Arlington, VA, September
23, 1999 -- The Air Force Association (AFA) presented
its Outstanding State Organization of the Year Award to
Colorado State AFA. The award was presented at the AFA
National Convention and Aerospace Technology Exposition,
held in Washington, D.C., in September.
Colorado State AFA was
singled out for a broad range of outreach activities,
from its strong efforts on behalf of furthering
aerospace education throughout the state to its support
of veterans’ homes across the state. Colorado state and
chapter organizations have also been actively supporting
congressional legislation that would improve medical
care for military retirees and quality of life for
active duty military members.
Colorado State AFA
continues to be a leader in the area of educational
outreach. The state organization has worked to involve
Air Force Academy cadets in AFA activities, provide
training encampment fellowships to the Colorado Wing of
the Civil Air Patrol, and to support Air Force Reserve
Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) units in the state,
including efforts to establish an new Junior ROTC unit
in one of the local high schools.
According to AFA National
Director Mark Worrick, who previously served as the AFA
regional vice president for the Rocky Mountain Region,
which includes Colorado, “The Colorado AFA State
Organization has consistently produced the highest
quality AFA programs in the Rocky Mountain Region and
the highest quality support to AFA National Programs
conducted in the state of Colorado.”
Colorado State AFA also has
an active awards program that recognizes the Air Force’s
top performers. Honoring the state’s best and brightest
during quarterly and annual awards programs, the state
has recognized outstanding civil servants, airmen,
noncommissioned officers, senior noncommissioned
officers, and company grade officers in the active duty
Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. The
state has awarded countless scholarships to deserving
service personnel and cadets seeking higher education.
To administer its
educational programs, the state formed a Colorado
Aerospace Education Foundation. Like its national
counterpart, it has teamed up with “Visions of
Exploration,” the USA Today newspaper-in-the-classroom
program that focuses on developing skills in math,
science and geography among elementary school students.
Colorado State AFA consists
of the state organization, whose president is Howard
Vasina of Colorado Springs, along with the Gen. Robert
E. Huyser Chapter in Grand Junction, Lance P. Sijan
Chapter in Colorado Springs, Longs Peak Chapter in Ft.
Collins, Mel Harman Chapter in Pueblo, and the Mile High
Chapter in Denver.
####
CONTACT: Melissa Braxton, AFA Media Relations
Assistant
(703) 247-5843
E-mail:
mbraxton@afa.org
Local Contact: Howard Vasina, Colorado State
AFA President
(719) 591-1011
E-mail:
howard.vasina@lmco.com
The Air Force Association is an independent,
nonprofit, civilian aerospace organization whose
objective is to promote greater understanding of the
role aerospace power plays in national defense. AFA is a
grass-roots organization with a membership of 150,000.
The Air Force Association was incorporated in the
District of Columbia on February 4, 1946.
