Christmas with the Wings of Destiny

You've got mail — 1 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Richard Candelario, B Company, 96th Aviation Support Battalion electronics technician carries packages out of the Task Force Destiny mailroom for delivery to Soldiers at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan on Christmas Eve. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Dun... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Hard Core Hellcats — 2 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – 1st Sgt. Ronald Schlangen, first sergeant, Capt. Bimi Hoxha, commander, and Sgt. Bradley Rentz, repair and upkeep noncommissioned officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade take a moment to pose for a photo after ru... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Run Hard, Hang Loose — 3 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

A Unit that Runs Together, Stays Together — 4 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from D Company, 6th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force Shadow, pose with Soldiers from E, 6-101 after the 'Jingle Bell 5k' run at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan Christmas morning. The two Soldiers from E, 6-101 ran the race ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

All He Wants to do is Dance — 5 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. 1st Class Jesse Willett, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade air space command and control noncommissioned-officer-in-charge, dances in the hallway of the 101st CAB headquarters building on Bagram Airfield, Afgha... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

One Team, One Meal — 6 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Sisters in Arms — 7 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Dhayana Spinks, signal support systems specialist, and Pvt. 1st Class Boginskaya Battle, medical operations specialist, with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade pose for a picture after lunch at the Kolle dining ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The Intel Says Everything is Good — 8 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Amanda Bryan, brigade intelligence officer and Sgt. Maj. Crystal Turner, brigade operations sergeant major serve Christmas lunch at the Kolle dining facility on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan on Christmas day. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Duncan Brenn... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

What's for Lunch? — 9 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Patricia Lipke, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade air movement request officer-in-charge peers around a fellow Soldier to see what is being served during the holiday meal at the Kolle dining facility on Bagram... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions — 10 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Troy Cunningham, property book office noncommissioned-officer-in-charge, and Staff Sgt. Nelch Princivil, mobility noncommissioned-officer-in-charge with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade get served during the h... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Helping Hands — 11 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Warrant Officer 1 Roberto Bonilla, all source intelligence technician, Master Sgt. James Bushner, brigade human resources noncommissioned-officer-in-charge, and Master Sgt. Korey Carter, brigade automations noncommissioned-officer-in-charge Headquart... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Comrades Become Family — 12 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Remembering During the Holidays — 13 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Excited about Guard Duty — 14 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Jason Coon, avionics maintenance supervisor dances while he and1st Sgt. Brad Smith, D Company, 6th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, first sergeant conduct pre-combat inspections and checks prior to assuming guard duty at the helic... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The Commander Takes Over — 15 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. J.D. Sauer, commander, D Company, 6th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Tim Evans, production control officer, D, 6-101 mark equipment in the production control office near the helicopter flight line on Bagram... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - With Christmas in full swing here in Afghanistan with the Wings of Destiny, the Soldiers are physically here, but their hearts are at home with their Families and friends. With the holidays bring many traditions some of which find their way into life even when thousands of miles separate Soldiers from their Families.

"Traditions, whether in Afghanistan or at home, whether physical or intangible, are real and they are important," said Col. Paul Bontrager, commander, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade. "They give us our humanity, they define us as individuals and Families, and they strengthen our ability to withstand adversity and difficult times.

The distance between Soldiers and their families during the holidays has always been tough to endure, especially in times of repeated deployments. In this season, the traditions that the Wings of Destiny shares with its Soldiers and Families is the bridge between worlds and a way to communicate love and togetherness in spite of the distance.

"I would like to thank you for your continued support of this great and wonderful unit," said Command Sgt. Maj. Harold Plattenberg, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade command sergeant major. "The support we have at home is an uplifting spirit that words cannot describe as we see it in the eyes of our Soldiers."

Christmas with the Wings of Destiny

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