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Air Force Enlisted Village: A refuge after tragedy

  • Published
  • By Capt. John Bixby
  • AFDW AFAF Campaign Officer
AIR FORCE DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON --  One need only hear the story of Maria Midcap to understand why the Air Force Enlisted Village is a valuable part of the Air Force Assistance Fund. "It was love at the first sight," Ms. Midcap said after laying eyes on her future husband, an American Airman, in 1969. The two traveled all over the world as part of his various deployments and had three daughters and one son.

After 34 years of marriage, tragedy struck. Her 24-year-old son was home for a visit. He and his father were at their house in Dover, Del., when a freak gas explosion claimed both their lives and reduced their home to rubble. Ms. Midcap was left with nothing. "My heart was broken. I was dead, too," she said. Maria didn't know where she would go or what she would do.

She read an article about the Air Force Enlisted Village and called the staff to arrange accommodations. Ms. Midcap packed her bags and arrived at the Village June 1, 2005, sight unseen. "I was really frightened," she said. "But I'm glad I did. The people here have helped me a lot. I love it here. Everything is taken care of for you."

The Air Force Enlisted Village was founded in 1967 after a survey found that over 50,000 widows of enlisted men were living below the poverty line. The Village provides temporary housing to spouses of enlisted members who die or who are killed on active duty. Adult dependents - typically parents of active duty members or their spouses - are eligible for permanent housing on a space-available basis.

"When AFAF rolls around, I always find myself paying special attention to the Enlisted Village," said Air Force District of Washington Command Chief Master Sgt. Pat Battenberg. "They provide a wonderful and needed safety net for enlisted dependents."

The Village consists of three facilities; Teresa Village in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Bob Hope Village in nearby Shalimar, Fla., and the Hawthorn House, which is located on the Bob Hope Village campus. All Village locations are in close proximity to Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field.

Hawthorn house provides housing and medical support to those who can no longer safely live independently, while both Teresa and Bob Hope Villages provide housing to spouses and family of Airmen who die or are killed while on duty. In some cases, close family members are offered both aid and housing.

This year's AFAF campaign offers service members, civilians and contractors the ability to donate to one of four charities:

     -- The Air Force Enlisted Village. 
    
     -- The Air Force Aid Society, which provides Airmen and their families worldwide with emergency financial assistance, education assistance and an array of base-level community-enhancement programs. 

     -- Air Force Village, which includes Air Force Village I and II in San Antonio, Texas. The Village includes a life-care community for retired officers, spouses, widows or widowers and family members. 

    -- The General and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation, which provides rent and financial assistance to widows and widowers of officer and enlisted retirees in their homes and communities through financial grants of assistance.