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Landstuhl Regional Medical Center senior noncommissioned officers turned out with coffee cups in hand Nov. 21 to help the United Services Organizations and Defense Commissary Agency create a traditional opportunity – the creation of Thanksgiving baskets for the families of junior NCOs and enlisted Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines in the ranks.
With the donation of supplies from various vendors and generous individuals, 454 food baskets were made in what had to be a record 15 minutes.
Bags, which had been lovingly decorated by Department of Defense grade school children, enhanced the sense of care that each NCO came to share in. The orderly lines formed by the NCOs and the industrial production of the baskets did not diminish from the pride with which each bag was filled.
Command Sgt. Maj. William H. Oneal and Sgt. Maj. Scott D. Neal were seen with the company first sergeants and at least 100 Kaiserslautern Military Community Center NCOs, elbowing and pushing their way into position early on to get a hard working location.
Their team spirit and enthusiasm set an example for the rest of the NCOs who arrived to share in the work load. This leaning forward attitude and the outstanding support provided by the USO and DECA staff helped to not only produce the bags in record time, but also to keep things clean, orderly and fun.
The coffee, pastries and breakfast burritos made by the USO team also created an event that not only put smiles on the families who were the beneficiaries but on the faces of the NCOs who came to be a part of decades of tradition.
The USO have organized the event for the past 11 years with sponsor, supporter and volunteer donations. Connie Tallon, the Vogelweh Commissary director, also worked with the commissary vendors to ensure the items went into each Thanksgiving bag. In addition, she coordinated the logistics of the delivery and distribution of the items necessary for each bag.
At the end of the day, only 400 bags had enough donated by the vendors and the event was in jeopardy of coming up shy 54 baskets.
But Elizabeth Nelson of Command Sgt. Maj. Richard D. Jessup’s staff came forward to make a huge donation of her personal funds to pay for the final 54 bags.
Command Sergeant Major Jessup and his staff also stayed the entire time to distribute the baskets to families.
(Courtesy of LRMC)
