Support Airmen: Cover WAI2025 Conference costs

Meghan Ripple is organizing this fundraiser.

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Hi! We are raising money to cover the cost of WAI2025 Conference attendance for USAF Airmen. Their trip was approved as professional development. On 3/2/2025 they got word of the Presidential Action forbidding government fund use for conferences. This was after the WAI refund deadline (2/26). We offered to temporarily cover the costs in hopes that all of the original 20 Airmen would come in non-temporary duty status (TDY or TAD depending on your service). Eight awesome maintainers are with us at the conference.

We are keeping track of all donations. Once we cover all costs outlined below we will either donate your money to WMA or refund it proportional to all donations (this may take a bit). Please contact Meghan on GoFundMe to indicate which you’d prefer.

Please don’t share on social media due to current hubub about DEI. One screenshot could sink a lot of strategic good.

Total raised to date: $2500

Total to go to cover all necessary costs: $7084

Costs:

Conference fees (non-refundable) $6813*
Two hotel rooms $1158 (we went old-school many to a room TDY style)
Mileage/gas for two cars, 1136 miles, tiny per diem for each non-driving attendee ($167) $1613

Anything helps and we all REALLY appreciate your support! Remind these Airmen that the force is strong with women military aviators.

Thanks! Meghan Ripple, USAF (retired)

*Unfortunately, 12 Airmen couldn’t come in non-TDY status. They paid conference fees on their GTC and we transferred it to one of our personal credit cards. It’s a sunk cost. Yes, lots of lessons learned.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/implementing-the-presidents-department-of-government-efficiency-cost-efficiency-initiative/

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