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LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan (12/27/2012) – At Forward Operating
Base Gamberi, units from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division, are bringing in Christmas cheer through decorations and
song.
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Col. Bill Benson, the commander of 4th
Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, speaks to soldiers from
the 27th BSB on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2012, reassuring them that
instead of doing ordinary Christmas celebrations back home they are
doing extraordinary things in Afghanistan. Benson stressed that each
soldier should be proud to be where he or she is at, and that not
every person can say that he or she spent Christmas in Afghanistan.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jeff VanWey, 4th BCT, 1st Cavalry
Division PAO)
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Trimming the Christmas tree while drinking hot cocoa or
eggnog, hanging brightly colored lights on the house in the
bitter cold, chestnuts roasting over an open fire, mistletoe
– the list of Christmas traditions is endless and varies
widely from family to family.
While deployed soldiers
are unable to participate in their family's usual yuletide
celebrations which can have a detrimental effect on morale -
especially for first-time deployers. To counteract this,
units try to create Christmas traditions of their own.
At Forward
Operating Base Gamberi units from the 4th Brigade Combat
Team, 1st Cavalry Division, are bringing in Christmas cheer
through decorations and song.
“It's a smaller tree
and it doesn't rotate,” said Chicago native U.S. Army Spc.
Andrew Kawala, a medic with C Medical Company, 27th Brigade
Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry
Division, while decorating the small tree set up in the FOB
Gamberi aid station as Christmas music played in the
background. “It was good for where we're at. With the space
we need for work, it works.”
Although Kawula has
deployed previously to Iraq, he was a late-deployer and was
able to spend the holidays with friends and family, making
this his first Christmas in a combat environment.
During the last few weeks, care packages have poured in at
the FOB, containing cards, ornaments, lights, Santa hats and
other assorted decorations along with the care and support
of their senders. Stockings containing candy, cookies and
other tasty snacks have been passed out to the troops, which
were then hung around many an office.
More than 75
soldiers coming from various religious faiths were able to
participate in a candlelight service on Christmas Eve put on
by the brigade unit ministry team.
Those soldiers
with hidden musical talents have even been able to showcase
their abilities, participating in the Gamberi Rock Holiday
Carolers group, organized by Cincinnati native Warrant
Officer 1 Chontrelle Sturdivant, the brigade food service
technician.
“I know everyone was away from their
family and friends, so I wanted to bring some cheer here on
FOB Gamberi,” she said. “And I like to sing, so I figured
there were a couple of people out there who like to sing,
too.”
Sturdivant, who grew up singing in her school
and church choirs, and her 15 carolers stood at the entrance
of the DFAC for 20 minutes during each of the three hours of
Christmas dinner, leading the hungry soldiers in song while
they waited in line.
“The audience participated and
it really did bring the intent that we had, which was to
bring back the holiday spirit,” she said.
Just as
Santa Claus travels to each house on Christmas Eve, U.S.
Army Col. Bill Benson, the Long Knife brigade commander, and
Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Menton, the brigade command
sergeant major, traveled to each FOB, beginning with the
brigade's soldiers stationed at Bagram Air Field.
From there, they traveled to Camp Julien near Kabul, FOBs
Tagab and Naghlu High in Kapisa province, and FOBs Xia Hag
and Mehtar Lam in Laghman province.
Each place they
visited, they handed out commander's coins to deserving
soldiers identified by company and battalion commands as
deserving to be recognized.
While the scope of the
trip did not allow for long stays, the Long Knife command
team stopped and visited with as many soldiers as they
possibly could at each location, taking the time to wish
them a merry Christmas or happy holidays.
They even
had a few moments to watch some battalion sporting events
being held at FOBs Xia Hag and Mehtar Lam.
Both
Benson and Menton stressed to their Long Knife soldiers that
while they may be away from their families and friends back
home, they are with their Army Family.
While they may
miss having their ordinary holiday celebrations, they were
here making history by helping Afghanistan stand on its own,
the way the U.S. was helped during the Revolutionary War,
Benson said.
“Not everyone gets to spend Christmas in
Afghanistan,” Benson said. “I think that we're all going to
get to a point in our lives and we're going to look back and
say ‘You did something that was extraordinary in your
life.'”
By Army Staff Sgt. Jefferson VanWey
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2012
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