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Airmen get chance to broadcast their holiday greetings

  • Published
  • By Rich Lamance
  • Army & Air Force Hometown News Service
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  It may be a bit early to pull out the tinsel and pine cone wreaths to begin decorating for the holiday season, but it is time to get ready to participate in one of the most popular video segments in America during the holiday season. 

An Army and Air Force Hometown News Service holiday greetings team will set up from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 20-21 at the Turumi Lodge pavilion. The team will record individual 10 to 20-second greetings for the holiday season aimed at family and friends back home. Anyone with a family tie within the U.S. and its territories are eligible. 

There are a few guidelines to make sure greetings are seen by family and friends during the holidays: 

· Servicemembers need to wear their duty uniform. Family members need to be with their sponsor, unless their sponsor is deployed. If that is the case, the family member should mention that fact in her or his greeting. 

· Family information is vital. Names of family members, their relationship to you, their street address, city, state and ZIP Code, as well as phone number needs to be included. Stations often let family members know when the video will be aired, and in some cases, will interview the family for extended coverage. If you have family in a different area, you can fill out a second card and send a greeting to that area as well. 

· Try to break away during off-peak times during the day to conduct your interview. The team will normally be in an area throughout the day, so try to avoid the "rush" times of lunch and after work.
· When in front of the camera, reading a script is not necessary, but it may be helpful to take a moment to plan out what you'd like to say. The main points to get across include your name, your family members' names, where you are stationed and who you'd like to send the greeting to: "I'm Staff Sergeant John Williams with my wife Kathy and sons Kevin and David stationed in Heidelberg, Germany. We'd like to say seasons' greetings to our family and friends in St. Louis. Hi Mom, Hi Dad. We love you, miss you and hope to see you soon." 

Video and audio greetings are packaged according to geographic areas, normally by state. In large states like California, Texas, Florida and New York, stations will get greetings based upon region. Stations normally air the greetings throughout the holiday season, from Thanksgiving through New Year's. Each greeting will normally play more than once throughout the holidays, and usually on more than one station. 

"Every year I hear great stories about folks back home who call everyone they know when they see their family members on the news," said 1st Lt. John Ross, 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs. "Our families are really proud of us - let's give them a chance to brag a little." 

All servicemembers, their families, as well as DOD civilians, who will be outside of the U.S. during the holiday season are encouraged to participate. For more information, call 784-5800 or 784-4044.