The holiday season serves as the perfect forum to bring people and families together and to be thankful for everything our wonderful country gives to us. According to Edward Winslow, who traveled on the Mayflower, the “first Thanksgiving” happened in 1621 and was attended by 90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims. The tradition of giving thanks has continued and we have many, many things to be thankful for.
One tradition that happens at Fort Carson every year around Thanksgiving is the Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB) Thanksgiving Dinner. Sponsored by the American Red Cross Service to Armed Forces unit at Fort Carson, the event draws military members and their families together to share stories and a wonderful meal.
This year, the event took place on Fort Carson at the Special Event Center on November 22, 2019. There were over 150 adults, service members and spouses, along with 40 children. Each child received an activity bag from the Red Cross and the U.S. Olympic Committee donated Olympic clothing and other items.
Seven volunteers from the Red Cross Service to Armed Forces attended along with two therapy dogs.
In back, Rena Fulcom (L) and Jackie Alliobe (R) Photo: American Red Cross
“Our goal with the WTB Thanksgiving Dinner is to show our appreciation for the sacrifice, service, and commitment that our military members and their families have made to our country,” said Rena Forcum, regional SAF specialist at Fort Carson.
The mission of the Fort Carson WTB is to provide command and control, primary care and case management for soldiers in order to establish conditions for their healing and to promote a timely return to the force or transition as a veteran to civilian life.
Every WTB Soldier receives a detailed comprehensive care plan detailing a plan of action to facilitate medical healing. This plan, in turn, is an integral part of a detailed comprehensive transition plan which addresses medical care, spiritual welfare, behavioral health counseling, family counseling, education, and meaningful, productive employment.
The goal is to transition a healed and trained Soldier back into the Army or to transition a healed, educated veteran to productive civilian life.
The Red Cross Service to Armed Forces program has been supporting service members, their families, and veterans for more than 119 years. If you would like to learn more about the Service to Armed Forces program visit our website, redcross.org/saf. If you want to volunteer with the Red Cross visit, redcross.org/volunteer.