737th Training Group members elf it up

  • Published
  • By Dona Fair
  • 37th Training Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas --  During the holiday season, members of the 737th Training Group took time out of the busy training schedule to spread holiday cheer at Grayson Square Health Care Center, which provides extended-stay nursing care to seniors with varying levels of disabilities in San Antonio.

Since 1999, members of the training group have made it a tradition to give facility residents a present during the holidays. This year 84 residents gave their Christmas wish list to the training group.

Staff Sgt. Jenny Jones a military training instructor with the 737th Training Support Squadron was this year's project organizer
"This was my first year to participate in this project," said Jones. "It makes me feel very blessed for what I have and makes me very happy that we can give to others who don't have as much.".

As trainees from the 323rd Training Squadron Drum and Bugle Corps played Christmas songs, volunteers from the base passed out the presents and talked to the residents Some of the residents began to cry upon receiving their present,.

"It's very heartwarming to give gifts and to share the holiday spirit with people who really appreciate our coming here and the folks here just really seem to enjoy it," said Dr. Laura Munro, 737th Training Group Training Director. "We've been coming here for a number of years now and folks just get excited and we get excited too because they get a chance to hear some music, see the military people and have some folks bring them some nice presents for the holidays."

Carmen Castillo, activity director for the Grayson Square Health Center worked with Staff Sgt. Jones to plan the event.

"This is something that happens every year and it just touches our residents--they really love it," said Castillo. "It makes me feel wonderful. I am so glad to see their happy faces, some of them even cry and that is really touching."

"This is just so special that our military is able to spend time giving back to those people that we protect every single day," said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Greenwood, commander of the 323rd Training Squadron. "In this season we think of our Airmen but we also think of those people that we protect and it is just neat that we are able to get our people out and share a little bit of happiness with them over the holidays and bring them some gifts and help them get through this season by spreading a little joy and doing it military style."