Deployed McConnell Reservists, 90th EARS leaves lasting stamp on community

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Marissa Tucker
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Nothing says "holidays" like St. Nick and his time-honored red apparel. Children at a local school in Adana for hearing impaired students knew exactly what time it was when he arrived--party time.

More than 30 Airmen deployed with the 90th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron here decided to spread their holiday cheer beyond Incirlik as the organized a holiday party for children at the Seyhan Isitme Engellier Ilkogretim Okulu (Seyhan Hearing Impaired Primary School) Dec. 27.

The group arrived at the Seyhan School to greetings from about 25 excited children in their party attire ready for a good time with the Airmen. Many shared hugs with some familiar faces and led them in a hall where the school holds programs and assemblies. It took the Airmen no time to get in and begin decorating for an evening of New Year's fun with the youngsters.

"Every time people from the base come to visit, the children get so excited. They have been waiting and getting ready all day for this," said Ayse Unal, a volunteer at the school. "Things like this make them feel so special."

An ongoing tradition in the 90th EARS, a unit composed of Airmen deployed to Incirlik from various bases, is for Airmen to throw a New Year's party for all the children at the Seyhan School. This year, the group's efforts went beyond their normal soirée.

"We talked to the teachers at the school and learned that a few of the children could use some gifts like clothes and shoes," said Chief Master Sgt. Richard Dawson, 90th EARS superintendent from McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. "We collected almost $1,400 and got some shirts and shoes for 15 of the children there."

In addition to those gifts, soccer balls and other toys were donated to the school to help boost the morale of the children there. Master Sgt. Rosalba Zapata, 90th EARS Personnel Support for Contingency Operations team chief deployed from Mildenhall Air Force Base, England, said volunteering at the school for events like these provide much more than material things.

"We try to come here weekly and do activities with the children like arts and crafts or games, and it does more than just occupy their time," said Zapata, who helps arrange the visits. "We're not strangers to the because they see us regularly and know that we have good intentions."

Face painting, music, games and an abundance of sweets were on the agenda for the night as both children and adults communicated and shared jokes and stories without spoken words. A different kind of holiday celebration for some but the events was well received by many in attendance, including the volunteers.

"This is my first holiday away from my family every, said Senior Airman Sarajo Danis, a boom operator with the 90th EARS also from McConnell. "This just gives me an opportunity to be a part of the community, even on a deployment. It's pretty different from my normal holidays, but I am glad to be here."

Throughout the night, the room was filled with energy form both volunteers and children who learned holiday traditions from each other such as a Turkish new yeas tradition of a cake full of sparklers to American line dances. The part hit home for some members of the 90th EARS who are accustomed to being away from family during the holidays.

"This will make my fifth Christmas away from my wife and kids, and while it doesn't get any easier, I enjoy being here with the kids seeing them experiences the holidays," said Tech. Sgt. Steve Peterson, an aerospace propulsions technician with the 90th EARS, who is also from McConnell. "We had several squadron events for the holidays, including visiting children in the hospital, so we're staying involved in the community while we're here and encouraging others to do the same.

"When we go to the hospitals, we do silly things to make the kids laugh. We sing, we really do anything to get them to smile, said Zapata. "They call it joy therapy. It just helps the kids feel better emotionally so maybe their condition will improve."

Member of the 90th EARS are planning several more visits and projects at schools and hospitals during their tour at Incirlik. So far, the current group has not only volunteered time at several facilities, but also provided water heaters, painted study rooms and has plans for a mural outside of a school for autistic children in Adana.

When asked why the squadron continues to stay involved in the community although their operations tempo is very high, Lt. Col. Erik Vitosh, 90th EARS commander, simply answered,

"When you see the look in the children's eyes when they opened their gifts or you simply come spend time with them, you truly begin to understand what small acts of kindness mean to them. That, in itself, is reason enough