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| CMP Staff made over 178 personalized Christmas ornaments for those members of the 200th Red Horse Squadron that will be deployed.
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While many of us are layering ourselves in warm clothing, mittens, and heavy winter coats while complaining about the weather dipping to a ghastly 0 degrees outside, the CMP North Staff at Camp Perry, Ohio recently focused much of its attention on the 200th Red Horse Squadron, which is also located at Camp Perry. They are undergoing intensive training as they prepare to embark for an area where temperatures range as high as 125-130 degrees. Six members of the 200th Red Horse Squadron deployed to Southwest Asia on December 15th, while another 172 await deployment in January, 2005. Their mission will involve several engineering and construction projects for the U.S. forces and their allies. Upon receiving word that Red Horse members would deploy shortly before and after the holiday season, members of the Civilian Marksmanship Program staff decided to do something special for Squadron members and the families they will leave behind for at least six months.
CMP Programs Associate, Kathy Williams, and Administrative Assistant to the DCM, Sheri Judd, thought long and hard about what the CMP could do to show their appreciation and support for the Red Horse squadron and their families. Starting out as a mere idea, the CMP ended up hand-making over 178 personalized Christmas ornaments.
“To show our support for the family members and friends of those that are deploying, this was really just something small that we could do,” Williams commented, “this is just a token of our gratitude to the men and women who sacrifice so much for all of us.” Williams is very familiar with how military deployments affect families since her son, SGT Charles Elliott, is in the Army’s 95th MP Battalion in Iraq in a unit that has spent considerable time in Fallujah.
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| CMP Employees Christie Sewell, Stan Halstead and Tamara Limestahl work on putting the finishing touches on the ordaments. |
Williams and Tamara Limestahl, CMP Competitions, obtained the necessary glass ornaments and supplies for the project, with funds supplied by the CMP. Williams and several CMP co-workers spent over a week printing out pictures, cutting, gluing, and assembling over 178 flat glass ornaments for the deploying squadron and their families. The ornaments are made of pre-cut ¼” glass with a hole and gold cord at the top for hanging purposes. They came in various shapes, such as hearts, ovals, and rounds. Pictures of the 200th Red Horse members were cut to the appropriate shape and affixed to the glass. “2004” was then inscribed on the front of the ornament with an 18-karat gold-leafing pen. A signed Christmas card and personalized label accompanied each ornament.
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| CMP staff members, Christie Sewell and Kathy Williams explained what the CMP is and why its staff members wanted to do something special for those being deployed. |
On Saturday, December 11th, the 200th Red Horse’s Christmas party was held at the Camp Perry Clubhouse. The entire banquet hall was filled from end to end with Squadron members and their families. CMP staff members, Christie Sewell, Tamara Limestahl, Kathy Williams and Sheri Judd attended the party to hand out the ornaments. They spoke to party attendees explaining what the CMP is and why its staff members wanted to do something special to support deploying military personnel. They were presented with a white rose and Certificate of Appreciation from the Squadron.
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| CMP staff members, Christie Sewell, Tamara Limestahl, Kathy Williams and Sheri Judd handed out the ornaments at the 200th Red Horse's Christmas Party.
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The gesture by the CMP staff was affirmed when Squadron members and their families took time to offer their thanks to the CMP for such thoughtfulness. “It’s nothing compared to what they are doing for all us,” Sewell declared.
For more information about the 200th Red Horse Squadron go to http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/
agency/usaf/200rh.htm. |
