Holiday Greetings Program to visit Eielson

  • Published
  • By Compiled from staff reports
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  It may be a bit early to pull out the tinsel and pine cone wreaths to begin decorating for the holiday season, but it is time to get ready to participate in one of the most popular video segments in America during the holiday season.

An Army and Air Force Hometown News Service holiday greetings team will set up from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 24 at the base theater. The team will record individual 10 to 20-second greetings for the holiday season aimed at family and friends back home. Anyone with a family tie within the U.S. and its territories are eligible.

Lt. Col. Derek Dill, 354th Fighter Wing Inspector General, said that the Holiday Greetings Program is a useful and precious tool to greet family and friends, share with his fellow Americans what an honor it is to serve them as a member of the Armed Forces, to draw attention to the fact the U.S. military is comprised of military families and of course, and of course, to enjoy the thrill of 15 seconds of fame.

"This is a way to reach out not only to family and friends, but also to the American people. It allows me to foster a very personal connection between the United States Military and the American populace," said Colonel Dill. "The program permits me the opportunity to remind Americans that the armed forces are comprised not only of military members, but of military families and that the spouses and children are also providing a vital service to their nation. And since I have such a large family, it allows me to truly draw attention to this point."

Here are a few guidelines to make sure your greetings are seen by family and friends during the holidays:

· Service members need to wear their duty uniform. Family members need to be with their sponsor, unless their sponsor is deployed. If that is the case, the family member should mention that fact in her or his greeting.

· Family information is vital. Names of family members, their relationship to you, their street address, city, state and ZIP Code, as well as phone number needs to be included. Stations often let family members know when the video will be aired, and in some cases, will interview the family for extended coverage. If you have family in a different area, you can fill out a second card and send a greeting to that area as well.

· Try to break away during off-peak times during the day to conduct your interview. The team will normally be in an area throughout the day, so try to avoid the "rush" times of lunch and after work.

· When in front of the camera, reading a script is not necessary, but it may be helpful to take a moment to plan out what you'd like to say. The main points to get across include your name, your family members' names, where you are stationed and who you'd like to send the greeting to: "I'm Staff Sergeant John Williams with my wife Kathy and sons Kevin and David stationed in Heidelberg, Germany. We'd like to say seasons' greetings to our family and friends in St. Louis. Hi Mom, Hi Dad. We love you, miss you and hope to see you soon."

Video and audio greetings are packaged according to geographic areas, normally by state. In large states like California, Texas, Florida and New York, stations will get greetings based upon region. Stations normally air the greetings throughout the holiday season, from Thanksgiving through New Years. Your greeting will normally play more than once throughout the holidays, and usually on more than one station.

All service members, their families, as well as DoD civilians, who will be outside of the U.S. during the holiday season are encouraged to participate.

For more information, contact the 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office at 377-2116.

Rich Lamance of the Army & Air Force Hometown news Service contributed to this story.