The Air Commando Foundation was honored to assist with home renovations to allow wheelchair access and handicap upgrades to a family home.

From the family: “The addition to our home is getting very close to being complete, and it’s looking really great. We are very excited about being able to get it all set up and move in! Our son just had surgery to remove the only remaining large tumor in his lung on Friday, January 20th. He recovered a lot faster than the last time. He was able to do half days at school last Tuesday and Wednesday and did a full Thursday! We are waiting for the biopsy from the tumor which should be back next week to find out what the next step looks like but either way he will remain off chemo until his scan next month where they will see if anything new has grown. We’re praying for the tumor to be dead and no new growths so he can move into routine surveillance and get back to a little more sense of normalcy!

The house really turned out great. It is such a blessing and will make life a lot easier for him. We appreciate everything the ACA has done for us to make this happen and since things are hopefully going to be a lot less chaotic soon we’d love the chance to help give back so if there is any way we could help out the ACA please let me know because I’d love to help out in any way possible.”

Air Commando Family is Recovering
This past fall, my wife suffered a heart attack and had a pretty extensive surgery thereafter. My first sergeant contacted you all and asked for help on my behalf. My wife is recovering and thanks to your organization (To which I will forever be grateful) It was because of you all that we survived my wife’s time out of work. Thank you so much for helping my family keep food on the table for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was a very rough end of the year, but you all helped us and I can never thank you all enough.

Sincerely,
Steve, Kelly, Judah, Oliver, and Heidi

The Foundation reached out to the Air Commando community for donations and assistance to help Andy… Here is a recent update on his progress.

Things are moving along well with Andy’s recovery, his visits to Gainesville for doctor visits are now 3 months apart, he is taking his medication, he is still struggling with physical therapy. Andy is gaining weight slowly and still has a long way to go!

Former Pave Low gunner, retired MSgt Andy Reed was in dire need of a liver transplant. The good news is he was fortunate to receive a donor liver and had his surgery on 10 July. The Air Commando Foundation (ACF) is assisting with fundraising on Andy’s behalf for his aftercare that could take up to six months and $15,000 or more.

ACF already contributed $1,200 to his pre-surgery support and will provide the first $5,000 of his post-surgery recovery for things that Tricare will not cover.

Your donations to ACF for this specific cause will allow additional support. Any funds not used for this effort will remain in the general ACF account for future unmet needs of Air Commandos and their families. ACF is a 501(c)(3) benevolent organization, and all donations are tax deductible.

Thank you for your continued support of our Air Commandos and their families!

Help Andy Reed Now!

Air Commando Foundation,

In October of 2021 we were notified that our sister-in-law tragically passed away and our nieces and nephew were put into foster care. Immediately upon hearing the news my wife Jessica left on a Red Cross flight from the United Kingdom to Florida to help get the children out of foster care. While Jessica was working to get us established in Florida, I was in England with our three children attempting to get humanitarian orders processed. Thanks to the amazing support of the 352 Special Operations Support Squadron our package submitted and approved within a few days. We were set to move the rest of the family to Hurlburt Field and establish a home in hopes of getting custody the children.

Moving for military families is nothing out of the ordinary but we found ourselves in financial difficulties. The expedited move and extra expenses associated with taking in three additional children took its toll. Our First Sergeant from the 352 SOSS reached out on our behalf to the ACA and explained the difficult situation we were in. The financial support ACF provided enabled us to settle into a home with all of the necessities needed to support three additional children. We have now been a family of eight for 8 months and all of the children are slowly settling in. Having 6 children under 10 years of age definitely adds to the fun and we never know what the next day will bring. Emotions sometimes run high but at the end of the day we wouldn’t have it any other way. The transition has brought to light different challenges, and we expect an uphill climb as the children move into their preteen years but we are ready. We cannot express enough gratitude to the Air Commando Foundation and the amazing family community of the Air Force Special Operations Command.

Sincerely, Cody & Jessica Furnish & family

Air Commando Association & Foundation,

This past year has been the most difficult for our family. My husband, the selfless father and provider of our family, was diagnosed with testicular cancer that had spread to his lymph nodes. Shortly after his surgery he began an intense regiment of chemotherapy. Our family’s summer consisted of babysitters, long drives to receive treatment and many runs to the local grocery store in order to have food that he could eat.

A month after my husband ‘s cancer went into remission we were given the worst news of our lives, our son Gabriel was also diagnosed with cancer. To say we were shocked is an understatement and I cannot begin to describe the grief, sorrow and fear we faced. We chose to have Gabriel treated at the University of Alabama despite the fact that we would have to travel, live out of hotels and hospitals and be separated as a family for many months at time. We ate way too much fast food, and spent Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthdays in hotels so we could be together as a family. While Gabriel was fighting for his life and lost a leg we tried desperately to provide a sense of normalcy for our two other children, the last thing on our mind was finances. That is when the Air Commando Association stepped in to help. We sat down with them, shared our story and current financial struggles and they listened with kind hearts. We were humbled when the foundation cleared our credit card debt as well as paid for repairs to our vehicles including our 2011 minivan which was essential with our son in a wheelchair. The ACA also connected us with Eglin Federal Credit Union and Building Homes For Heroes to help renovate our home with a handicap bedroom and bathroom for Gabriel. Today Gabriel is in school and in 6th grade! He is also learning to walk with a new prosthetic leg! Gabriel is still undergoing chemotherapy for the cancer that has moved into his lungs but his spirits are high. My husband continues to be the primary parent who travels with our son to and from UAB. All of this while keeping up with his job and caring for the rest of us. The last two years have brought so many unexpected challenges and we are so thankful for the Air Commando Association and Foundation for helping us navigate through them.

Sincerely,

Jaci & Andrew Bostwick & Family

Air Commando Association & Foundation,

In December of 2018 my father Bob fell in his home and severely injured his cervical spine. After extensive surgery he was admitted to a rehab facility in Atlanta for physical therapy and healing. Over the course of 11 months my dad was transferred to three different facilities for post surgical complications, infections, and additional surgical procedures in an effort to get him up and walking again. I spent as much time with him as I could at each facility, living in hotels as my belly grew bigger in pregnancy. My wonderful husband remained home to take care of our two year old son and work on our small farm. The following November I was beyond excited when the doctors said I could bring my father home to Mossy Head for Christmas.

The traveling and hotel expenses had drained our small savings account but I was determined to make things work. I sent a message out on Facebook to my father’s Air Force and contractor co-workers asking for help with his house. With dad in a wheel chair several modifications were needed before I could bring him home; ramps, wider doors, reinforced floors and a bigger bathroom. Most of his bud dies were on board to help with the labor but I could not come close to paying for the materials. When a member of the Air Commando Association and long-time friend of my father sent me a note saying she may be able to get me so me financial help I was overjoyed!

The Air Commando Association and Foundation sent me a check for $7,800.00 to cover the cost for all of the materials! My dads maintenance friends from Hurlburt Field and L3 SOFSA did all of the work and I finally brought my father home! My father passed away 7 months later and we miss him dearly but he spent his last months at home with us and his two grandbabies. I can’t thank the ACA enough for making it possible for me and my dad to sit on his porch in Mossy Head listening to the frogs sing and kids play for just a little while longer.

Sincerely,

Jacquie & Bob Cross (Aug 1957 – Sept 2020)