Story of a devoted mgr&a coin I'm proud of!

[Trosclair4]

With deployment taking place all this month,I work for Aafes( Gov military store,for the soldiers&families),well when soldiers deploy our store mgr always takes snack bags to each flight going out,no matter what the time of day or night it is she is there to see them off.

With my husband deployed this month,I figured not only to help out passing time to find things besides my job to help pass the time he is gone,I asked our mgr if she needed help,she can always use extra hands.Even though they don't allow any family on the airfield when they are deploying.....Aafes employees are allowed there to hand out stuff,well I was there in the cold(very very cold)night air to see my husband off on his flight to Iraq,while handing out the Aafes snack bags.

My mgr would then let me know what time the next deployment would be leaving so to help her hand out the bags(no matter the cold or the rain my friend and I were there for each one to help).

Last Friday afternoon,I helped my mgr load up the company truck with these bags and headed to the airfield with her,we waited inside the airfield for the only 4 deploying that afternoon,handed the bags and went back to the store,she informed me there was another flight due to leave that night at 2130.

When we were to meet up at the store my friend and I awaited the mgr to arrive,when she did she informed us that she was unable to make this trip to the airfield with us asked us to take the company truck and see to it that each soldier leaveing was given a bag a little something before boarding the plane,and to make sure to tell each them goodluck and thank you,as well as return home safe.

My friend and I got to the airfield walked in carring crates filled with bags of snacks for the soldiers,as we sit the crates down and exlained to them why we were there we were told the flight boarded early,one of them called to a higher up and was told they could drive the crates to the plane and give them to the soldiers aboard,we waited the car returned carring our crates still full of the bags......the plane door had just shut as they pulled up.

My friend and I was very disappointed as well as hurt they had to board eary and missed recieveing a bag,it was very cold and raining very hard,we left the crates with the soldiers in charge asked them to please see to it the next flight leaveing at 3am recieve a snack bag before boarding.

My friend and I headed back to the truck and was pulling out when a high up(Gold star)walked up to the truck and we lowered the window to see what he needed,he handed us both a coin,triangle in shape with the flag as background and with words reading......
"52nd Ordnance Presented For Excellence"
He then thanked us both and told us he was proud of us for our devotion of seeing the soldiers off as well as showing we cared about what the soldiers are doing.

We then told him"No thank you and our soldiers"

When we told our mgr she was also very proud and very happy for us,but like us was sad that the flight left early and they did'nt get a snack bag just a little something extra before leaveing.

I know some won't think its a big deal of how we felt or what it was like seeing the soldiers off but to be there and to see the many soldiers aboard the flight out of this country and off to war,really makes a difference as well as how you see things.

For many of the soldiers leaving none have family here when leaving,so for them its a heart welling site to see someone caring enough to see them take off and to say the simple words of "Thank You stay safe and return home"

[brown eyed girl]

What a wonderful show of support . Keep up the good work. You will be blessed to serve in such a manner.

[Free Man]

Thank you!

[Squid]

Leaving on deployment is never easy. Doesn't matter if it is by plane or ship. Thanks to you and your co-workers for making it a little bit easier.

Regards,
Squid

[Class of 69er]

Aww, that's a great story! Well done.

[natural]

May God bless you all.