Defenders send sweet surprise to deployed comrades

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Austin M. May
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The 100th Security Forces Squadron is charged with a heavy task - protect everyone and everything on RAF Mildenhall at all times, no matter what.

It's a task they don't take lightly, and they do their job well.

While ensuring the security of Team Mildenhall is a never-ending mission, the Defenders don't overlook another requirement of the job - taking care of each other.

Senior Airman Justin Lassiter, 100th SFS, recently found himself with the opportunity to spread a little holiday cheer - albeit two months after the holiday season - to his fellow squadron members currently serving in the Middle East.

When a vendor from the commissary called and offered the squadron tins of cookies left over from the holidays, Airman Lassiter saw visions of a few small care packages. However, what he received was a bit more than he originally thought.

"They gave us three whole pallets of cookies," he said.

When all was said and done, a group of about 10 volunteers packed more than 60 boxes with almost 1,100 pounds of nonperishable cookies and shipped them out to bases all over the Middle East area of responsibility.

Airman Lassiter said as someone who's been deployed before, little things like receiving cookies can be a big morale booster for a servicemember far from his family and friends.

"It's awesome to get packages, even if they're just random stuff," he said. The Airman recalled a time when his in-laws' church sent him a random care package, and the great feeling he got from the reminder that people, even those he'd never met, cared about him.

Airman Lassiter said Master Sgt. Roger Cleveland, the 100th SFS first sergeant who is currently deployed to Southwest Asia, received the bulk of the cookies and was asked to distribute them to both his Airmen and anyone else in the area.

"I just got the cookies today," the deployed first sergeant said March 5. "I sent word out asking if anyone wanted them, and got a bunch of responses from first sergeants around base."

Sergeant Cleveland said receiving the cookies, while great, isn't what has the biggest impact on deployed servicemembers.

"It's that someone took the time to send them," he said. "Security forces [Airmen] are awesome. They take care of each other and they take care of the Air Force."

More than just Airmen will receive the cookies, Airman Lassiter said. At least one Army unit in Afghanistan was sent a package as well.

From the Middle East to RAF Mildenhall, the time put in by volunteers was appreciated by everyone involved.

"Thanks to the 100th SFS and Airman Lassiter for putting this together," Sergeant Cleveland said from his deployed location. Airman Lassiter passed the thanks on to those who helped the effort.

"Everyone who worked on this project did an excellent job, and the effort is definitely appreciated," he said.