Santa Makes An Early Stop in Iraq

By Spc. Angie Johnston

Staff Sgt. Andrew Scott (left) of Waukesha, Wisc, receives a Christmas tree that was donated to the Special Troops Bn, 3rd Inf. Bde. Combat Team, 25th Inf. Div. by Operation Christmas Tree on Dec. 9, 2008. Operation Christmas Tree donated a hundred of the two-foot live trees to the Kirkuk-based battalion. Photo: Special Troops Bn, 3rd BCT, 25th ID

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, KIRKUK, Iraq - Jolly old Saint Nick has a lot of places to go during the holiday season, spreading Christmas cheer from his sleigh all over the globe. He heads to Brazil, where they call him Papai Noel and go to the beach to celebrate his visit; he stops off in Australia where, rumor has it, he gives his reindeer a break and puts eight white kangaroos to work in their place. In France, kids put empty socks by the door hoping he'll fill them with goodies while they're sleeping.

Does Santa stop in Iraq, though? It's not very reindeer-friendly, after all - so where are deployed Soldiers getting their Christmas cheer?

The Soldiers of the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division learned that the spirit of Christmas doesn't have to come directly from Santa Claus - there are people out there who like to step into the man-in-red's shoes to make sure all the bases get covered.

Operation Christmas Tree (OperationChristmasTree.com) is a non-profit organization dedicated to filling Santa's shoes as best they can -- they send real, living Christmas trees to Soldiers deployed all over the world.

It all began when James and Betty Ward's daughter was deployed to Afghanistan. The Baltimore, Md., parents wanted to make sure that she wasn't missing out on Christmas just because she was half a world away. They sent their daughter a two-foot tall tree and the idea of spreading holiday cheer took wing; soon, they were sending as many trees as they could to deployed service members.

A tiny snowman adorns the top of a two-foot Christmas tree which was donated to the Special Troops Bn, 3rd Bde. Combat Team, 25th Inf. Div. Operation Christmas Tree donated a hundred of the small, live trees to the Kirkuk-based battalion's Soldiers this year. Photo: Special Troops Bn, 3rd BCT, 25th ID

Operation Christmas Tree has brightened the Holiday Season for the Special Troops Bn. by sending a hundred trees for the Soldiers to share and enjoy. Lt. Col. Christopher Stenman, the battalion commander, scattered the trees throughout his battalion to make sure that every Soldier had the chance to benefit from the kindness of people on the other side of the world.

Special Troops Bn. Soldier Spc. Sterling Molby, a Brainard, Minn. native, was astonished at the kindness of strangers. "It was nice of the people back home to help us celebrate Christmas; it's great to know that people still have us in their thoughts and prayers during the holiday season," said Molby.

"Considering the fact that no Christmas trees grow out here, it's nice that people help us remember home," said Spc. Ryan Munson of Milford, Penn.

It turns out that Santa Claus does stop in Iraq, after all.