Trees for Troops returns to Fort Drum bringing holiday cheer to Soldiers, families

FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Dec. 1, 2023) -- Soldiers and family members across the 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum arrived early outside The Peak on Dec. 1 to choose from 500 free Christmas trees during the annual Trees for Troops program.

Spc. Thomas Aguigu, with 2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, said he was first in line because he didn’t want to be late for work. He met up with his wife, who works at Guthrie Ambulatory Health Care Clinic, to pick out the perfect tree.

“We’ve been married for nine years, and we’ve been doing this (Tree for Troops) for eight years now,” he said. “Every year, we pick out a new ornament to put on the tree.”

Representatives from the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation and the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers organized the event and helped distribute the trees.

“This is our way of giving back, and our way of spreading holiday spirit with Soldiers,” said Sgt. Shamela Perera, Fort Drum BOSS president. “Giving away free trees really means a lot for the whole community, so we try to do our best to help them out.”

Perera said that some of the BOSS members will pick out their own trees at the end of the day, but she has plans to help a friend with hers.

“She’s coming to pick out a tree and I’m going to help her get it into her room in the barracks,” Perera said. “I’m very excited to decorate the tree with her today.”

The Trees to Troops program has delivered more than 290,000 trees to military families in the U.S. and overseas since its inception.

“The Spirit of Christmas Foundation started this in 2005 with five military bases and now it’s grown to over 90 military bases, to include 26 Army installations,” said Kirk Davis, Fort Drum FMWR Marketing chief. “Fort Drum has been part of it for a number of years, and we are thankful to them for hosting this.”

Each tree was tagged with an opportunity for community members to embrace the season of giving in a new way.

“Instead of throwing the trees out or taking them to the transfer station, we’re asking people to donate them to us afterward,” said Jacob Ball, a fishery biologist with the Environmental Division’s Natural Resources Branch. “We’re going to use them to build a fish habitat in Indian Lake and some of our other bodies of water.”

Ball said this will make a great present for anglers next year.

“Christmas trees make great fish habitats, and they can drastically improve the fish populations,” he said. “This will increase our recreational fishing opportunities at Fort Drum.”

The tree distribution continues from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 2 for Soldiers (E-6 and above) and all DoD ID cardholders.

For more information, call (315) 772-7864 or visit www.facebook.com/DrumFMWR.