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305th AMW leaders, spouses honor families with holiday event

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Dennis L. Sloan
  • Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Members of the 305th Operations Group and 305th Maintenance Group hosted a holiday celebration Dec. 3 at Dock 1 for Airmen and families of the 305th Air Mobility Wing.

The spouses of 305th OG and 305th MXG Airmen planned and organized the event.

"The two groups provided facilities, support and manpower to host this event, but the spouses were the organizers and ultimately the executers," said 1st Lt. Michael Lewis, a C-17 Globemaster III pilot.

The holiday celebration falls in line with the Air Forces' dedication to Comprehensive Airman Fitness. The social pillar of this program is designed to develop and maintain trusted, valued friendships and foster good communication, including exchanges of ideas, views and experiences.

"Caring for our Airmen and their families is something we really try and integrate not only into after-hour events, but with the day to day duties as well," said Col. John Roscoe, 305th OG commander. "The ops tempo is high right now, so whatever we can do to bring the stress level down on our Airmen is a main priority."

Hosting a party in the holiday spirit seemed to do just that.

"Anytime we have an event where all the servicemember has to do is show up and have fun, you can't beat that," said Lt. Col. Jimmy Shaw, 305th OG deputy commander.

The 305th integrated their dedication to the mission, Airmen and their families into the holiday party.

Dock 1 bustled with a variety of activities for families and their children such as: a face-painting station, fishing pond, cake walk, bouncy houses, craft table and football-throw station.

Attendees were immediately introduced to a decorated C-17 when they entered Dock 1. It was decorated as a reindeer and surrounded by decorated holiday trees. A bench was set up underneath the nose of the aircraft so families could take photos.

The C-17 cargo door and ramp were open so guests could explore the aircraft. Children were able to sit in the cockpit and engage with pilots about the aircraft's functions.

"We baked cookies, set-up different stations and had children make holiday bag; so when they leave, they'll have something to carry all their goodies in," said Tina Franklin, wife of Capt. Adam Franklin, 6th Airlift Squadron C-17 pilot. "It's nice to be able to get all the different squadrons together and hold an event like this and show the servicemembers and their families the military really does support them, especially this time of year."

The highlight of the day occurred when Santa made a surprise visit by entering Dock 1 in a Humvee.

Santa greeted the children and made his way to the big red chair inside the C-17, where children requested presents as they posed for photos.

"We bent over backward for the children and I think this event turned out great," said Shaw.

A buffet lunch was available once families took a break from the festivities.

"We wanted to make sure the families know how important they are to us," said Lt. Col. Eric Johnson, 305th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander. "The wing really came together for the families and especially the children. I feel the parents and children had a great time."

The overall goal of the CAF program is to strengthen and sustain a culture of balanced, healthy, self-confident Airmen and their families whose resilience and total fitness enables them to thrive in an era of high-operational tempo and persistent conflict around the world.

"Comprehensive Airman Fitness reflects our commitment to developing a holistic approach to caring for our people. The program equips, enables and empowers everyone to grow more physically, socially, mentally and spiritually fit," said Gen. Raymond E. Johns, Air Mobility Command commander. "It's not another program, but rather a means to enhance mission effectiveness by intentionally investing in one another."

Editor's note:
The other three pillars of CAF include: physical, mental and spiritual. The CAF program also incorporates 5 Cs of positive behavior: care, commit, connect, communicate and celebrate.
The five Cs are meant to provide the behavioral element, focusing Airmen on the five simple behaviors which positively create a sense of belonging.
The Comprehensive Airman Fitness Implementation Plan states, "Through the lenses of the four pillars and five Cs, Air Mobility Command is striving to create and strengthen a community of fit and resilient Airmen, civilians and families. The end state is a visibly stronger, more cohesive network of Airmen, families and civilians."