On April 15, the Desert Lightning Team kicked off a three-month club membership drive to increase the membership base in our club system and emphasize to customers the benefits of being a member. This drive is a great opportunity to make the clubs into what we want and need in the near future. The reality is, as budgets shrink, underutilized facilities like the clubs will be lost and once the clubs are gone, they are gone forever.
The benefits of being a club member go far beyond a drink at the bar. The clubs are a part of our Air Force history and are deeply seated in tradition, esprit-de-corps, camaraderie, mentorship and fellowship. The Poly and Shockwave bars are great places to socialize and get to know your leaders, peers and fellow DLT members. Additionally, the club provides the DLT a venue for our military organizations to hold formal ceremonies that include Airman Leadership School graduations, retirement and change of command ceremonies that are also steeped in tradition and a part of our daily life on the base.
The perks don’t end there. Most Force Support Squadron facilities give a 10 percent discount to club members, to include the golf course, bowling alley, arts and crafts, and the auto hobby shop. Our motto is “just show it and save.†The more you use your club card in base facilities, the more you save. In addition to these discounts, the club card itself offers cash back and other rewards that apply to every function on base. Members that pay for purchases with their club card receive two percent cash back, as well as TravelPlus miles.
Did I mention food? Having a club membership also gets you a one dollar discount during lunch and a two dollar discount during evening meals. This is in addition to our Lunch Bunch membership promotion – buying five lunches and the sixth one is free. So stop by the club and partake in our variety of lunch specials that are sure to please. We have listened to the DLT and adjusted the menus to meet the needs of our customers.
Yes, becoming a club member will give you personal benefits, but did you know your membership also supports all Moral Welfare & Recreation functions? All profits from the club and other MWR functions become a part of the base MWR fund. These funds are used to support and add to every non-appropriated fund activity offered by FSS to include upgrading NAF facilities, expanding NAF operations or hosting base celebrations. Many of the facilities commonly used like the library, youth center and child development centers benefit from the MWR fund. The support also includes improvements to the golf course or bowling center, to paying for fireworks on the 4th of July and funding Starry Snowy Southwest night events.
Bases without an MWR fund have very limited support services. Supporting base functions is the only way to ensure these facilities remain on base for you and future D-M families. A profitable club increases the functions that are offered on base and provides funds to support all the services that we value.
As we grow our membership and utilization of the clubs, our club staff will also grow. Revenue generated from club membership and patronage allows FSS to hire additional staff to support bigger and better functions. In other words, continued growth equals continued improvements. Our goal is to provide a service that continues to bring the customer back.
Becoming a club member has many benefits, so please ask your squadron point of contact or stop by any of our FSS facilities and we will be glad to share all of the benefits with you. However, the biggest benefit is that we leave a legacy behind for future Airmen and D-M family members, and a tradition that makes us the best Air Force in the world.
