By By Jo Bonner U.S. House of Representatives
As we approach the heart of the holiday season, many of us are looking forward to spending this special time with family and friends and celebrating all that this time means to us. For many families, however, the season will not be as bright, since many of their friends and loved ones continue to serve their country in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other points around the world.
There are many opportunities during this time of year to show support for these men and women in uniform and provide a touch of home during the holiday season. Just a few days ago, WALA - Fox 10 anchor Bob Grip profiled several programs that can assist those of us here at home in getting some holiday cheer to the troops overseas. They are all very worthwhile organizations, and I felt they were worth an additional mention here.
Finally, "Operation Hero Miles" (www.heromiles.org) is a program started by Representative Ruppersberger (D-CA) and members of the airline industry which allows frequent fliers here in the United States to donate their accumulated miles to men and women stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. These service members can then use these miles to fly home on leave to visit their families, friends, and loved ones. Since its creation, "Operation Hero Miles" has been instrumental in providing over 540 million frequent flier miles for our troops stationed overseas.
These organizations are only a small sampling of the many opportunities to show our military that they are being remembered during this holiday season. I would encourage each of you and your families to look for the opportunity that works best for you and provide a little holiday cheer and boost for those who cannot celebrate this season here at home.
My staff and I work for the people of south Alabama. Let us know when we can be of service.
Jo Bonner respreseents the First District of Alabama, which includes Escambia County, in the U.S. House of Representatives.