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Warriors of the North Light up the holidays

Col. Paul Bauman, 319th Air Base Wing commander, and Santa Claus pull the lever to light the base holiday tree outside of the Commissary, Dec. 5, 2013, on Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. The tree lighting ceremony is an annual part of celebrating the winter holiday season on Grand Forks AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Zachiah Roberson)

American Red Cross shows appreciation for Warriors of the North

Judy Green, American Red Cross Regional chief executive officer, presents Col. Paul Bauman, 319th Air Base Wing commander, and the entire base with a community-signed holiday card of appreciation Dec. 5, 2013, on Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. The American Red Cross gave the card in appreciation to what servicemen and women do every day to protect the United States of America. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Zachiah Roberson)

Warriors of the North light up the holidays

Published Dec. 10, 2013
By SSgt. Andrew Helmkamp
319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Airmen and their families gathered at the base commissary here Dec. 5 for a time-honored tradition; the annual tree lighting ceremony.

The 319th Air Base Wing Commander, Col. Paul Bauman, and Santa Claus threw the ceremonial switch.

"I think that it's really important that we have events like this," said Bauman. "It reinforces our Air Force family, and it reinforces the fact that we all have common things that we really enjoy."

After the ceremony guests were invited to the Community Activity Center to warm up, enjoy refreshments and listen to holiday carols performed by children from the base Youth Center. Santa also stopped by to visit with the children and to pose for pictures.

"It's fun because you get to see everybody," said Maj. Johari Hemphill, 319th Logistics Readiness Squadron commander. "No matter what's going on in the day, when you get together at an event like the tree lighting ceremony everybody forgets everything that's going on because they have their kids, they have friends and it gets you into that mindset of Christmas and what it brings."

Judy Green, Regional CEO of the American Red Cross Dakotas Region, also presented a large holiday card signed by Grand Forks community members to Grand Forks AFB Airmen and their families.

"Last year alone we had over 1,100 service men and women and their families that we provided care to in the state of North Dakota," Green said. "So this is our way of saying thank you to you for your service ... to this country, this nation and to all of us that you help protect every day."