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Serving through the season: Airman Cameron Leroy Houghtaling Jr.

  • Published
  • By Capt. Vince King Jr.
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  There is a good chance Airman Cameron Leroy Houghtaling Jr. will not be home this holiday season, spending time with his family and friends much like other armed forces members.

Of course, like other Airmen serving around the globe, Airman Houghtaling is deployed to Bagram Airfield where he is the Services fitness coordinator and lodging assistant for Air Force personnel.

"This holiday season I will be helping out with our squadrons' Festivus and New Year's Party," he said.

The 20-year-old Services fitness manager knows his job is important and that he must assist in keeping his fellow Airmen's morale high throughout their deployments. His fellow Services members are charged with offering various activities on post to help time go by for the Airmen assigned to the wing.

"Being deployed during the holiday season isn't that bad," said the Airman. "I know that being here is all part of the military life, and it is something that I volunteered to do."

A 2005 graduate of Alamogordo High School, N.M., Airman Houghtaling is a member of a large team of Services Airmen in the Air Force who are dedicated to the upkeep and morale of the men and women in the Armed Forces.

As his family is enjoying the Yuletide season in the states, he will be deployed to Afghanistan where he will be the host for Bagram's first Amazing Race.

His father and stepmother, Cameron and Nancy, of Alamogordo, NM are used to the travels and military life. According to Airman Houghtaling, his father spent 20 years in the military and retired from Holloman Air Force Base as an equipment operator.

Like Airmen in Afghanistan and Iraq and other world hot spots during the holiday season, Airman Houghtaling, knows about sacrifice. Airmen are warfighters. They are highly trained, skilled and valued members of the interdependent force fighting the war on terror. They are always ready to do their job, no matter what day it is.

Airman Houghtaling said that getting through the holidays away from his family and friends isn't easy. However, he, much like many of his fellow Airmen will get through the holidays together knowing that they all will be home soon.