Thanksgiving: A time for family, friends

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. James M. Hodgman
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  Thanksgiving Day has long been a family holiday where friends and loved ones gather together and remind themselves of all the things they're thankful for. For those who serve their country in the armed forces, many times Thanksgiving is celebrated in a deployed location without the company of loved ones.

After missing their fair share of Thanksgivings, two Offutt Airmen are planning to make this Thanksgiving as memorable as possible.

Senior Airman Rachel V. Price, a food service apprentice with the 55th Force Support Squadron, plans on boarding a flight with her husband and one-year-old son on Thanksgiving Day. Their destination is South Carolina, and they'll be spending the holiday with friends and family for the first time in two years.

"We are arriving on Thanksgiving Day, eating dinner, going out to meet friends that night, celebrating our niece's second birthday and spending time with my husband's wonderful family," Airman Price said.

Spending Thanksgiving with friends and family is something Airman Price said she hasn't always done.

"When I was in college I would sometimes skip going home for certain holidays and ended up regretting it," she said. "Now that I no longer really have the choice of just picking up and going home whenever I want, I really wish I wouldn't have taken those times for granted."

However, Airman Price said she's not taking anything for granted any more, especially since she started planning this holiday trip more than a year ago.

"I actually bought the plane tickets for my husband's birthday and surprised him with this trip home to see his family," Airman Price said. She also bought tickets to see the South Carolina Gamecocks, her husband's favorite college football team, play their rival, the Clemson Tigers Thanksgiving weekend.

Her husband has never seen the Tigers play the Gamecocks so he's really looking forward to the game, Airman Price said. "When I gave him the tickets he was speechless and claimed I was the wife of the decade."

Another Airman with the 55th FSS will be making the cross-country trip to spend Thanksgiving with his family in New York for the first time in four years.

"My wife and I decided to go home for Thanksgiving for two reasons," said Senior Airman Timothy R. Shafer, a storeroom clerk for the 55th FSS.

"First we recently had our first baby and most of the family hasn't seen him yet," Airman Shafer said. The other reason for the Shafer's to go home is that Airman Shafer's younger brother, Airman 1st Class Douglas Shafer, recently completed Air Force technical training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and will be home for the holiday as well.

Airman Shafer said knowing how often Airmen deploy, he wanted to make sure he saw his brother for Thanksgiving, especially since this could be the last time he sees him for a long time.

Spending time with family is what the holidays are all about, Airman Shafer said. He also stressed that all Airmen who are able to spend time with their families during the holiday season should take the opportunity.

"I would encourage all Airmen who can spend time with their families to do so," Airman Shafer said. "Nothing can really ever replace spending time with family or loved ones - that is what the holidays are all about."

Although the Price and Shafer families won't be using the nation's roadways to travel to their Thanksgiving destinations, many people will.

Since many Airmen will no doubt travel great distances to spend time with their families for the Thanksgiving holiday, safety should be an important consideration, as Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the most dangerous times of the year.

"Nationally during the Thanksgiving holiday period in 2008, 389 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents," said Tech. Sgt. Larry A. Ebell, a ground safety technician with the 55th Wing Safety Office. Of those fatalities, Sergeant Ebell said, 231 resulted in crashes at night and more than 60 percent of the victims weren't wearing seatbelts. Another 156 people died from crashes during daylight hours and 40 percent weren't wearing seatbelts.

There is no excuse for anyone not to wear seatbelts, Sergeant Ebell said, especially servicemembers.

"The roads are full of travelers rushing to their destinations, which makes this holiday one of the busiest and most dangerous on the roads," Sergeant Ebell said. Furthermore, for military personnel, seatbelt use is a Department of Defense requirement.

Sergeant Ebell also stressed Airmen must have a plan during the holiday season to ensure they stay safe on the nation's roadways.

The first thing Offutt servicemembers should do prior to making a long trip is complete a Travel Risk Planning Systems report, Sergeant Ebell said. He also stressed personnel under 26 should fill out an Offutt Form 29B.

By filling out the form, military members must think about the time of day they plan to leave, how much sleep they will get the night before and whether or not they've planned enough time for breaks during their trip. "This will help them make smart travel decisions," Sergeant Ebell added.

Sergeant Ebell also recommended members of Team Offutt tell a friend where they are going, as well as the route they plan to take, check weather and road conditions before leaving and visit state highway or Department of Transportation Web sites for road maps and current road conditions.

Staying safe so people can enjoy Thanksgiving with friends and family is the ultimate goal, Sergeant Ebell said. One of the best ways to stay safe is by utilizing Operational Risk Management, he added.

"Whether you're deep frying a turkey, hanging Christmas lights from the roof or traveling across the country, ORM is an essential step in the preparation and execution of a safe and happy holiday," Sergeant Ebell said.

To make a TRIPS report, visit https://crcapps2.crc.army.mil/TRiPS/af/login.aspx.

For more information about traffic safety, call the 55th Wing Safety Office at 294-6357. Members of Team Offutt can also visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Web site, at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/.