Eagle Scout rebuilds

From left: Staff Sgt. Michael Burd, local Air Force Sergeants Association president, hands an AFSA coin to Wesley Nelson, an Eagle Scout and Desert High School senior, as principal Dr. David Ellms looks on. With donations from AFSA, Nelson was able to renovate DHS's baseball field dugouts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Rebecca Amber)

AFSA lends Eagle Scout, DHS student a hand in dugout renovation

Published Sept. 23, 2015
By Kenji Thuloweit
412th Test Wing Public Affairs

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Air Force Sergeants Association Chapter 1328 helped a local Eagle Scout and Desert High School senior improve the baseball facilities at DHS.

Eagle Scout Wesley Nelson was looking to raise money to renovate the dugouts at DHS as an Eagle Scout project. His father just happens to be a member of the AFSA and asked the local chapter if there was any help they could provide. Staff Sgt. Michael Burd, AFSA Chapter 1328 president, sent out a challenge to the general membership saying that any donations raised for this project will be matched dollar-for-dollar by him.

AFSA raised $188, which was matched by Burd, along with $125 donated by the Weapons Coalition, a group made of military and civilian weapons-career field personnel on base.

The result is new fences and benches for the dugouts at DHS.

AFSA supports the Boy Scouts and Nelson is from Troop 247 from Edwards AFB.

"The response from our membership was significant, I received $188 and matched it with $188 because it was important to me to promote our youth leadership orgs," said Burd.

Burd said both AFSA and the Weapons Coalition try to help raise money to donate to projects and unfunded sports at DHS, along with involvement in other community endeavors.