News>46th Ops bring Christmas to local families in need
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1st Lt. Jason Sutherlin, of the 413th Flight Test Squadron, places gift bags for a family in need Dec. 15 at Bruner Middle School. Squadrons from the 46th Operations Group adopted 14 needy families from the school and provided them with food and gifts for the holidays. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
Maj. Robert Tournay, Capt. Donald McCaffery and Capt. Doug Oltmer, of the 46th Weather Flight, set out gifts for their adopted family Dec.15 at Bruner Middle School. Squadrons from the 46th Operations Group adopted 14 needy families from the school and provided them with food and gifts for the holidays. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
Senior Airman Adam Phair and Airman 1st Class Charles McClung, of the 46th Operations Group, finish wrapping gifts for their adopted family Dec. 15 at Bruner Middle School. Squadrons from the 46th Operations Group adopted 14 needy families from the school and provided them with food and gifts for the holidays. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
Chief Master Sgt. Robert Boyer, from the 46th Operations Group, checks out Joltan Williams’ new remote control corvette Dec. 15 at Bruner Middle School. Squadrons from the 46th Operations Group adopted 14 needy families from the school and provided them with food and gifts for the holidays. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
The 46th Test Wing’s operations group adopted 14 needy families from Bruner Middle School and provided them with food and gifts for the holidays. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
12/19/2011 - EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Airmen of the 46th Operations Group made the season a little brighter for 14 local families in need Dec. 15.
The group's squadrons and staff along with Bruner Middle School adopted the families for the holidays and provided food and gifts for them. The families were identified by the school's guidance counselors to be in need and the only prerequisite was the children must have good grades. This was the second year the group adopted families.
"It was very small event last year with a few families and it happened quickly," said Chief Master Sgt. Robert Boyer, 46th OG and event coordinator. "This year, we asked all the squadrons to be involved and they overwhelmingly responded."
Overwhelming is the right term to describe the amount of bags, wrapped presents and bikes that were brought into the school. Each family came into the school library and met with squadron Airmen and received their gifts.
Emotions took over when the families saw the bounty of goods the squadrons provided - hand-shakes at the beginning were upgraded to hugs by the end.
"They did such a great job with these gifts," said Emilio Cordero, Bruner's guidance counselor and 27-year military veteran. "There's no question, these families are very appreciative."
The 46th OG participants were: 413th Flight Test Squadron, 46th Test Squadron, 46th Flight Test Squadron, 780th Test Squadron, Weather Flight, 46th Operations Support Squadron, Operational Flight Program Combined Test Force and 46th OG staff.
