Kunsan dreams of white Christmas

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Sonny Cohrs
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  While the weather outside was "frightful," Kunsan's annual tree lighting ceremony Dec. 16 was very "delightful" for the men and women of the 8th Fighter Wing.

With the first significant snow fall of the season, the Wolf Pack gathered to give thanks and reflect on the blessings of the year before lighting the Christmas tree. Following traditional carols by the chapel choir, Santa Claus arrived in an Air Force fire truck to hand out gifts to a few lucky boys and girls who were visiting their parents stationed here.

The event was hosted by Kunsan's Company Grade Officer's Council, with logistical support from the 8th Civil Engineer Squadron and 8th Communications Squadron. Six-year-old Natalie Evans, daughter of Maj. Michael Evans, 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron commander, flipped the switch and officially lit the tree.

"CE did all of the installation of the lights and the electrical work," said Capt. Jacob Leck, 8th CES operations flight commander. "The CGOC provided the hot chocolate and emcee, we had the combined chapel choir and COMM did all of the communications equipment for the event."

To pay for the event, the CGOC hosted a fund raiser where friends and co-workers could bid money on their favorite elf. The winners, or maybe losers, with the most votes had to wear an elf costume during the event. The money raised paid for hot chocolate, prizes for the winners of the holiday card contest and gifts delivered by Santa.

"I think the event went very well. The best part was to see Natalie's face light up when the tree lit up," Leck said. "The CE side of the house breathed a huge sigh of relief when the tree was lit."

Leck said even though he has been away from home a lot, this is the first time he's actually missed Christmas with his own wife and children.

"I think for us in CE it was great because we had our Christmas party right after," he said. "For me, it was a good realization that we really are a family here. This close-knit wing and the way we do things here allow us to realize that, yeah, we miss our families, but we have a support network here."

Kunsan, known as one of the Air Force's last "warrior bases," typically means a one-year unaccompanied tour. This means members are assigned to the base without their families. Master Sgt. Brigida Hendrix, the NCO in charge of the 8th Force Support Squadron's Airman and Family Readiness Center, stressed the importance of looking out for one another over the holidays.

"This is the time of year we need to pay particular attention to each other," she said. "If we see someone not having a good day ... then we need to ask them how they're doing. It's important that we all stick together because we don't have family here; have dinner, go out, go to the movies. There are a lot of things to do at Kunsan to stay busy. The friends we make here will be friends for life."

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