Naval Station Rota kicked off the 2017 Office of the Secretary of the Navy active-duty fund drive (ADFD) on behalf of Rota's Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) in the base Community Support Building, Feb. 27.

Every year during March and April, NMCRS launches the ADFD to ensure service members know the services and programs available to them and to raise funds for those programs.

This year's goal for Naval Station Rota and its tenant commands is $157,373. In 2016, Rota's NMCRS processed 431 cases and provided $536,827 in financial assistance to the base community, including the Airmen, Soldiers, and their families.

"Although we are kicking off the fund drive now, the support we provide is there for Sailors, Marines, and their families year-round," said Shelley Marshall, NMCRS chief development and communications officer. "The active-duty fund drive carries about 50 percent of our revenue stream each year. The remaining revenue comes from donations, the repayment of the interest-free loans, and our thrift shop."

Rota NMCRS offers financial assistance and counseling, quick-assist loans, education assistance, health education, post-combat support, budget for baby, emergency travel, disaster relief, and the popular Visiting Nurse Program.

"Last year, the visiting nurse assisted nearly 1,300 service members and dependents," said Capt. Michael MacNicholl, Naval Station Rota commanding officer. "That program was initially set for 20 hours a week, but what we found out was the nurse was providing much more service than what we were allotted for. We reached out to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and we were granted an additional 10 hours a week because of the usage rate. That reinforces the fact that we do use the society here in Rota."

The Visiting Nurse Program provides home visits and helps answer questions new parents have about their babies. The nurse can also make home visits to retirees for basic medical evaluations.

"All of our programs and services are available to retirees," said Marshall. "We don't stop offering to help just because you retire."

Donations to NMCRS are crucial because all their funds come from internal sources, not from the Department of Defense or the Department of the Navy. If interested, donations can be made in the forms of check, cash, or allotments straight from an account.

"Regardless if we meet our goal or not, the society will never limit the amount of assistance we provide to Sailors and Marines," said Marshall. "You will never get turned away if you come to us. We will meet every available, legitimate need."

Contact one of the ADFD representatives with questions or for more information: Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Mike Washa, Chief Legalman Zandee Galang, Chief Electronics Technician Joseph Neacosia, or Chief Hospital Corpsman Daniel Hosaka. The Rota ADFD website is also available at http://nmcrsfunddrive.org/rota/contact/.

"We're very excited for this opportunity to help with the active-duty fund drive," said Washa. "I know a lot of shipmates that have used NMCRS over the years, and it's very important that we put back as much as we can into the system for future shipmates to use."

To reach out to Rota NMCRS for any of the services and programs they provide, please call 727-1614 or send an email to rota@nmcrs.org.

Founded in 1973, Rota NMCRS is a full-service office with management oversight for four shore-based emergency service offices in Lisbon, Portugal; Stuttgart, Germany; and London and Digby in the United Kingdom; as well as oversight for four ship-based emergency service offices. In addition, Rota NMCRS provides assistance to Navy and Marine Corps personnel and their families located at embassies and some of the other military installations within the European and African theaters. NMCRS Rota is run by dedicated, trained, and caring volunteers, supported by one paid full-time director and a part-time nurse.

Naval Station Rota enables and supports operations of U.S. and allied forces and provides quality services in support of the fleet, fighter, and family for Commander, Navy Installations Command in Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia (EURAFSWA).

Just as a ship performs lines of operation which provide a capability, Navy Region EURAFSWA bases perform the same eight lines of operation to provide capability to the fleet and joint and allied forces. These eight lines of operation are air operations; port operations; safety; security; Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR); Fleet and Family Services, and what is called the core -- the fuels, water, and power which keep the bases running. Through the lines of operation, installations are force multipliers which maximize the combat capability of operational units.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Station Rota, Spain, visit http://www.navy.mil/.