HomeNewsArticle Display

Tinker families celebrate Valentine’s Day, remember deployed members

  • Published
  • By Brandice J. Armstrong
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Valentine's Day came early this year for nearly 150 people at Tinker who have a family member that is deployed or who will deploy later this month.

Tinker Airman and Family Readiness Center personnel hosted a special Valentine's dinner Feb. 2 for families.

Held in the fellowship hall of the base chapel, children of varying ages dined on Italian cuisine, colored, stuffed goody-bags and made Valentine's Day cards for their deployed family members. Center staffers later mailed the Valentine's Day cards to the deployed family members.

"I really just want to tell you how much we appreciate the sacrifice you all make, especially the moms and the dads whose spouses are gone for an extended period of time," said Col. Herb Wesselman, 72nd Mission Support Group commander. "It's a sacrifice that those of us in uniform don't really understand while we are focused on the deployed mission."

Cole, one of the youngest in attendance at a year old, didn't understand the commotion around him. As he munched on snacks and drank from his sippy cup, his mother, Liz, who works in the 72nd Aerospace Medical Squadron, said she thought the dinner might be worthwhile and a change of pace.

Her husband and Cole's father, a technical sergeant with the 507th Air Refueling Wing, is stationed at Guam for a temporary duty assignment. He left three days after Christmas, missed Cole's first birthday and is scheduled to return in March.

But, Alexis and Amber didn't waste any time getting to work. After scarfing down the food provided by Primo's d'Italia restaurant in Midwest City, they rushed to the arts-n-crafts room.

"We're making crafts for our dad," said Alexis, 11, as she decorated her large white card. "He's been gone since December and is supposed to be gone five months."

Amber, 7, nodded in agreement, as she drew a heart with a black crayon on her red construction-paper card.

Their father, a master sergeant with the 552nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, is deployed to Curacao.

"It was a very nice dinner and it's nice to get out and network with other spouses," said the girls' mom, Jennifer, who is assigned to the 72nd Medical Group. "And, the kids are enjoying it. Plus, they get out and get to meet other kids going through the same thing."

The event was sponsored by the American Red Cross, which gave funds for dinner; the Camp Fire USA and Lakeshore Learning Materials, which provided the materials for Valentine's Day cards and goody bags.