EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Each month, the 412th Force Support Squadron holds its Newcomer’s Orientation Briefing at the Airman and Family Readiness Center. New arrivals to the high desert receive basic information about Edwards AFB facilities and services. To make things more personable, and possibly fun, the AFRC invited two dozen agencies to set up tables and hand out free gifts at the latest briefing Nov. 2.
The AFRC staff expanded the “information fair” to a monthly event to coincide with the newcomer’s brief.
“The information fair lets everyone meet face-to-face and the personal interaction has benefitted the organizations with new members and volunteers,” said Maria Chapa, 412th Force Support Squadron Family Readiness. “So far we have 25 agencies and organizations from base with information for our newcomers.”
The participating agencies include APET (Adopt-a-Pet) for those interested in finding a pet or possibly volunteering; Environmental Management, which showed off a non-poisonous snake and information on the local wildlife in the area; as well as the First Sergeants Association, Toastmasters and many others who brought free giveaways.
“Imagine if we included everyone who wanted to brief at newcomer's, we would have a 10-hour long brief,” Chapa said. “It’s been a labor of love since the first information fair and as it’s grown from the initial 12 agencies, I've realized that our newcomers and agencies/organizations have enjoyed much more than I could have anticipated.”
As a reminder, Chapa said people do not have to be new to Edwards to attend and encourages spouses who couldn’t make their initial newcomer’s briefing to stop by.
The next Newcomer’s Orientation Briefing is scheduled for Dec. 7 with the information fair open from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the AFRC’s Looking Glass Room.