Volunteer Excellence Award winners recognized

  • Published
  • By Bryan Ripple
  • 88th ABW Public Affairs
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio --  The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Volunteer Excellence Award was established to recognize federal civilians, family members, military retirees and federal retirees who perform outstanding volunteer community service of a sustained, direct and consequential nature. Amy Jo Jones and Forrest Rayburn were recognized as the most recent recipients of the award April 15 at the annual volunteer recognition ceremony.

Jones manages the sales and shipping of Mah Jongg books on behalf of the Wright-Patterson Officers' Spouses' Club. Mah Jongg is a game like rummy that uses tiles. The book is shipped to all 50 states as well as locations around the world. Since 2003, these book sales have translated into 91,000 books sold and $350,000 that has gone directly back into the Wright-Patterson AFB community for support of base organizations as well as organizations in the surrounding off-base communities.

Rayburn volunteers as a District Captain with the Ohio Patriot Guard, an organization whose mission is to honor fallen heroes, their families, and communities by attending memorial services and funerals. He has volunteered approximately 1,000 hours per year and traveled 9,000 - 10,000 miles each year since joining the OPG in May 2009. He is the state lead for maintaining a social media presence for the OPG and maintains the state calendar, Facebook page, and is the state OPG's single point of contact for all membership information. His outstanding attention to detail enable him to work flawlessly with funeral directors as well as local, state and federal government law enforcement officials to ensure veterans receive the honor, dignity and respect they deserve.