Our Story:

The 1SG Erin R and Autumn McCall Family Foundation was founded by her family to continue the values and teachings Erin was instilling in her daughter, Autumn, as well as her brothers and sisters in arms.

On November 14, 2016, Erin spoke at the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa, Idaho. She said the Army taught her to, “...lead from the front, leaders have to set the example, we have to go first.” Erin always seemed to have this mindset in life, now we have the honor of continuing this legacy. Erin also said, “Change takes time, it takes ordinary people stepping up and doing extraordinary things.” With that quote always in the back of our minds we came together as a family knowing we could make a difference!

Blaze the Trail USA is one focus of Erin's legacy we will carry on. It is our vision to empower communities to provide the military with needed services which will enable the military to complete their mission. As the first woman tanker in the US Army, Erin left quite the impression on our community and the country she served and loved. 

On the Fourth of July weekend of 2017 at Donnelly, Idaho, not only did we lose a soldier, daughter, sister, wife, and mother, we also lost six-year-old Autumn McCall to a tragic house fire. Autumn was absolutely the ray of sunshine in our lives. Her sweet spirit came into Erin and Mitch's lives as a gift. Autumn would be the first to tell someone she was a gift to her parents. It was through adoption that Autumn completed the Smith family and why another focus of the foundation is, Autumn's Gift, funding the option of adoptions. Through Autumn’s Gift, we plan to help fund adoptions for National Guard members and active duty personnel as they seek to create families.

Not only did Autumn complete Erin and Mitch’s family; she completed our extended family. In Autumn’s honor, we will help meet the immediate need in our community by providing scholarships for childcare during drill weekends and two-week annual training for Idaho National Guard and Idaho Air Guard members.

The family also plans to financially support immersive day camps, activity camps, and parks for our military and small local communities.

We as a foundation and family are privileged to make a difference in our communities and military families, just as Erin did in her short life.