Airman sent home for the holidays

World-wide Jeep giveaway

winners announced in the KMC

Senior Airman Jason Geddings, a system administrator for the 435th Mission Support Squadron, has convinced the judges why he should be home for the holidays – he departs today to spend more than three weeks with his family in Mississippi.

Airman Geddings won a round-trip ticket home as well as a weekend in New York City with a $500 shopping spree in the AAFES Home for the Holidays essay contest.

According to Roy Mair, sales manager for Exchange New Car Sales, this is the fourth year for the contest.

The contest judges included Lt. Col. Erik Daiga, U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern commander, Lt. Col. Peter Ellis, 431st Air Base Group commander, and AAFES general manager Timothy Buckley.

“There were so many worthy candidates with compelling stories to tell,” said Colonel Ellis. “Airman Gedding’s story had a little bit of everything though and was the most worthy winner.

“Talk about your tough decisions,” he continued. “I’d have sent them all home if I could write a check that big.”

In the essay, Airman Geddings wrote about the financial burdens he has incurred in setting up a home for himself and his new wife. His family in Mississippi was affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and could not help in paying the travel costs. In addition, this is the first Christmas his brothers will be able to make it home because of their deployment commitments in the Army.

Airman Geddings will spend 22 days at home before returning to Ramstein, where he has been stationed since May 2003.

Additionally, four winners were recently announced here in the Jeep Jamboree Rubicontest.

Vicki Dreyer, a dependent from Baumholder, along with Airmen and Soldiers from England, Korea and Iraq, each won a trip to the annual Jeep Jamboree near Lake Tahoe, Nevada next summer – where one person will win a 2006 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.