Thanksgiving in Afghanistan looks like any other day during a deployment. You certainly are not spending the day with all of your family and friends. While the DFAC does a good job, it's not exactly like your Mom's home cooking. What makes this day special during a deployment is the way Soldiers come together to celebrate and give thanks.
It's getting the rare opportunity to spend time with a family member who is also deployed, having a brief respite from work or getting the chance to spend some extra time on the play station. Soldiers of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade spent this Thanksgiving doing just that.
For husband and wife Sgt. Dustin Messer and Sgt. Megan Messer, this year's Thanksgiving Day was a rare opportunity to spend some time together. Dustin is assigned to A Company, 96th Aviation Support Battalion, 101st CAB and Megan is assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st CAB. Although they both are stationed in Bagram Airfield, with constant mission changes and work requirements, they seldom get the chance to share a meal.
"We are thankful that we get to spend Thanksgiving together," Said Megan. "We won't be able to spend Christmas together but at least we get to be together today."
Staff Sgt. Jessica Thompson, a medic with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st CAB mops the floors of the Aviation Clinic as her Thanksgiving Day shift comes to an end. She has given her the Soldiers a day off giving them an opportunity to get some much needed down time. As 1900 approaches, Spc. Stephanie Clark, Spc. Brandon Landon and Spc. Farryhn Stanley trickle into the clinic to have Thanksgiving dinner with their NCO.
"The nice thing is that they waited for me to get off so we could have Thanksgiving dinner together," said Thompson. "We do everything together, we are like a family."
Knowing that they would have Thanksgiving day off, the medics took time the day before to decorate the clinic for the upcoming holiday season. "Decorating definitely boots our morale," said Clark. "It makes us happier and gives us a sense of pride and family."
Over on the flight line Spc. Joseph Gordon and Spc. Tony Gerald of A Company, 96th Aviation Support Battalion indulge in a quick game of Play station 3. The Forward Armament and refueling point has been quite so they are taking advantage of this down time. A first deployment for both they were pleasantly surprised to see how the day was celebrated.
"I was not planning on everything that was done for us." said Gordon. "Between the dinner and decorating it felt more like being at home then being away."
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