Meaningful medical morale trips

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Austin Harvill
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  Maintaining unit morale requires more than the occasional physical training session or office picnic. It requires passion and a desire to get to know coworkers in and out of uniform.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Megan Grose, 31st Medical Support Squadron medical logistics technician, discovered what it takes to bring the 31st Medical Group together. She hopes to cultivate more camaraderie among the group through independent excursions to water parks, historical sites and other nearby hotspots.

"I plan different trips through the [information, tickets and travel] office for the group and sometimes even the whole [31st Fighter Wing] to help boost morale and have fun," said Grose. "Any profit I receive from the tickets goes directly towards Relay for Life, which is one of the main reasons I do this."

The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life program allows communities around the world to host fundraisers to support the fight against cancer. Grose has a personal stake in that fight - her father was diagnosed with cancer in 2011.

Completely by coincidence, Grose joined the Air Force later that year and quickly discovered there was a program at Aviano Air Base, Italy, dedicated to helping people like her father.

"When I first heard about Relay for Life, my supervisor and I wracked our brains trying to think of new ways to help raise money for the cause," said Grose. "Bake sales and fun runs were really played out, so we thought, 'Well, everyone likes to travel, right?' So we got to work with ITT to see what we could do."

Since her first trip in 2012, Grose and other 31st MDG Airmen have taken day trips to beautiful locales like Padova and fun-filled parks like Aqualandia. Grose said she always receives enough participation to cover the costs and still send money to Relay for Life.

Although Relay for Life is the driving factor behind Grose's numerous trips, other Airmen within the unit certainly enjoy the fruit of her efforts.

"This past trip was my first, and I would definitely go again with the group," said Airman 1st Class Rob Daniels, 31st MDSS medical materiel journeyman. "It is nice to network with other Airmen in the group, and it is a convenient way to get off base."

Daniels added he plans to go on more trips in the future, and hopes to see more medical Airmen get out from behind their desks and interact with each other.

With her tour at Aviano ending this fall, Grose plans to hand off the reigns to another Airman, but she will not leave with a heavy heart. As if in repayment for her tireless work on the trips, Grose recently received promising news.

"Not too long ago my dad called me to say his cancer has almost completely disappeared," said Grose. "With his recovery as an example, I am certain everyone here in the group will still plan the trips, grow together as a unit and, most importantly, continue to help other people, like my dad, on their road to recovery."