FORT WORTH, Texas  –   When you work within the Defense Department, community outreach is highly valued. Those at Defense Contract Management Agency Lockheed Martin Fort Worth, which serves as the F-35 Lightening II program’s flagship command and main production facility, decided to reach out to local Marines at the NAS JRB, Fort Worth, 8th Marine Corps District headquarters.

The contract management office’s volunteer committee discovered the Marine unit’s family readiness group and learned there was a pressing need for school supplies. Yvette Jackson, head of the committee and a contract administrator for LMFW, spearheaded the effort.

“Once I was able to contact the military family readiness unit, they were so thrilled to have someone offer support because they have limited funds,” Jackson said. “Our CMO has a lot of veterans, current military and military families. There was a lot of enthusiasm from our employees wanting to do community service events. This event was great because we supported the youth from military families.”

The family readiness unit receives less than $700 annually and splits those funds over nine different states — not nearly enough to cover all the requests. After polling her co-workers, Jackson set a goal to fill 25 backpacks full of notebooks, paper, pencils, pens and other school supplies.

“I have inspirational and caring members in our CMO who seek to assist others who may be less fortunate or have specific needs that aren’t being met without the support and outreach,” said Air Force Col. Ceir Coral, DCMA LMFW commander. “The unit was excited to support the effort and gave without hesitation knowing the impact it would have on the lives of the recipient families.”

The donation event was a huge success, said Coral, and the organization intends to make it an annual event.

Jackson, who has served with the agency nearly two years, has organized more than 25 employee events during that time. “The (school supplies drive) was the first community outreach event,” she said, “(and it) was a huge success thanks to our great employees and management support.”

The community outreach won’t stop there, she said, as the CMO is reaching out to other military units in the area to see how the LMFW team can provide assistance.

Support from every echelon of leadership is a hallmark of the unit, and Heidi Morrow, the contracts director at the DCMA LMFW, said the staff here enjoy outreach events and want to participate.

“It is very important and rewarding to give back to the community,” she said. “Our team members think it’s vital to play a part in improving the lives of others. Team members, like Yvette Jackson, are always looking for ways to make a difference.”

One of the Air Force core values is “Service Before Self,” and Coral said it’s important to reach out and support the communities they live in.

“Community outreach is foundation of every organization that I’ve been assigned to in my 33-year military career,” he said. “The kindness and generosity of the government employees to support local communities is inspiring and admirable. I want to give special thanks to Yvette Jackson for her relentless service before self to our CMO and her community.”

FORT WORTH, Texas  –   When you work within the Defense Department, community outreach is highly valued. Those at Defense Contract Management Agency Lockheed Martin Fort Worth, which serves as the F-35 Lightening II program’s flagship command and main production facility, decided to reach out to local Marines at the NAS JRB, Fort Worth, 8th Marine Corps District headquarters.

The contract management office’s volunteer committee discovered the Marine unit’s family readiness group and learned there was a pressing need for school supplies. Yvette Jackson, head of the committee and a contract administrator for LMFW, spearheaded the effort.

“Once I was able to contact the military family readiness unit, they were so thrilled to have someone offer support because they have limited funds,” Jackson said. “Our CMO has a lot of veterans, current military and military families. There was a lot of enthusiasm from our employees wanting to do community service events. This event was great because we supported the youth from military families.”

The family readiness unit receives less than $700 annually and splits those funds over nine different states — not nearly enough to cover all the requests. After polling her co-workers, Jackson set a goal to fill 25 backpacks full of notebooks, paper, pencils, pens and other school supplies.

“I have inspirational and caring members in our CMO who seek to assist others who may be less fortunate or have specific needs that aren’t being met without the support and outreach,” said Air Force Col. Ceir Coral, DCMA LMFW commander. “The unit was excited to support the effort and gave without hesitation knowing the impact it would have on the lives of the recipient families.”

The donation event was a huge success, said Coral, and the organization intends to make it an annual event.

Jackson, who has served with the agency nearly two years, has organized more than 25 employee events during that time. “The (school supplies drive) was the first community outreach event,” she said, “(and it) was a huge success thanks to our great employees and management support.”

The community outreach won’t stop there, she said, as the CMO is reaching out to other military units in the area to see how the LMFW team can provide assistance.

Support from every echelon of leadership is a hallmark of the unit, and Heidi Morrow, the contracts director at the DCMA LMFW, said the staff here enjoy outreach events and want to participate.

“It is very important and rewarding to give back to the community,” she said. “Our team members think it’s vital to play a part in improving the lives of others. Team members, like Yvette Jackson, are always looking for ways to make a difference.”

One of the Air Force core values is “Service Before Self,” and Coral said it’s important to reach out and support the communities they live in.

“Community outreach is foundation of every organization that I’ve been assigned to in my 33-year military career,” he said. “The kindness and generosity of the government employees to support local communities is inspiring and admirable. I want to give special thanks to Yvette Jackson for her relentless service before self to our CMO and her community.”