Family of deployed Airman lights Christmas tree

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Megan E. Acs
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Altus Air Force Base held a tree lighting ceremony at the Wings of Freedom Park, Dec. 1, 2014.

For more than 30 years, Altus Air Force Base has started the holiday season with a tree lighting ceremony, usually with base leaders lighting the tree. For the past two years, family members of deployed Airmen have been able to light the tree due to a focus on caring for families, one of the priorities of the 97th Air Mobility Wing Commander, Col. Bill Spangenthal.

"I truly believe that our commander stands by the values of Mission, Airmen, and Family," said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rowena Ennis, 97th Force Support Squadron Readiness NCO. "Letting our deployed families know that they are important and not forgotten during the holidays gives them the sense that their sacrifice is appreciated."

The spouse was chosen for her involvement in the community, as well as her husband's frequent deployments.

"She does a lot for the spouses on base.  Even with her husband constantly gone and two young boys at home, she still finds time to serve the spouses on base," said Ennis.

With all her hard work in the community, she stood out as the lead candidate to light the tree.

"To get to light the tree, and to represent deployed families is an honor," said the spouse of a deployed Airman as her two little boys entertained themselves with cookies and candy canes.

In a few weeks, the couple will have been married for seven years, and of those seven years, her husband has been deployed for three Christmases.

"Every time he misses Christmas, he misses our anniversary too, and my birthday and Thanksgiving," said the spouse.

Not only does her husband miss out on holidays, but he misses out on a lot of time with his children during these deployments.

"One of my sons is three. And my husband has been gone twice in his lifetime. So, he's been deployed for almost half of his life. Every time he gets back, they have to get to know each other again," she said. "The first time my husband deployed, I was actually pregnant. He came home three weeks after our son was born, and they met for the first time in the Lawton airport."

Despite the challenges that come with separation, the spouse does her best to tackle all the challenges that come with raising two young children on her own.

"I feel like a single parent. I'm the sole decision maker for the majority of, or sometimes a full year at a time. It is a lot of pressure to make sure everybody is happy and healthy, and to play both the roles of mom and dad," she said.

Others too recognize the difficulty family members face while their loved one is deployed.

"I think it's important we remember our deployed members around the holidays because it's our responsibility," said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jeff Gideon, FSS superintendent. "They're not here, so we have to take care of their loved ones while they're gone. And while we can't fill the void of them being gone, at least something like this ceremony brings a little bit of home to them."

The spouse also expressed that she thinks Altus does a good job of catering to the families of Airmen, especially in times of separation.

"I think they do their best, and they do a good job of listening and paying attention to our needs and suggestions. I think that's important," she said. "We appreciate the community, and the community should appreciate each other. We're all in this together."

The spouse also said that having positive distractions, such as the tree lighting, help boost the morale of not only herself, but her children as well.

"Throw a ball or a bounce house at them and they're happy. It shows them that good things can happen while dad is gone. Life goes on and we try to keep things as normal as possible," she said. "But it's nice for my children to be recognized for their strength and commitment to their dad, and for their sacrifice."

The spouse was eager to show her support for her husband and his career, and said that he was happy to hear of their participation in the tree lighting ceremony.

"Anything that makes my boys happy makes my husband happy," she said. "And we want him to know that we're with him every step of the way. We love him every step of the way."