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380AEW Article

Deployed chapel staff launches Operation: Holiday Blitz

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  And the chaplains loudly voiced, "Everyone rejoice!" and it turned into a holiday blitz. And the Airmen wrapping gifts said, "Spirits we will lift!" and it turned into a holiday blitz.

Roughly 40 volunteers from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing joined with members of the chapel staff Dec. 17 to assemble care packages for each service member currently deployed here.

The endeavor, dubbed Operation: Holiday Blitz, continued Dec. 22-24, with the chapel staff handing out stockings filled with gifts, candy and cards. In addition, each stocking included a handmade pen from a company near where Chaplain (Maj.) Jamie Danford lives in Marietta, Ga.

"A couple months ago we thought it would be a neat idea to give something to every Airman and Soldier here at this base," said Danford, an 11-year veteran with the Air Force Reserve. "The chaplains each contacted their parishes back home and the donations started coming in. Everyone wanted to be a part of supporting people here."

Once the stockings were stuffed with care, the chapel staff ventured out to every unit and hand- delivered the presents.

"It's just nice to know people are thinking about us," said Senior Airman Casey Reeder, a firefighter deployed from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. "I mean, we're away from our families for the holidays. It's nice to get a gift from anyone. Obviously it's nice to get stuff from families as well but, from other people too."

According to the chaplain, being away from home during the holiday season can be especially difficult, which makes it the perfect time to do a little something extra to remind them that people care, Danford said.

"This is a tough time to be deployed," Danford said. "It would be a very good thing to be able to just hand a gift that's unsolicited, that's not expected, that's just in appreciation of people putting their lives on hold to come over here and do what our nation is calling us to do."