USAG BAVARIA – HOHENFELS, Germany – Leadership from U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria and the Joint Multinational Readiness Center took time to honor the dedication of volunteers in the Hohenfels community during a ceremony April 14, 2026 at the Community Activity Center.
In numeric terms, the volunteers within U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria contributed a total of 63,346 volunteer hours in 2025, which, at an estimated value of $34 per hour, contributed $2.2 million of service to the community.
For the Hohenfels community, 141 volunteer gave 13,572 hours.
Angela Lane, deputy garrison manager at Hohenfels, conveyed to the audience the qualitative impact volunteers made to the community.
“When services are provided by our volunteers to support each organization, our Soldiers – warfighters – can focus on their mission, confidently knowing their Families will be cared for and supported,” said Angela Lane, deputy garrison manager for Hohenfels, said to the audience at the ceremony. “Through your selfless actions, you demonstrate the profound impact one person can have, which leads to motivating others to serve. You have created a domino effect of generosity, building a powerful culture of service that will be remembered for years to come.”
Seth Kloss, the director of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation for the garrison, also spoke on the occasion.
“Through selfless dedication and honorable service, your efforts contribute to community cohesion and enhance the quality of life to those of us who surround you, our community, the Army and our country,” he said. “For all the awe-inspiring work you do to support USAG Bavaria, in the Hohenfels training area, we thank you.”
The volunteers contributed their time and efforts to several organizations (USO, the American Red Cross, the Hohenfels Community and Spouses Club, parent-teacher organizations, Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers, scouting organizations, Veterans of Foreign Wars), and these organizations in turn submitted nomination packets to Army Community Service for review. Volunteers are grouped into different categories – service members, civilians and retirees, and Family members. The packets are scrubbed of identities, and the panel members assess the strengths of the different volunteers and rank them.
During the ceremony, USAG Bavaria Command Sgt. Maj. James A. Boersma conferred certificates of appreciation to each volunteer nominee. After Boersma presented all the nominees in a particular category with their certificate, the master of ceremonies read the winner, who then received a plaque.
The winners of two different categories came from the same family. Sgt. Hunter Edstrom Fairbanks, a Soldier with B Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, earned Soldier volunteer of the year during the ceremony. His wife, Allicia Edstrom Fairbanks earned Family volunteer of the year.
Hunter volunteers with the Girl Scouts, the Hohenfels Community and Spouses Club, the Hohenfels Community Pantry and his company’s Soldier and Family Readiness Group. The HCSC nominated Hunter, who contributed to clubhouse maintenance, helped set up and set down special events, and coordinated Soldier volunteers for the club. He gave almost 200 hours of volunteer time.
Allicia was nominated by B Co.’s Soldier and Family Readiness Group, where she serves as the advisor and treasurer. She also volunteers with the Hohenfels Community and Spouses Club, she oversees the operations of the Hohenfels Community Pantry, and she helps with the hospitality programs of the local chapter of Protestant Women of the Chapel. Her volunteer time totaled 926.75 hours.
“I like to see the community thrive and what we can do for the community,” Allicia said during the reception after the ceremony. “But of course, getting a pat on the back never hurts.”
“Like her,” said Hunter, referring to Allicia’s answer, “I do not do it for recognition at all. I just – it feels good for me to do it every single day and help out the community.”
“With Hohenfels being so small, everybody knows everybody,” Allicia continued. “There’s always something you can do that – chances are – it’s going to make someone else’s experience or life easier or better, even if it’s the tiniest thing.”
The Edstrom-Fairbanks family, which includes a daughter who won for Family volunteer of the year the previous year, are returning to Fort Drum, New York in the U.S. this year.
Bellanira Stafford earned the title of civilian / retiree volunteer of the year. The HCSC nominated her for fulfilling multiple roles, as a second vice president, as a worker in the back of the Hohenfels Thrift Shop, as an organizer of the Fall Bazaar. The citation stated she “consistently demonstrated a positive, flexible, and service-driven mindset, reliably arriving prepared on time, and willing to assist wherever needed.” She dedicated 176 hours to the club and community.
“I was not expecting the recognition because when I sign up for volunteering, it’s coming from my heart,” Stafford said. “It’s my responsibility as a spouse, a veteran, retiree that served the country for 30 years.”
Originally from Whittier, California and arriving to Hohenfels from Fort Irwin, California, Stafford realized the benefits of volunteering are not limited merely to personal or community wellbeing; volunteering is also a valuable networking tool.
“It doesn’t matter whether you volunteer to the Red Cross, to the spouses club, to the thrift store, to the commissary,” she said. “When you find a way to contribute and give back, it feels so good.”
The nominees and winners from the ceremony are as follows:
Active-duty category:
-Winner: Sgt. Hunter Edstrom-Fairbanks, nominated by the Hohenfels Community and Spouses Club,
-Nominee: Pvt. Aidan Burke, nominated by B Co., 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, and
-Nominee: Staff Sgt. John Kortz, nominated by Child and Youth Services Youth Sports.
Civilian / retiree category:
-Nominee: Nicola Saunders, nominated by the Hohenfels Elementary School Parent Teacher Association, and
-Winner: Bellanira Stafford, nominated by the HCSC.
Family category:
-Nominee: Angel Casares, nominated by the Hohenfels Elementary School PTA,
-Winner: Allicia Edstrom-Fairbanks, nominated by the B Co., 1-4 IR, Soldier and Family Readiness Group,
-Nominee: Camille Kortz, nominated by the Hohenfels Girl Scouts,
-Nominee: Michaela Krum, nominated by the HCSC, and
– Nominee: Lauren Mills\, nominated by the Hohenfels Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization.
For further photos from the event, visit the USAG Bavaria Flickr album at
