BOARD OF TRUSTEES DISTRICT 1
Thomas Ellis Tom James James Sikes
Thank you to our military men and women R. Gary Harrison
DISTRICT 2
Helena Duncan Kim Jackson, Vice Chairman John Livings DISTRICT 3
Andrew Callaway, Chairman Jimmy Ellis, Secretary/Treasurer Albert Perry TELEPHONE Customer Service 1.888.349.4332 Outage Reporting 1.800.239.1367 24-Hour Automated Account Information 1.866.285.2359
PAYMENT OPTIONS By Mail: Post Office Box 30 Union Springs, AL 36089 In Person: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday 9100 Atlanta Highway Montgomery, AL 36117 402 East Blackmon Union Springs, AL 36089 Night Deposit: Available at both offices AMEX, Discover, MasterCard and Visa accepted in office, online and through our automated phone system Online: www.dixie.coop Find us on:
Dixie Electric Cooperative is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 4 JULY 2022
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One of the unique things about living in or around Montgomery is getting to meet and interact with the incredible military personnel who come through Maxwell/Gunter Air Force Base. Our community has the honor and privilege of being home to many prestigious military programs, such as Air War College at The Air University on Maxwell. And, as you may recall, the Air Force recently selected the 187th Fighter Wing at Dannelly Field as one of its Air National Guard F-35A bases. This would not be possible without the commitment and dedication of our military friends and neighbors. Many of our newer member-owners may not realize it, but your cooperative also has a unique connection to Maxwell/Gunter Air Force Base. Approximately 24 years ago, the federal government decided to privatize the electric facilities on military bases across the country. Maxwell/Gunter was the first Air Force Base to go through the privatization process. Your cooperative, along with Central Alabama Electric Cooperative, our sister cooperative in Prattville, formed a partnership called Cooperative Utility Services, LLC. After an extensive process, we were awarded the opportunity to own and operate the electric facilities on the base and have now been helping the Air Force fulfill its mission in Montgomery for the past 18 years. Aside from the opportunity the base has brought for the cooperative, I am also grateful for the many friendships it has brought over the years. Each year at church, we watch a wave of our friends depart for their newest assignments and a new group move in to join
our congregation. One thing I can always count on from my military friends is for them to help me put my life in perspective. Everyone has stressful moments in their lives, but it always seems that when I am going through what I feel is a stressful situation, one of my military friends shares a story that makes my life seem much easier. I recall one of my pilot friends telling about how he would fly into the Middle East and land on an unlit airstrip with small gunfire unloading all around him as they would quickly unload his cargo so he could take off and be back in the air. Another shared the story of how he always wanted to be a pilot. He tried so hard to make it through the screening process, but his body just could not handle it. He was so sick over a period of two weeks during the process that he shed 15 pounds. Unfortunately, they ultimately told him that while his heart was in flying, his body just couldn’t handle the task to become a pilot; however, that was not the end of the story. He was ultimately invited to be one of the first drone pilots in the United States Air Force. Stories like this make my life seem mild in comparison and inspire me to never take anything in life for granted. Even with all the uncertainty in the world, I am certain that we have the world’s most elite military, but it is not ships, planes, tanks or missiles that make it elite – it is the men and women who serve that make it so special. The last few years have been particularly stressful on not only the United States, but the entire world. For two years we navigated through COVID-19 and then when things
www.alabamaliving.coop
6/8/22 12:43 PM
