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Holiday festivities boost morale

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Burke Baker
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  A number of holiday festivities were held here this past week, recognizing some familiar holiday traditions and boosting Airmen morale.

The activities were headed up by the 386th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron and were augmented by efforts from other organizations on base, such as the Top-3 council.

"In a high stress environment, it is important to keep the human mind engaged. These events provide to our base personnel a creative release, and especially during the holidays, we take that part of our job serious," said 1st Lt. Jamie Johnson, 386th EFSS Community Services Flight Commander.

Chief Master Sgt. Geoff Weimer, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Command Chief, couldn't agree more.

"We can and should turn our time occasionally to social activities that bond our relationships in different settings," he said. "It reminds us when we flip the switch back to the highly-technical and safety-critical occupational parts of our profession that our uniforms are worn by people who care about one another.

Weimer added that Airmen put their lives and careers in the hands of other people on a daily basis. He stressed that trust in one another becomes stronger with shared learning and growing experiences.

"No matter what reason we come together, in large groups or small, we forge a shared sense of identity," he said.

Activities held this week included a tree-lighting ceremony, a holiday relay race, a 5k run, a holiday parade, a gingerbread house competition, and a holiday meal. Additional festivities are planned to celebrate the New Year.

Johnson, deployed from Travis AFB, Calif., said the events directly support one of the wing's four priorities and enhance the sense of community among the base populace.

"Our job of providing entertainment and events to the base encompasses 'Marauder Pride' to the idea's fullest intent," said Johnson. "We give our base personnel something to look forward to, something to say that they did while they were here. We get many positive reviews for the entertainment and events we host, and that tells us we're giving members something to have pride in."

Chief Weimer said the leadership team fully supports the efforts.

"Whether sponsored by the EFSS, a private organization, or our helping agencies team, social activities bring us together to share in common experiences and goals," he said. "Individual goals are important, but we accomplish them best as a team and by recognizing that the name on the front of the jersey represents the synergistic awesomeness of all the individual names on the back.

One of the biggest highlights of the week's activities was the holiday parade. 15 floats were provided by different base entities, including one from the 387th Air Expeditionary Group and one from deployed Canadian forces.

Four awards were handed out for winning parade floats including the People's Choice award, Most Humorous, Most Traditional, and the Wing Commander's Choice award.

"The energy, excitement, laughter, and camaraderie, were only eclipsed by the hard work that came from the heart in putting it all together," said Weimer. "The sponsor, participants, and spectators shared equally in the reward of kicking off a day of fellowship."

The ultimate goal of the events, according to Weimer, was to facilitate a positive social and emotional experience during a particularly hard time for Airmen who are deployed away from loved ones.

"The atmosphere of friendship and family we create while deployed carries us through until we are reunited with the loved ones at home," he said. "Regardless of our deployed location, the full range of MWR events contribute immensely to all four pillars (mental, physical, social, and spiritual) of our Comprehensive Airman Fitness."