Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Aron Taylor | From the left, BU1 Albert Amos, YNC Terrance Mumphery, CMD Chad Brooks, CMDCM Mark...... read more read more
ROTA, Spain - The holiday season is always a hard time to be away from family and loved ones, but for the deployed Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1, this season was just a little easier thanks to the folks of Operation Gratitude.
According to their mission statement, “Operation Gratitude seeks to lift morale and put smiles on faces by sending care packages addressed to individual soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines deployed in harm’s way, to their children left behind, and to veterans, wounded warriors and first responders. Operation Gratitude care packages contain food, hygiene products, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation, all wrapped with good wishes of love and support.”
The idea for having packages sent to the battalion came form Personnel Specialist (PS) 2 Kenneth Gates. While at a previous command PS2 Gates had received a package from the organization and it greatly impacted his morale. So it seemed fitting to him to order packages for everyone deployed over the Christmas season.
Packages began arriving a few days after Christmas, and troops began lining up outside the postal office to see if theirs had arrived yet. Happy recipients could be seen walking around with boxes marked with the Operation Gratitude’s logo, people peering into one another’s boxes to see what everyone had gotten. It was like a widespread Christmas morning that extended over the course of a few days. The packages took most by surprise and uplifted spirits within the command.
“It was cool to receive an unexpected gift. It really brightened my spirit, and all of the candy has begun to make me fat”, Steelworker Second Class Bryan Long shared.
PS2 Gates said, “I hope this event helps someone to remember this for their future, and I hope they will do something like this for their peers. I am just thankful there are groups out there willing to take time out during their holidays to remember the troops by sending in packages and packing boxes to be sent out.”
All in all the experience is one they troops of NMCB 1 will not soon forget. It’s given them a small break from the mission at hand and is all due to the thoughtfulness and time of a group of people willing to put action to their concern for the troops.
| Date Taken: | 01.07.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 01.07.2013 08:58 |
| Story ID: | 100042 |
| Location: | ROTA, ES |
| Web Views: | 210 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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