Red Cross Volunteers Keep Offutt Air Force Base Running

At Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, a quiet partnership is making life easier for thousands of military families every single day.

Ken Noltie leads a team of 12 Red Cross volunteers who work alongside active-duty personnel at the base's pharmacy. They hand out prescriptions, verify patient information, and keep the windows open when military staff are stretched thin. Without them, patients would face longer waits and the pharmacy would struggle to stay operational.

Master Sgt. Paul Forbes, the pharmacy flight chief, put it simply. Most pharmacies don't have enough staff to fill prescriptions, verify them, and serve patients all at once. The Red Cross volunteers fill that gap.

"Having the Red Cross here on a day-to-day basis is keeping these windows open and keeping patients in and out on a timely basis," Forbes said.

But the partnership goes far beyond counting pills. The Red Cross also runs Yellow Ribbon events that teach deploying units about emergency services available to their families back home. When military members are stationed overseas and lose contact with loved ones after a disaster, the Red Cross helps restore those connections through their international services program.

Jessica Pfeffer, an Armed Forces International Services specialist, explained that worried service members can call one number and get routed to the right help. Whether it's reconnecting with family after a hurricane or getting support during a crisis, the process starts with a single point of contact.

The organization proved its value when fire tore through a Bellevue apartment complex in 2025. Military residents were surprised to learn they qualified for Red Cross disaster relief. Many had no idea the organization could help them.

The Ripple Effect

This partnership creates a support system that reaches every corner of military life. Active-duty medical staff can focus on complex clinical work instead of pharmacy operations. Families get faster service at the pharmacy and safety nets during emergencies. Service members deployed overseas gain peace of mind knowing their loved ones have backup support.

The model also shows how civilian volunteers can directly ease the strain on an overstretched military. With 11 volunteers doing work that would otherwise fall to active-duty personnel, the base gains hundreds of hours of support each month.

Noltie's team represents something larger than efficient pharmacy operations. They're proof that small acts of service add up to major impact when they happen consistently over time.

Whether he's handing a prescription across the counter or coordinating emergency response, Noltie keeps the same mindset: "We are here to help. It doesn't matter what time of day, what the emergency is."