Hospital volunteer receives President’s Volunteer Service Award Published Dec. 18, 2008 By 2nd Lt. Jen Richard Nellis AFB Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Hundreds of service hours culminated into the award of a lifetime for one Red Cross volunteer here Dec. 15. During a ceremony at the Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital, Stuart Hess, American Red Cross hospital chairman of volunteers, received the President's gold-level Volunteer Service Award for providing more than five years of service to the facility. The President's Volunteer Service Award Program was created under President George W. Bush in 2003 as a way to thank Americans who have inspired others to volunteer and recognize those who have volunteered hundreds of hours over the course of their lifetimes. "We are proud to call Stuart one of our own," said Jeffrey Varnes, Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross, Southern Nevada Chapter, during the ceremony. "He is a lifelong volunteer who has been with the Red Cross, Southern Nevada Chapter, as the hospital chairman of volunteers for the last five years." As the Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital's Red Cross chairman of volunteers, Mr. Hess works to fulfill all the requirements that the hospital and the Red Cross have for volunteers. In 2007 alone, he and all the hospital volunteers he manages, an average of 47, donated more than 20,000 hours of free service which would otherwise cost the hospital $402,023. "On behalf of this facility and myself, I cannot thank Mr. Hess enough for all that he has done," said Col. Christian Benjamin, 99th Medical Group commander. "We could not run this facility without him and his group of volunteers." Col. Dave Belote, 99th Air Base Wing commander, presided over the ceremony and along with Mr. Varnes and Colonel Benjamin presented the award on behalf of President Bush. "You have made it possible for us to touch many lives and to make the Mike O' Callaghan Federal Hospital the premier joint-venture medical facility in the United States," Colonel Belote said during the presentation. Mr. Hess understands the needs of a military hospital after his military career in the medical service corps. He enlisted in the Navy in 1959, went through training and entered the Medical Service Corps as an ensign in 1968. Mr. Hess retired from the Navy in 1984 at the rank of lieutenant commander, moved to Las Vegas in 1989 and has volunteered at the Mike O' Callaghan Federal Hospital, along with his wife Jacqueline, since 2003. "As a Medical Service Corps Officer, I like to keep my hand in, to keep in contact with those in the field. Here, I can see first-hand what their (the military members') needs are," Mr. Hess said. "It is a special honor to receive this award, but, it's really an honor to be at this hospital helping the hospital commander fulfill his mission by providing volunteers to assist his active-duty staff."
