
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MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Strengthening morale looks different for every squadron in the Air Force. Some design unit patches or t-shirts while others have cook outs and barbecues.
For the 347th Rescue Group, the assigned Chapel team serves morale in a cup by offering free coffee, tea and snacks from a coffee cart while building relationships and fostering engagement with rescue Airmen.
“We wanted to be creative in our approach of unit engagement and making connections with Airmen,” said Capt. Joseph Kim, 347th RQG chaplain. “We wanted to do something that everybody enjoys, so we came up with the coffee cart. It’s a great way to get our faces out there, introduce ourselves and talk to Airmen.”
While the team’s focus is on 347th RQG Airmen, everyone is welcome to stop by the coffee cart which rotates between the rescue squadron parking lots, as their objective is to support Airmen and provide resources for anyone who may need it.
“Sometimes young Airmen are weary of seeing chaplains - they’re unaware of the resources we provide or our existence,” Kim said. “Getting out there is a great way to bring awareness to what we can offer. We’re here for Airmen not only when they’re going through difficult times, but when they’re doing well too. We like to get to know everyone personally and build that connection – it’s the whole concept of starting this.”
Naturally, handing out drinks and snacks isn’t the only thing the team wants to accomplish - the opportunity for developing Airmen through consistent engagement proves exponential.
“It leads to an increase of counseling and mentoring,” said Tech. Sgt. Marcus McCall, 347th RQG chaplain’s assistant. “When people get to know you, you build a rapport and they get comfortable being able to trust you and will be more inclined to sit down with you for a chat.”
The Chapel team’s coffee cart initiative is a model that anyone can replicate.
“We’re not reinventing the wheel,” McCall said. “We are connecting with a lot more Airmen this way and making their day just that little bit better by simply asking them how they’re doing and giving them a cup of coffee.”
Lastly, Kim and McCall emphasized their passion for developing and caring for Airmen, “We’re here to care for them and support them and this is just a little gesture to show that we appreciate what they do.”
While the coffee cart is primarily parked in the 347th Operations Support Squadron parking lot, the team moves it around to rescue squadron parking lots occasionally. Airmen are encouraged to check their emails for an update or reach out to their First Sergeant to ask where it’s popping up next.
| Date Taken: | 08.25.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 09.06.2023 09:17 |
| Story ID: | 452183 |
| Location: | MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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