Veteran gives time, effort to Team Edwards

  • Published
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  "Just do it."

What sounds like an advertisement for a sports apparel company is actually a philosophy practiced by a man whose selfless devotion to everything military is making a difference in the Edwards community.

In November, David Troescher, a Vietnam Veteran, helped in the improvement of the Edwards Family Camp, a site for recreational vehicle and tent camping. He has been volunteering at the camp performing duties such as grounds maintenance and camp hosting for several years.

"The people here at Edwards have tried to make this place more attractive," Mr. Troescher said. "When I found out that they didn't have the money and people, I came out here and said 'I'll do it.' Give me what's needed, and I will take care of it."

When Mr. Troescher found out that Fam Camp received a $25,000 bid to beautify the site, he volunteered his service to reduce the cost of improving it.

Outdoor Recreation, which manages the Fam Camp, has been constantly looking at different ways to improve it. They incorporated xeriscaping into its refurbishment plan to reduce irrigation and conserve water. Once described as a "dirt pad," the Fam Camp has endured numerous attempts at improvement.

"Instead of putting grass and sprinkler system, we put in rocks to make it more beautiful and yet lower maintenance," said Joshua Soldan, 95th Force Support Squadron Outdoor Recreation director.

Armed with the cheapest manpower he could find, himself at no cost, Mr. Troescher, a Fam Camp enthusiast, scoured the 95th Civil Engineer Directorate for help in finding alternate materials and transportation.

Support came from of Karen Bradshaw, 95th CE contract performance manager, who helped find rocks and 15 decorative boulders for the camp. In addition, the contractor company Torres Trucking provided very low priced truck to transport the rocks and boulders to the camp. Meanwhile, Mike Anderson, with the 95th CE surfaces system office, provided assistance in loading the truck.

After getting the materials to the camp site, Mr. Troescher labored to level the soil and spread rocks around the Fam Camp site. What could have been a $25,000-endeavor resulted in an outlay of approximately $1,000.

"(Mr. Troescher) did a phenomenal job of working with the base contractors to get these rocks at an incredible price," Mr. Soldan said. "It worked with our budget and everything just came into place. The project is going great."

According to Mr. Troescher, the Fam Camp will benefit active-duty, retirees, and disabled veterans. He said he couldn't have done everything without the help of Outdoor Recreation and the 95th CE.

"Our active-duty military, retirees and disabled veterans deserve the best they can get," said Mr. Troescher, founder and chairman of the Committee to Honor California Veterans, a group that is currently working to get California to issue a distinctive license plate to non-handicapped, disabled veterans. To qualify, a veteran needs to be rated by the Veterans Affairs as 100 percent disabled with a service-connected disability that is permanent and total and the result of service in a combat zone.

The  Fam Camp is located at Coliseum Drive and Lathrop Street on Edwards  and features 25 full hook-up slots for recreational vehicles as well as shower and restroom facilities. There are 36 overflow slots without hookups and as well as tent spaces.

Full hook-up is $15 a night for active duty and retired military and $25 for civilians and contractors. Tent camping is $5 for active-duty military and retired and $7 for civilians and contractors. 

For information about the Fam Camp, call Outdoor Recreation at 275-CAMP.

(Story by Airman 1st Class William O'Brien and Senior Airman Julius Delos Reyes. Some information courtesy of the Committee to Honor California Veterans' Web site, www.chcv.org.)