For troops, cards and care packages bring a touch of home to Christmas

For troops, cards and care packages bring a touch of home to Christmas
By LAURA RAUCH
Stars and Stripes
Published: December 24, 2011

FORWARD OPERATING BASE PASAB, Afghanistan — Even in the dust and grime of war in Afghanistan, the yuletide spirit takes hold.

Most holidays here come and go without fanfare; missed birthdays, anniversaries, and other personal milestones are more difficult. But for many soldiers, being away from their families at Christmastime is a little tougher still.

For some of the younger soldiers, it’s the first Christmas away from family; some of the older ones haven’t made it home in years.

“This holiday season will be is extremely difficult for our soldiers due to separation from family and engaging in a war that will not stop for Christmas,” Battalion Chaplain Capt. Omari Thompson of Miami said.

“We are still fighting a tough fight, we are still taking casualties,” he said.

His unit, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, serves on the front line of combat operations in Regional Command-South and has suffered the brigade’s most casualties for the deployment.

“I am a soldier who is struggling during this holiday season as well,” said Thompson, who will be missing his wife and four children. He has an especially strong bond with the soldiers he serves, having helped so many of them cope with the loss of their fellow infantrymen.
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