As for me, I just got a big box of Christmas supplies from my job (my civilian one) and they jammed it full of cool decorations. I got a fiber optic Christmas tree (a long story behind that one), some decorations, and some toys to put under the tree. Plus, they filled the box with magazines, books, and enough food to feed my entire team. The amount of food we get here can be a little crazy at times. Some of us believe that the insurgency have infiltrated the homes of our grandmothers and friends back home and are secretly sending us cookies and treats to fatten us up, thus making us easier targets.
My employer has been very supportive during this deployment and so have the folks I work with. It makes me look forward to going back in a 142 days to a job where the typical office hazard does not require me to wear body armor as part of me PPE.
My growing colleciton of knick-knacks
For those of you checking, there are only 17 more days to shop until Christmas morning. I’m not too worried about buying gifts this year as I hear there is a surplus of lead base painted toys at the local bazaar. What a bargain!
3 comments:
What is the long story behind the tree? Where else has it been? :)
What is the tree decorated with? C'mon, enquiring minds want to know about the tree. If you didn't say long story, nobody would care, but nooo, you had to leave us hangin'!
The story behind the tree goes like this:
Back when I was in the Army the first time and stationed at Fort Hood, a good friend of mine and fellow engineer in my battalion by the name of Kristine was deployed to Honduras in support of a Joint Task Force mission for Hurricane Mitch relief. Being the tight group of officers that we were, we pitched in to help send her a box of Christmas goodies to help her cope with being away for the holidays. We filled a box full of presents and decorations that included a miniature fiber optic Christmas tree which was picked out by Alissa, who at the time was also a good friend of mine and also Kristine’s old room mate. The tree was proudly displayed in the Officer Club at the airbase in Honduras for all to see and enjoy and she brought it home with her back to Texas.
Fast forward to 2007 where Kristine, who now works at my civilian place of employment for the past 5 years and was also recalled out of the IRR a few years back to go to Kuwait/Iraq for a year, sent me the same tree (the exact same tree) we sent her in Honduras to help me spruce up my place for Christmas here. She and the folks from my work threw in ornaments and some other decorations, plus a bunch of little gifts to put under the tree. I think it’s cool how a tree that is almost 8 years old has traveled through 3 separate continents to brighten someone’s Christmas away from home.
I will bring this tree home with me in hopes that I can send it to another soldier to bring a little Christmas cheer to them when they are far from home, although part of me hopes that there will be a time that I won’t have anyone I know deployed.
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