Two Kandahar Airmen receive Thanksgiving phone calls from President Obama

  • Published
  • By Capt. Tristan Hinderliter
  • 451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNS) --  Two Airmen deployed here received Thanksgiving-day phone calls from President Barack Obama Thanksgiving evening Nov. 22, 2012.

Senior Airman Khalid O'Neil, 451st Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, and Airman 1st Class Steve Taylor, 62nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, each talked to the president for about five minutes.

"He spoke a little bit about the mission, and he definitely wanted to give everyone kudos for the work we're doing here," said Taylor, an MQ-9 Reaper sensor operator. "He said he's real proud of us."

Taylor, originally from Sherman, Texas, is deployed from Creech Air Force Base, Nev., and has been in the Air Force almost two years. This is his first deployment, and he's been at KAF nearly two months. Taylor has quickly established himself as one of his squadron's top performers, prompting his supervisors to nominate him to receive the call.

"It's a humbling experience more than anything, just to talk to the president as a regular person, and talk about stuff that you're into, and your family," Taylor said. "It was more 'Barack' rather than 'Mr. President.'"

Taylor is a Dallas Cowboys fan, and the two talked a little about sports, he said.

O'Neil, a Security Forces Airman originally from Trenton, N.J., and deployed from Moody AFB, Ga., is a St. Louis Rams fan and also talked football with the president.

Obama, a Chicago Bears fan, tried to coax O'Neil into switching allegiances. O'Neil jokingly said he may instead consider becoming a fan of the Green Bay Packers, the rival of the president's team. The remark ignited cheers and laughter from the crowd of Airmen who had gathered to listen to the exchange.

O'Neil is a Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle, or MRAP, driver. He is part of a 15-person Tactical Security Element that conducts counter-threat operations for KAF. Wing leadership nominated him to receive a call from the president due to his can-do attitude and ability to accomplish the mission under extreme and stressful conditions.

In their short conversation, the president asked about his family and how he was coping with his first deployment.

"That was a pretty cool experience," O'Neil said. "He sounded just like he did on TV. It's not something I will forget, that's for sure."