ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
Julie O'Leary, Andrews Officers Spouses Club president and wife of Capt. Stephen T. O'Leary, Headquarters Air Force A9/A9AD campaign analyst and logistics subject matter expert, has been hard at work preparing for the AOSC's coming year.
"AOSC is a club where officers' spouses can come together to connect through social, charitable and educational activities," she said. "Our mission is to promote involvement in the armed forces way of life by providing community support through all of our various activities, such as our scholarship program and philanthropic activities."
The AOSC funds its scholarship and philanthropic efforts through the AOSC Thrift Shop.
"We run and own the Thrift Shop with extremely generous help from our members, base-wide volunteers and a few paid employees. The AOSC Thrift Shop funds our charitable giving fund, which doles out thousands of dollars voted on by the AOSC board and general members to worthy organizations such as the Airman and Family Readiness Center, the Andrews Fisher House, the First Sergeant's Council and the Andrews Youth Center. The Thrift Shop also gives us the privilege of giving more than $16,500 in scholarships for several worthy Team Andrews' dependents - spouses and children alike," she explained.
The AOSC scholarship application is available on the club's Web site at www.AndrewsOSConline.com. Further extending its philanthropic reach into the community, the AOSC Thrift Shop regularly donates items to the Airmen's Attic for distribution to Team Andrews families.
Ms. O'Leary said the AOSC's mission provides community support through all its various activities, among those activities are AOSC Night Out and a White House Historical Association presentation, as well as the AOSC scholarship dinner and reception in May 2010.
The Thrift Shop continues to be an important part of the AOSC's identity.
"Our hugely successful and valuable resource, the AOSC Thrift Shop, is required by law to have an AOSC board of governors to distribute all profits to charity," Ms. O'Leary explained. "We are a non-profit organization, which gives all its money aside from operating expenses, to charity and educational scholarships. Without a club, the base Thrift Shop must be closed, and all assets liquidated and distributed to charities one final time by the existing board of governors and wing leadership."
Ms. O'Leary believes that the AOSC is an indispensable asset for its members.
"In the Air Force way of life, the OSC becomes an easy way for officers' spouses to meet, connect and give back to their communities. While the Air Force would like to keep all its officers on station for four years, deployments, training and manning needs often see us moving at the one-year to three-year marks. Wherever you go, plugging into an OSC can bring you the friendships, community and volunteer activities that make a station great," she said.
Retirees play an important role in the organization, as well.
"We have quite a few wonderful, hardworking retirees - many from World War II and the Korean and Vietnam era - who volunteer their time day in and day out at the AOSC Thrift Shop, the Fisher House, the Red Cross and other base organizations and have been with the club since its inception. The retirees lend their vibrant personalities and historical perspective to our mission and social activities," Ms. O'Leary explained.
In addition to retirees, AOSC membership is comprised of male spouses, working professional spouses, homeschooling spouses, preschool moms and newlywed spouses.
Membership forms can be found on the AOSC Web site. Annual dues are $50.
The AOSC holds its general meetings on the second Tuesday of each month from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at The Club at Andrews. General meetings include social time, an educational activity or program and lunch.
The first general meeting, "Welcome to your AOSC," will be held at the home of Ms. Judy Jodice, AOSC honorary vice president and wife of Maj. General Ralph J. Jodice, Air Force District of Washington commander, Sept. 8. At the first AOSC meeting, there will be a new board member introduction, several base agencies will introduce their services and current and prospective members will be treated to a catered luncheon.
For more information on the AOSC and reservations for the first AOSC meeting, contact Ms. O'Leary at
301-685-3343.