How have you celebrated holidays when away from family - deployed, stuck TDY, or even just unable to get holiday leave?

Cohen Veterans Network — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 15:59:49 -0500

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Nov 17 at 2020 4:07 PM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 16:07:39 -0500

One year I celebrated Christmas with the Army Reserve company that I was going to M O S school phase 1 at, they invited all of those that were there to join in Cohen Veterans Network

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Nov 17 at 2020 4:09 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 16:09:31 -0500

Waited till I finally got home- several Christmases in Jun/Jul.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 17 at 2020 4:11 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 16:11:40 -0500

nearly every year for the last 20+ years I have been at AT on my birthday. I've missed countless birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, etc while deployed. I usually don't even celebrate. I just wait until I get home and have a belated celebration. my last deployment, my wife left the Christmas tree up until I got home in July and we literally ad Christmas in july.

Response by PO2 Cyrus Barberia made Nov 17 at 2020 4:22 PM

PO2 Cyrus Barberia — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 16:22:53 -0500

With friend's

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 17 at 2020 5:18 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 17:18:39 -0500

I never celebrated them really, but usually our platoon Sgt or squad leader would offer lower enlisted who had no where to go, to come join them.. my buddies and I usually just grilled and had a good time on our own..

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 17 at 2020 9:33 PM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 21:33:54 -0500

Went to a planned event, and called family when I knew they'd be available. For the newbies at Sub School in New London, the USSVI was putting on a good Thanksgiving dinner.

Response by SPC Jeff Ward made Nov 18 at 2020 11:33 PM

SPC Jeff Ward — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 23:33:10 -0500

I do everytime im gone.

Response by GySgt H Logan made Nov 18 at 2020 11:56 PM

GySgt H Logan — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 23:56:17 -0500

During Persian excursion, spent holiday on top of tank turret.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Nov 19 at 2020 3:09 PM

SGT Philip Roncari — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 15:09:51 -0500

I celebrated my 21st birthday/Christmas day on the bunker line during a “Christmas truce” Tuy Hoa Vietnam 1966,not much celebration but at least it wasn’t raining!

Response by MSG Randall Rankin made Nov 20 at 2020 7:29 AM

MSG Randall Rankin — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 07:29:20 -0500

After spending most of my career overseas (Germany for 13 out of 24 years) we learned to shift the holidays around the deployments (and still do for the grandkids due to the in and outlaws different schedules). Was not uncommon to have thanksgiving a couple weeks early (or late) and to combine Christmas and New Years (well into the New Year)Remember it's about the meaning of the holiday, not the date!

Response by SPC Tim Hooey made Nov 20 at 2020 1:17 PM

SPC Tim Hooey — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 13:17:45 -0500

THE ARMY WAY

Response by PO1 James Akins made Dec 1 at 2021 3:22 AM

PO1 James Akins — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 03:22:56 -0500

I was with a group of sailors from my ship, we took a bus to an air force base to get some personal items. We checked out the base commissary, each of us bought things to take back to the ship. We found out their were no more buses going back to the ship. There was no housing available for us so we spent the night inside the base gym. It got pretty cold so me and a few others decided to sleep in the sauna to keep warm. It wasn’t bad we stayed warm and that is where we spent “New Years Eve”.