Christmas in Iraq

Its easy to get wrapped up in the Christmas holidays and forget that many brave men and women are spending the holidays overseas, away from friends and family. So while we keep them in our thoughts and prayers, I asked a soldier deployed to Iraq to give us some insight into how Christmas is spent overseas. His take:

"How you celebrate Christmas depends on where you are in Iraq. Some soldiers on isolated outposts live in more sparse conditions, so they don't have many options when it comes to celebrating. Those soldiers at larger bases usually have access to shops and stores at which they can buy decorations. Mostly, we rely on what family and friends mail us. We usually have small Christmas trees because the rooms or tents we're in generally don't have room for a larger tree. To make up for the smaller tree, we have a larger community tree somewhere near where most of us work. We'll also put up decorations whereever we can; the most popular options are usually lights strung along the outside your work area. Of course, fire hazards are always a concern, so tents and other places don't often get lighting. The chow halls are open longer for lunch and dinner on holidays since they usually get crowded. We'll usually get half a day off of work for Christmas and - if lucky enough to swing it - manage to get the whole day off (as long as someone else covers your duties)."