Remembering our deployed troops

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Kara Wotton
  • 572nd Global Mobility Squadron
With the holiday season moving into full swing this month, everyone is thinking more and more about traditional celebrations, family and friends.

Excitement is in the air as we prepare to observe honored family traditions and we focus on the spirit that characterizes our holiday festivities.

As we gather together this year, our hearts and minds naturally turn to those not able to celebrate with us, making this time of year especially hard for those with deployed family members and even harder on the deployed members themselves.

Each Airman who will be deployed this holiday season shows his or her personal commitment to our core value of "Service before Self" by voluntarily forfeiting the honored traditions and family gatherings for far away lands that do not offer the security or conveniences of home.

They are the heroes of this season and their dedication to duty and their courage to sacrifice without complaint provides a shining example of what it means to serve our great nation.

Despite the fact that the holidays can be incredibly busy, taking time to remember our deployed Airmen yields benefits for all of us.

Small acts of kindness add up and can tremendously increase morale and decrease worry for our deployed personnel.

Checking up on deployed members' families, offering to help with their holiday decorating, chores or sharing a meal with families lets deployed folks know that we are taking care of their loved ones while they are away.

Members of the 572nd Contingency Response Group thought one way they could show their support for our deployed Airmen was to send personalized holiday packages to Team Travis deployed personnel with a huge helping hand from the local community.

With assistance from our honorary group commander, Mr. Burt Gaulke, volunteers from the Bethany Lutheran Church and the Travis Regional Armed Forces Committee, people helped prepare specially wrapped holiday packages containing baked goods, magazines and holiday goodies for each deployed Airman, just to say "thank you."

The holidays are a time for families and for giving, so please remember our deployed men and women in your thoughts and prayers and let them know how much we appreciate their sacrifices by giving some thought to what you can do for their families while they are away during this holiday season.