U.S. airmen who have been deployed from Royal Air Force Mildenhall base in the United Kingdom to other areas get a monthly reminder that they haven’t been forgotten.
The wing staff agencies at the U.S. Air Force’s 100th Air Refueling Wing, which is located on the British base, assemble care packages each month to send a piece of home to their deployed members.
“The goal of these boxes is to remind them that we’re still thinking about them,” said Staff Sgt. Dimas Bernacchia, a financial management technician. “Although they are deployed, they are still in our thoughts and we care about them.”
The monthly event encourages families of deployed members, plus all service members within the wing staff agencies, to participate. Care packages are filled with donated snacks and messages from volunteers within the squadron.
“I think this is a good opportunity for us all to bond together, and do something creative and thoughtful for our members who are deployed,” Bernacchia said.
The care packages are put together with a different theme each month, usually corresponding to a holiday or season, such as “Christmas in July.”