Team Minot First sergeants provide for a spirited holiday

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Christopher A. Owen
  • Minot Air Force Base First Sergeants Council
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Team Minot First Sergeants invited more than 150 Airmen and their families to the commissary here Nov. 17 to receive a variety of donated food items for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The selected Airmen were nominated to the First Sergeant council by their supervisors.

Donations included turkeys, hams, stuffing, gravy, desserts and more.

Master Sgt. Chris Owen, 5th Civil Engineer Squadron First Sergeant and event co-lead, explained the event was a culmination of several efforts.

A base-wide food drive began in late October and sought to collect all the typical "fixins" for a Thanksgiving meal, such as cranberries, canned vegetables and other non-perishable items. Senior leaders from across the base also helped the cause by donating numerous turkeys, various meats and nearly $1,500 to support the effort.

In addition, the base commissary vendors were also notified of the initiative, and several donated other foodstuffs like cookies and crackers. In total, approximately $8,000 worth of food was amassed for Team Minot families.

"What an inspiration to see the entire team come together in support of our Airmen-- the officers, enlisted, civilians, contractors...everyone!" Owen said.

Master Sgt. Simon Fontaine, 791st Missile Security Forces Squadron First Sergeant and acting council president stated, "In the spirit of the holiday season, we tried to not only give our families the essentials, but to give them a fun and personable event for everyone."

"We greeted our guests and provided cocoa with a variety of delicious snacks provided by our key spouse network (led by Angie Folds from the 91st Operations Group)," Fontaine added.

Master Sgt. Marissa Morrison, 5th Medical Group First Sergeant and event co-lead, mentioned this was the second year the First Sergeant council has partnered with the Defense Commissary Agency to host this event.

The commissary team: Corey Swartwout, Gayle Lowther, Kendall Kenny, Jennifer Fontaine and Tracy Holdway-- all proved instrumental in supporting the initiative, all while undergoing major facility renovations in order to provide the families a unique shopping experience without the associated cost.

Fontaine reiterated the age-old military tradition of "supporting our own" and how initiatives like this personify the Air Force and Minot civilian community's tradition of caring, as made evident during last year's historic flood.

Owen said the Thanksgiving event is definitely a highlight for the First Sergeants, but also reminds everyone that the installation food pantry needs to stay stocked year-round to discretely support any Team Minot members in a time of need. A donation container near the checkout aisles at the commissary is available for those who wish to donate.