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CHRISTMAS PRESENTS A DIFFERENT FEELING WHEN YOU'RE DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN.
"IT'S REALLY HARD TO GET IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT."
"YES, WE NEED MORE BAGS."
BUT CERTAIN PEOPLE GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO BRING HOLIDAY JOY TO PLACES WHERE IT MIGHT
BE HARD TO FIND.
"SETTING UP CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS, YOU JUST HEAR THE CAROLS PLAYING IN YOUR HEAD."
AND THE SPIRIT IS CONTAGIOUS.
"AND EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO WALKS AROUND THE CORNER LOOKS AND HAS EYES WIDE AGAPE AT
THE HALLWAY AFTER THE DECORATIONS GO UP AND IT REALLY PUTS EVERYBODY INTO THE CHRISTMAS
SPIRIT."
THIS INITIATIVE WASN'T CAPTAIN RECKAMP'S IDEA.
THAT CREDIT GOES TO A GROUP IN MCLEANSBORO, ILLINOIS.
"A LOT OF THE FAMILIES BACK IN THE UNITED STATES GOT TOGETHER AND THEY HAVE A GROUP
CALLED "STOCKINGS FOR SAILORS" TO SEND CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS TO SAILORS WHO ARE STATIONED HERE
IN AFGHANISTAN."
"STOCKINGS FOR SAILORS" IS JUST ONE OF MANY ORGANIZATIONS KEEPING DEPLOYED TROOPS AND
THEIR MINDS AT HEARTS DURING THE HOLIDAYS.
"PROGRAMS LIKE THIS ARE CRITICAL JUST TO KEEP EVERYBODY FULLY AWARE OF HOW MUCH THE UNITED
STATES PUBLIC AND THEIR FAMILIES SUPPORT US. IT REALLY DOES A LOT TO CHANGE THE ROUTINE
HERE, TO SEE THE INDICATIONS OF THAT CARING SPIRIT COMING BACK FROM THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT
US BACK IN THE UNITED STATES."
NOW JUST AS PRESENTS REST UNDERNEATH THE TREE FOR WEEKS AT HOME, THESE GIFTS WILL HANG ON
THE WALL UNTIL IT'S TIME TO OPEN THEM.
"WE HAVE A LOT OF STOCKINGS PUT TOGETHER BY THIS CARING GROUP OF PEOPLE, THEY ARE GOING
TO GET SNATCHED UP BY SAILORS WHOSE NAMES ARE ON THEM, AND THEN A LOT EXTRA OF STOCKINGS
THAT WE'VE LABELED FOR 'ANY SERVICE MEMBER' FOR THE REST OF THE JOINT FORCES THAT ARE
HERE TO COME AND GRAB A HOLD OF ON CHRISTMAS MORNING."
AND WHEN THAT TIME COMES, THE HOPE OF STOCKINGS FOR SAILORS IS TO BRING THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
TO THOSE SERVING AWAY FROM HOME.
AIR FORCE STAFF SERGEANT MIKE LAHRMAN. KABUL, AFGHANISTAN.