New program helps identify military-friendly communities, business

by Christine Spargur
375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

9/11/2013 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- On Patriot's Day, Sept. 11, 2013, partnering with area chambers of commerce, the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois kicked off a new campaign to help servicemembers and their families easily recognize military-friendly businesses and communities.

Called the Scott Patriot Program, local communities and businesses register their support through the program's website and, in return, receive decals to display on their storefronts and certificates to post inside their facilities.

To qualify for the program, communities and businesses must demonstrate their support. There are nine categories of support.

-Providing discounts or free items to military personnel or veterans
-Supporting the hiring of veterans, retirees, military spouses, active-duty separating from service, military Reservists, or National Guardsmen
-Offering VIP treatment programs in their communities or establishments such as special parking or tables
-Volunteering or allowing employees to volunteer for military efforts and/or charitable causes
-Participating in organized events and activities that support the military at Scott Air Force Base to include participating in the Commercial Sponsorship Program
-Donating items or funds to programs that support the military such as donations to the Airman's Attic
-Supporting military advocacy programs such as American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign War or military professional associations
-Supporting education for military members or veterans such as tuition reimbursement
-Donations to military supportive organizations such as the United Service Organization, St. Louis Fisher House, HEROES Cares, the Scott Field Heritage Air Park etc.
Communities and businesses whose support doesn't fall into one of the nine categories above may still participate in the Scott Patriot Program by describing their unique method of support.

"We are very fortunate to have such incredible community support for our Airmen and their families," said Col. Kyle Kremer, commander, 375th Air Mobility Wing. "There are hundreds of ways in which our local community and military members work together. This program furthers that outstanding relationship and allows our Scott AFB personnel to recognize and thank those organizations and businesses for their patriotism and support."

The idea of the Scott Patriot Program was born after the Leadership Council and the surrounding communities won the Abilene Trophy for the 2012 calendar year. The trophy is the grand prize awarded by the Abilene Military Affairs Committee with approval by the Air Mobility Commander to the community that best demonstrates support to an AMC base. It was the first win for the communities surrounding Scott AFB since the award was created in 1999.

"This program grew out of discussions on how we could do even more for our military," said Gerry Schuetzenhofer, chairman of the Leadership Council's Military Affairs Committee. "A working group thought of this campaign as an opportunity to get commitments from every business in the communities surrounding Scott to show support in some way.

"This is simply the right thing to do for those who forego comfort, face hardship, confront danger and sometimes die in defense of our nation, and for their family members who remain behind while they serve."

Made up of representatives from local chambers of commerce, personnel and volunteers from McKendree University, and the Leadership Council, the working group will start collecting registrations into the Scott Patriot Program from businesses during the next few weeks. They anticipate the Scott AFB community will start seeing the decals and certificates in the next month or so with an updated program announcement by Veterans Day in November.

"We're looking forward to widespread participation and to reaffirming for our unmatched support for our military families," said Schuetzenhofer. (Information also provided by The Hauser Group Inc. and the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois)