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Deployed families share food, fun

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jon LaDue
  • 43rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  A dinner for families of deployed members was held June 24 at Woodland Park and included free food, games and even prizes. 

The event was sponsored by Bonnie McDonald, wife of 43rd Airlift Wing Commander John McDonald, and the Airmen and Family Readiness Center. Many families of deployed members and Phoenix Spouses were in attendance along with many children which served the purpose of a family oriented event. 

Traditionally, spouse's dinner are dubbed just that ... for the spouse. This quarter's dinner had a more family oriented theme because deployed loved ones affect the whole family, not just spouses. 

Mrs. McDonald acknowledged that taking care of the home, bills, going to work and taking care of children can be an extremely difficult time while spouses are away. Events like the dinner for families of deployed members can work to ease the tough times.
 
"Even if everything is going along smoothly, it wouldn't be at all unexpected to get frustrated or overwhelmed from time-to-time," said Mrs. McDonald. "Having events specifically for the families of deployed members will, I hope, Help to ease some of the stress they may be feeling and provide a pain-free way to reconnect with other families in their squadron." 

Mrs. McDonald wants all families of deployed members to know that the squadron of their deployed family member is their family as well. 

"Hopefully these events will make a difference for the families by showing that they're remembered, cared about and help them feel less alone," she added. 

Many commanders, chiefs and first sergeants attended the dinner and interacted with the families. Mrs. McDonald hopes that seeing wing leadership there will make families more comfortable with expressing any problems or concerns they may have and make them feel like they too are a part of the unit. 

"Everyone involved in the event wants to make a positive difference in our families' lives and the theme of the "military family" was evident; we're all here for each other," Mrs. McDonald said. 

"One of the best things about the military is your military family, the friends you make who are there through good times and bad. Granted, to some extent, we're stuck with each other through those times, but, that's often how you discover wonderful, and often life-long friends you may never have met otherwise," Mrs. McDonald added.