Tag Archives: Service to the Armed Forces

From PSYOP to Public Affairs: Honoring a Veteran and Volunteer Leader

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Colonel (Retired) Larry Dietz, US Army (left) and Dr. Liz Dietz, EdD, RN (right) take a break at the Moffett Field Veterans Fair.

When Larry Dietz first walked into an American Red Cross meeting 25 years ago, he brought with him a lifetime of service, first to his country, then to his community. A decorated veteran with a distinguished career in psychological operations (PSYOP), military intelligence and law, Larry understood the power of communication and humanitarian principles. Today, as the recipient of the Red Cross Clara Barton Award, the highest honor for volunteer achievement at the chapter level, Larry’s legacy reflects both his military roots and his commitment to the Red Cross mission.

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Building un-fur-gettable memories: A Red Cross volunteer helps veterans and dogs connect in the Central Coast Chapter

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Each time a team of dogs and their handlers descends on the Major General William H. Gourley VA-DoD Outpatient Clinic in Marina, California, American Red Cross volunteer Penny Mount cannot help but feel a sense of satisfaction.   She knows these dogs have a meaningful impact on patients, less than a year after their first visit as part of the first Red Cross’s Animal Visitation Program (AVP) in California’s Central Coast.

Penny started the AVP program in November 2024 at the request of her supervisor, Nikki Rowe. She had never built a similar program and “I knew nothing about therapy dogs,” says Penny.  So, she reached out to local resources, including the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. 

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Trust and Care: The Story of a Red Cross Volunteer Flight Surgeon

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“When patients come in, they automatically trust you when they see the Red Cross,” says Justin Nast, M.D., about the logo that is on his name tag. His American Red Cross badge identifies Dr. Nast as a volunteer flight surgeon entrusted with the care of U.S. Air Force aviators.

How did Dr. Nast become a Red Cross volunteer flight surgeon? Interestingly, he didn’t start his medical career planning to be a flight surgeon. In fact, he was an obstetrics and gynecology resident when he was recruited by the Air Force. (An ob/gyn is the medical specialty that encompasses pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, and the health of the female reproductive system.) After joining the armed forces, he spent eight years delivering babies and caring for the health of enlisted service women.

When the hospital he was stationed at in Germany was closing, he launched into a new career: aerospace medicine. Dr. Nast says it’s a growing branch of medicine.

Dr. Justin Nast is part of a unique partnership between the American Red Cross and the U.S. Air Force.
Dr. Nast supports the Air Force as a civilian, by volunteering through the Red Cross in the same role in which he served while on active duty – that of a flight medicine physician.
American Red Cross volunteers Dr. Dan Canlas and Dr. Justin Nast at Travis Air Force Base.
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Emergency Phone Call Connects Doctor to Red Cross

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When U.S. Air Force service member James “Eric” Bermudez received an urgent phone call from the American Red Cross notifying him of a family emergency back home, he had no way of knowing that it was one of many encounters that he would have with the Red Cross while he served. Even after retiring from the Air Force, his relationship with the Red Cross would continue, as he would take on a vital volunteer role.

That phone call came while he was an enlisted medical technician. “The Red Cross called me at my duty station. I was at work, and they called and said we want to put you in touch with your mother; she needs to talk to you,” says (now) Dr. Bermudez (who went on to become an officer and physician in the Air Force, after graduating from medical school). The Red Cross has a unique relationship with the armed forces, which includes helping service members connect with their families during times of emergency. So, on that day, the Red Cross tracked down Dr. Bermudez so that he could talk to his family.

Dr. Bermudez enjoys serving and giving back to the U.S. Air Force community as a civilian Red Cross flight medicine physician volunteer (Photo courtesy of Dr. Bermudez)
Flight medicine clinic at David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, site of a unique partnership between the Red Cross and U.S. Air Force (Photo courtesy of Roderick Tapnio)
From left – Col Alexei Kambalov, with Red Crossers Dr. Dan Canlas, Dr. Justin Nast, Alzinia Pailin, Aerial Chen, at David Grant Medical Center (Photo courtesy of Roderick Tapnio)
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Flight Surgeon Scores a Winning Volunteer Gig

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Can you imagine how eager a sports fan would be to hang out with their favorite team for the weekend? That’s how Dan Canlas, MD, retired Lt. Col. of the U.S. Air Force, describes his volunteer role for the American Red Cross. He is keen to spend his free time hanging out with his team of aircrew and operational personnel!

His role as a volunteer flight surgeon is part of a partnership the Red Cross has with the David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base in California. Dr. Canlas and his fellow Red Cross colleagues volunteer their time and medical expertise at the flight medicine clinic, treating the aircrew and other military members involved in the flying mission.

From left – Red Crossers Aerial Chen, Alzinia Pailin, Dr. Justin Nast, Dr. Dan Canlas, with Col Alexei Kambalov at the flight medicine clinic at David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, site of a unique partnership between the American Red Cross and U.S. Air Force. (Photo by Roderick Tapnio)
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A Salute for Your Service: Our Partnership with David Grant Medical Center

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American Red Cross volunteers provide warm human interactions at the David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base. This includes greeting patients and visitors at the front desk, answering phones, and providing directions.

In the white, sterile halls of a hospital – any hospital, let alone one on a military base – you might expect to find expert medical care. But thanks to the American Red Cross, at the David Grant Medical Center (DGMC) on Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California, you’ll also find bright, cheery and helpful volunteers.

The Red Cross has a special partnership with the medical center where teens and other volunteers “are able to augment the hospital experience for patients, providing warm human interaction while allowing hospital staff to focus primarily on their medical duties,” says Nikki Rowe, Red Cross director of Service to the Armed Forces and International Services for the Northern California Coastal Region. Nikki has been managing the relationship with the DGMC for several years as part of her responsibilities.

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