CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait –
Soldiers with the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, along
with other deployed service members and civilians, participated in the annual
Camp Buehring Christmas Tree Lighting and Winter Carnival Dec. 3 at the Morale,
Welfare and Recreation Oasis Stage Area, Camp Buerhring.
Lt. Col. Jennifer
Hicks-McGown, commander, Camp Buehring Area Support Group- Kuwait and native of
Victory, Texas, said the purpose of the annual event was to boost the morale of
all personnel on the base.
“The Christmas
tree-lighting ceremony is used to set off the holiday season,” Hicks- McGown
said. “We arranged lots of entertaining and fun things to get people into the holiday
spirit.”
The carnival-style event
featured Christmas carols, food, balloons, face painting, character drawing,
local bazaar vendors for shopping and a variety of games.
Cherry Burch, Camp Buehring
MWR supervisor and native of Pangasinan, Philippines, said Soldiers who earned
tickets for participating in the events could use the tickets for prizes.
“The MWR and Army and Air
Force Exchange Service provided more than 80 gifts, including blankets,
electronics, designer handbags watches and $300 in cash for attendees
participating in the various activities,” Burch said.
The highlight of the
evening was the inflatable bungee run event, which tested service members and
civilians’ strength and endurance.
“This was a fun event that
put me into the holiday spirit,” said Staff Sgt. Charmain Tudela-Griswold,
chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives noncommissioned
officer, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st ABCT. “What made this event
so special was being able to share this moment with people in my unit that I
consider family.”
Tudela-Griswold said the
event was a great way to meet and socialize with other service members on the
base.
“I hope they do more events
like this throughout the holidays to keep everyone’s morale high,”
Tudela-Griswold said.
Hicks-McGown said this was
a special time of the year for Soldiers and civilians.
“Our goal was to provide
those far away with a little piece of home,” Hicks-McGown said. “We know this
event cannot take the place of deployed Soldiers spending the holidays with
loved ones, but we hope it put a smile on their face.”