Serving Those Who Serve

  • Published
  • By Shannon McKay
  • 934th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MINNEAPOLIS ST PAUL AIR RESERVE STATION --  The Armed Forces Service Center (AFSC) at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport held an open house Friday to dedicate a new Veterans Celebration Wall, sponsored by the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC).  The dedication ceremony, led by Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jeff Hamiel, MAC executive director, also included speakers from local military units and the family of AFSC founder, Maggie Purdum.

The AFSC was founded November 22, 1970, by Maggie Purdum after her son died in Vietnam.  She and a group of concerned citizens raised the necessary funds and opened the center in a space provided by the MAC.  The non-profit facility is one of a kind, open 27/7 and operating solely on financial donations of veteran, fraternal, military and other organizations, along with private business and individual contributions. 

The volunteer work force operated facility has never closed in over 44 years of service, providing free food, shelter, and services for over 990,000 current members of the military- active duty, National Guard, Reservists, their dependents, Department of Defense and Public Health Service personnel, and our foreign allies from around the world.  In 2012, the AFSC received national recognition from the White House as a "Joining Forces Community Challenge" winner, out of over 300 non-profit organizations nationwide.

The center and its volunteers work closely with the airport police on various matters of concern, escorts for the fallen, military charters, troop arrivals, etc.  They also provide respite for military escorts, honor guards, and families of fallen as they transit through the MSP airport.

The AFSC is located on the Mezzanine level in Terminal 1, providing a lounge with dining table, 50" television with over 200 satellite channels, a military DSN line, cell phone, tablets, fax/printer/copier machine, books, magazines, stamps, and toiletries for patrons.  There are also amenities including a kitchen with microwaves, coffee machine, complimentary sandwiches and other foods, bathroom, 20 sleeping bunks for men and six for women, as well as a baby crib and nursing chair.   For more information, call the AFSC office at (612) 726-9156 or please visit www.mnafsc.org