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GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind., -- Master Sgt. Brad Wiedeman, Air Force Reserve Command recruiter, poses with Haitian children during a missionary trip to assist earthquake victims. (U.S. Air Force photo)
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Grissom recruiter rewarded for helping others
Posted 6/23/2011 Updated 6/27/2011
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by Staff Sgt. Carl Berry
434th ARW Public Affairs Staff
6/23/2011 - GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- One Grissom recruiter traveled to Haiti hoping to make a difference in the lives of people that were affected by a 2010 earthquake; instead it was the Haitian people that made a difference in his life.
In 2010 an earthquake with a 7.0 magnitude occurred in Haiti, and more than a year later the residents are still being affected by the devastation it caused.
"When traveling through the country I saw people selling rotten food in front of a pile of trash and behind the pile of trash people were gathering water to cook and eat," said Master Sgt. Brad Wiedeman, Air Force Reserve Command recruiter.
The purpose of the trip was to distribute much needed food supplies to two orphanages, a women's convention and at an outreach facility. In addition, the group Sergeant Wiedeman went with built bunk beds for the orphanages.
"We distributed more than 1,700 bags of groceries, which contained a 10-pound bag of rice, beans, canned tomatoes and chewy granola bars," he said. "One bag of groceries would feed a family of four for two weeks."
Many buildings were destroyed by the earthquake among those were orphanages. Now, many orphans are living under large canopies with the ground as their beds.
"I knew that I would be visiting an orphanage before I left, but I was not expecting to see so many orphaned children living in those types of conditions," he said. "There were no beds the children slept on the ground inside of holes."
Despite these living conditions the people of Haiti seemed content and grateful for what they did have.
"I brought coloring books and crayons for the children, things that my children haven't played with in years, and these children were excited to have something to play with," said the sergeant. "I thought to myself, 'wow they find happiness in the little things in life, some children just wanted be held.'"
As a recruiter, Sergeant Wiedeman is constantly on the go because the job of a recruiter is a non-stop rush and often calls for reacting on first impulse. In 2010 he set an accessions goal of 38 that he surpassed with 50 accessions.
"I have been telling Sergeant Wiedeman to slow down and not to rush through the process, and since his return he has done just that," stated Senior Master William Fountas, senior recruiter.
Grissom is home to the 434th Air Refueling Wing, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the AFRC.
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