Photo By Sgt. Sean Harriman | A 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division soldier shakes hands with a New...... read more read more
CAMP MARMAL, Afghanistan – Tinsel, ornaments and “Happy Christmas!” inscriptions line the insides of the U.S. dining facility. Multicolored ice sculptures drip coolly, surrounded on all sides by delicately adorned cakes. The smell of roast turkey, candied yams and fresh baked rolls lend an almost homelike atmosphere to the otherwise uninspiring dining facility.
Coalition force troops and civilians sit across from one another and the room begins to buzz with animated conversation.
The holidays are always a difficult time for deployed service members and their families, and this Christmas is no exception. For some senior troops, this is their seventh deployment, their seventh Christmas away from home, spending one year deployed for every one year that they’re home (excluding training, late nights, early mornings, etc.)
U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Jason Stenbak, 38, the senior NCO of Company B, 404th Aviation Support Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, from Killeen, Texas, is one such soldier.
“My 300 soldiers are my family while I’m out here and I take care of my family,” Stenbak said. “We aim to put our arm around every soldier, so they know that they’re appreciated.”
At a glance into the dining facility it’s easy to tell that there is no lack of appreciation for what these men and women do.
The 4th CAB holiday festivities officially began on Christmas Eve, beginning in the movie tent with over 30 consecutive hours of Christmas-themed movies, running straight through Christmas Day and on into Dec. 26.
On Christmas Day, the DFAC was bedecked to the hilt with lights, decorations, ornaments, live music courtesy of the 4th CAB chapel band and six of the New England Patriots cheerleaders, courtesy of Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
The main holiday party, beginning at 6:00 p.m., was further reminder to all present that their service was not taken for granted. Mattress toppers, sets of sheets, electronics, including a laptop and a touch screen MP3 player, and countless other prizes piled high on tables along the inside of the tent, donated to 4th CAB by friends and family of the Iron Eagles.
On stage, the 101st Airborne Division band “Nuts!” excited the crowd with lively songs by bands such as Metallica and the Zac Brown Band.
U.S. Army Capt. Gavin Marchant, 25, Company C, Task Force Mustang, 4th CAB, from Houston, on his first deployment, was not alone in his homesickness nor was he alone in his desire to take care of his soldiers.
“There are a lot of good people here,” said Marchant. “It makes the holidays easier to be close to good people that you care about, even if they aren’t your immediate family. But it’s also very difficult for some of the younger soldiers who are spending their first Christmas away from home, so we do everything that we can to help them feel at home here.”
U.S. Army Spc. Kelli Harmon, the 4th CAB’s MWR representative, as well as the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers representative, was largely responsible for the entire event, and many other events that have occurred at Camp Marmal since October, helping to maintain morale and encourage team building.
The 101st Airborne Division band “Nuts!” performed again Dec. 26, and the six New England Patriots cheerleaders will return to Camp Marmal Dec. 29, to perform again for personnel at Camp Marmal.
U.S. Army Pfc. Jeremiah Offong, 24, a wheeled vehicle mechanic in Company E, TF Mustang, 4th CAB, from Houston expressed the same sentiment that many soldiers and civilians shared.
“You’ve got to adjust and adapt,” Offong said. “It’s what I signed up for. As long as I surround myself with good people, it will keep my spirits up too. Christmas out here just gives us a reason to celebrate those friendships.”
| Date Taken: | 12.25.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 12.28.2010 00:48 |
| Story ID: | 62678 |
| Location: | CAMP MARMAL, AF |
| Web Views: | 222 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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