VFW, Auxiliary members visit Soldiers at Fort Drum

By Master Sgt. Kap Kim, 10th Mountain Division PAO NCOICOctober 15, 2015

VFW, Auxiliary members visit Soldiers at Fort Drum
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VFW, Auxiliary members visit Soldiers at Fort Drum
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – From left, Jackie Herbert, VFW Auxiliary New York state president; Francisca Guilford, VFW Auxiliary national president; Marlene Roll, VFW New York state commander; and Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Belda, senior enlisted adviser, observe a moment of silenc... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
VFW, Auxiliary members visit Soldiers at Fort Drum
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Fort Drum, N.Y. (Oct. 15, 2015) -- Although the Veterans of Foreign Wars and its Auxiliary were founded more than a century ago, their commitment to service members and their Families has been revitalized as new leadership has come in with a fresh vision of what the future of both organizations should look like.

Francisca Guilford, the VFW Auxiliary's national president, and Marlene Roll, VFW New York state commander, along with several in-state VFW Auxiliary members, visited post on a fact-finding mission Oct. 6 as they toured Fort Drum and met with Soldiers to learn about the current generation's needs.

The Auxiliary, which used to be for women only, recently allowed men to join its ranks. The organization, founded in 1914, only allowed for female spouses and Family Members of VFW members.

"It's an exciting time to be a member of the Auxiliary," Guilford said. "Women comprise nearly 20 percent of our nation's military, and this change allows all spouses, fathers, grandfathers, sons, grandsons and brothers to serve others in honor of their veteran."

Guilford, who was an Army spouse for years, has been with the Auxiliary since 1989. She finds serving veterans an "absolute pleasure." She traveled from Anchorage, Alaska, to tour Fort Drum and to meet with Soldiers.

Although she confessed there weren't very many active support groups during the Vietnam era, she said the Auxiliary has worked very hard to be that support group that service members and their Families have needed throughout the last several campaigns. She added that both the VFW and the Auxiliary continually fight for benefits on Capitol Hill.

During the tour, Auxiliary members got to meet with Soldiers in the Fort Drum Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers Center and visit many of the Soldier support facilities such as the Outdoor Recreation of the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, a functional fitness facility and the Bridgewater-Vaccaro Medical Simulation Training Center. They also presented a check to Karen Clark, USO Fort Drum director, during a visit to the organization on post.

"They have come such a long way," Guilford said, referring to Army services for Soldiers and Families. "I'm very pleased."

The ladies made a point to prepare lunch for dozens of Soldiers at the BOSS Center. They sat with young Soldiers like Spc. Samantha Gonzalez, a communications specialist with 511th Military Police Company. Although her father is a veteran, until her lunch with Auxiliary members, she had not heard of either organization.

"Having lunch with us was a great way for them to get us familiar with who they are and what they do, especially for Soldiers like me who didn't know about the organization," Gonzalez said. "I honestly wish it could have been longer, but if it could have been a little longer with maybe some games, I think that would have been awesome."

For more information, visit www.vfwauxiliary.org or www.vfw.org.

Related Links:

Army.mil: Human Interest

10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum

Veterans of Foreign Wars

Fort Drum on Facebook