Last night was the battalion Christmas Party.
For those not familiar with the military, every division, every battalion, every company has a nickname.
In this case, 4th Battalion 2nd Aviation Regiment (4-2) is known as the Death Dealers.
Not the most appropriate of names to help convey the holiday spirit, but it’s great for instilling fear & dread…think of them as the ghost of Christmas Past.
Our battalion is somewhere around 800 soldiers, so the party was held in the hangar.
And given the fact that last night’s low was 15 degrees, well…let’s just say we all kept our coats & hats on.
The party was complete with ukulele-playing, carol singing soldiers originally from Guam, camera carrying KATUSA’s galore, the ever popular inflated again/deflated again bouncy house for the few kiddos here & Santa of course…flown in on his very own Apache.
(Ok so he didn’t actually “fly” in per se…it was more of a ‘Hey!…Do you hear the helicopter outside? That must be Santa!’ kinda thing.)
There were lots of great door prizes and activity stations for the kids.
We waited & waited for the buffet line to get shorter only to find we were eating the worst Christmas dinner ever.
But it was a valiant attempt…turkey, ham, canned cranberry sauce, corn, fairly raw green beans, completely saltless mashed potatoes, a gelatinous turkey gravy that could out lump a gravel road & your choice of chocolate chip cookie or heavily-frosted piece of sheet cake.
Ahhh….memories.
Santa arrived looking much more fit & trim than last year…
…and proceeded to take his appointed seat.
One by one kiddos were lined-up, picked-up & sat upon Santa’s lap.
And one by one they each proceeded to cry uncontrollably….
not even a present from Santa (by way of Daddy) would bring a smile.
13°F
Well, after hearing about yours, I’m glad I didn’t have one. I don’t work and my husband’s a third shifter, and I don’t have to go to his. My prison Bible class had a party.
The ladies who make 12 cents and hour use their accounts at the commissary to buy little Christmas cookies which they shared with the ‘less fortunates’ who have none.
That’s the only party I’ve attended this year so far, but it will probably be my favorite. Really enjoyed these photos. However, it did make me ever more aware of what y’all give up to serve your country in foreign places. I cannot possibly appreciate your hardships, but let me thank you for your willingness to serve. I hope you can come home soon. As you know, my daughter is married to a Marine who had three deployments to Iraq before they married. They are currently stateside, but who knows when they will go somewhere else. I’m not looking forward to that aspect
Merry Christmas, kiss moo moo for us! And Eric…..
Debbie
Your Uncle Dan and I are still laughing at your story. When I told him you had a party and it included dinner, he started laughing. Before I could tell him what you had, he said, “I guarantee you it was the worst meal ever!” He says to tell you he can completely relate and shares this story…When he ate Christmas dinner while serving in Vietnam, they sliced off what seemed to be left of the gelatinous turkey from WWII and served it. He says it sounds as though you got what was leftover from Vietnam!!!
Just think of all the memories you are making and the stories you will have to tell. And they aren’t even charging you for them!!! Does life get any better than that???