boxinggiftsforothers

Aspiring Writers Christmas 2007 Edition

Boxing Gifts for Others

Boxing gifts for others.

Polar Bear Santa

Sailors and Marines prepare 10,000 Holiday Gift Boxes

28 November 2007

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Edward N. Vasquez

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. FIFTH Fleet Combined
Maritime Forces

BAHRAIN– Dozens of Sailors, Marines and Department of
Defense civilians showed their support for forward-deployed
service members this holiday season by volunteering to help fill
gift boxes at Naval Support Activity Bahrain Nov. 27-29.

Navy Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) has teamed up with
several corporate sponsors to provide gift packages to forward-
deployed Sailors and Marines in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of
responsibility (AOR).

“We are expecting to send about 10,000 boxes to our Sailors down
range in the 5th Fleet AOR,” said James Shipp, a representative of
Commander Navy Installations Command (CNIC) with Forward
Deployed Forces from Millington TN.

The gifts will be delivered by Naval and Air Force air assets to
Sailors deployed to Kuwait, Djibouti, Fujaireh, Al Udeid, Bagram,
Bagdad and the oil platforms. Many of theses boxes will then be
delivered to outlaying forward operation bases in each country.

“This reminds our Sailors with boots on ground and at sea that
other people know they are out there doing dangerous jobs, in
many highly volatile areas,” said Master Chief Cryptologic
Technician (SW/AW) Dale K. Arnold, U.S. 5th Fleet Command
Master Chief.

Sailors at sea will also be the recipients of gift boxes. In
conjunction with CNIC, the Bahrain volunteers are also packaging
10,000 T-shirts to be delivered to afloat Sailors in the next few
weeks.

“The process has been in the works since April or May and the
pallets started to arrive in August,” said Shipp. “Over the last two
months, they have been coming in from the states, and today we
are assembling them.”

Along with the gift boxes, 110 fresh-cut live trees will be delivered
to deployed Sailors. The trees were donated by an Indiana grower
and cordinated by the Christmas Spirit Foundation, Chesterfield,
MO.

“I think there will be a significant impact on the holiday spirit from
all of these people helping out,” said Senior Chief Master at Arms
(SW) Robert Beffa of Naval Security Force, Bahrain. “I certainly
think that this will help the morale of the Sailors. If you look
around this gymnasium, it’s full of people with smiles on their
faces because they are helping out. I just wish that I could see the
faces of the people who are going to receive these boxes.”

Master at Arms Seaman Apprentice Aaron Harold Delbeaux with
Naval Security Force, Bahrain Harbor Patrol Unit was one of the
many volunteers helping out.

“It’s pretty good coming out here; we have a lot of volunteers. I
personally just wanted to help out. It’s got to be hard for the guys
over there,” Delbeaux said.

“Numerous corporate sponsors have donated thousands of pounds
of merchandise to ensure that Sailors who otherwise may not have
an opportunity to celebrate during this holiday season are able to
have some gifts under their proverbial tree,” Arnold said.

Photo - Service members from Naval Support Activity, Bahrain
help to fill holiday gift boxes to be distributed to forward deployed
Sailors in the 5th Fleet area of. Dozens of Sailors, Marines and
Department of Defense civilians showed their support by
volunteering to help fill 10,000 gift boxes that will be hand-
delivered to Kuwait, Djibouti, Fujaireh, Al Udeid, Bagram, Bagdad
and the oil platforms. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication
Specialist 1st Class Edward N. Vasquez.