As part of their ongoing support of the military, the 3M “Hire Our Heroes” Program recently made a stop at Ft. Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C., to perform free vehicle detailing for spouses of deployed and fallen soldiers from the base – restoring some 25 vehicles with services valued at nearly $10,000.
The clean-up event offered a vehicle wash, wax, cleaning of windows, wheels, tires, plastic moldings, bumpers and trim, interior cleaning and vacuuming, and headlight restoration. The 3M Hire Our Heroes program also provides scholarships and grants to deserving military members and their families interested in a career in the collision industry. Information was offered while vehicles were being detailed.
Dale Ross, U.S. marketing operations manager for 3M’s Automotive Aftermarket Division, felt the services offered were a small contribution when compared to the soldiers’ contribution to keeping our nation safe.
“Our soldiers do so much for us, and the one thing they always say is, ‘Please take care of my family when I’m gone,’” Ross said. “We are doing that in a very small way by detailing, cleaning up and polishing the cars of the spouses of military service personnel who are deployed and the spouses of fallen soldiers.
“Through our connections within our industry, we had people from NAPA Auto Parts, the Fayetteville Community College and volunteers from some of the local body shops work with us to detail these vehicles for these deserving families.”
The event was held at Tisdale Equipment Maintenance Facility of the 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade (BfSB) Motorpool. The recipients included members from Survivor Outreach Services, 18th Airborne Corps and the Warrior Transition Battalion. Many attended with their children to enjoy the festivities while their vehicles were detailed.
Charlotte Watson, Survivor Outreach program manager, appreciated 3M’s support of military personnel. She is a part of Army Community Services at Fort Bragg that takes care of all families who have lost a service member while serving on active duty.
“What it means to our families is that they are still being thought of,” Watson said. “Their trials, their tribulations, and things they’ve gone through and continue to go through. You never get over the loss of a loved one, but you can get through it, and I think what events like 3M and all the people involved in this have done is allow them to know that the sacrifice they had with the loss of their soldier through illness, injury or killed in action, they are still a part of the military family and still being thought of. They appreciate it. They really do.”
Lauran Monk lost her husband, Austin Hunter Monk, to leukemia in 2011. She was very appreciative of the volunteers who detailed her Ford Flex back to showroom condition.
“My husband and I were going to purchase a Ford Flex together, and after he died, I needed something to transport my dogs because I have two big St. Bernards,” Monk said. “I think it’s amazing that 3M is here helping us and showing their appreciation and gratitude for us by doing something amazing. Having 3M come here and do this means so much to me. I love that they provide this service for us – anything anyone does to show appreciation for the military and the family members who are left behind when their loved ones die.”
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