What began as a simple request to provide Christmas stockings to the military members in Baumholder's Controlled Monitoring Area turned into a community project that brought on- and off-post organizations together for a common cause.
Lt. Col. John Motszko, CMA commander and 16th Special Troops Battalion Commander, asked Vicki Walters, a Baumholder family member, if she could arrange to have Christmas stockings prepared for the service members who had to spend their time in the CMA during Christmas and she agreed.
Military members returning from Operation United Assistance in West Africa spend 21 days in the CMA to ensure they have not been infected with the Ebola virus.
Walters first turned to the children and families of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who readily agreed to help.
During the Church's Christmas gathering the children, snipped, trimmed, cut and pasted until the plain brown paper bags were transformed into decorative holiday stockings. The bags were then filled with chips, peppermint sticks, crackers, lollipops, mints and a variety of candy bars.
To supplement this cornucopia of goodies, 20-dozen chocolate chip cookies and 22 loafs of pumpkin bread laced with chocolate chips and walnuts were also prepared.
"We want these service personnel to know they are appreciated and thought about this Christmas," said Walters.
Supplies for the project, and some of the snacks to place in the bags, were donated by the Baumholder Post Exchange.
The Baumholder Red Cross also donated some items and the high school art class cut out snowmen that were used to decorate the stockings. Numerous military spouses pitched in to help and there were even contributions by organizations from the Ramstein Air Base community.
"I hope the Christmas stocking bags that were made with so much love and appreciation for the job our military members are doing will bring a smile to their faces and a little joy in their hearts this holiday season," said Walters.
"We also want to remind everyone that CMA operations will be ongoing for some time. We want to support not just those members who will be spending Christmas in the CMA but all others who will be passing through the CMA in the coming months," said Walters.
If anyone would like to make a donation they may drop off their goodies directly at the CMA operations center.
The military members currently in the CMA, mostly U.S. Marines, also received Christmas cards recently and were treated to Christmas carols by the Baumholder High School chorus.
There will be more Christmas caroling when the paper bag stockings are delivered on Christmas Eve.
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