Holiday greetings program producing more than 7,000 'Hi moms'

  • Published
  • By Michael Tolzmann
  • Army and Air Force Hometown News Service
SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) --  What began as a novel idea to give a handful of infantry soldiers in the Sinai a chance to say "hi" to family and friends back home during the holidays, has been transformed into a program that has thousands of servicemembers from around the globe appearing on TVs in virtually every state and territory in America.

The holiday greetings program, videotaped and produced by the Army and Air Force Hometown News Service, is in its 24th year, providing servicemembers serving overseas during the holidays a chance to send short "hi mom" greetings back home. More than 7,000 holiday greetings have been collect so far this year, with additional greetings yet to arrive from Guantanamo Bay and Iraq, according to Kris Grogan, broadcast chief for Hometown News.

Three teams recently spent 40 days each, encompassing the globe, collecting greetings in Europe, Pacific and Southwest Asia theaters. Additional greetings were videotaped by military broadcasters in the combat zones of Iraq and Afghanistan, and at some remote deployment locations such as Romania. 

Now in the production phase here in studios co-located with the Air Force News Agency, seven broadcast producers are working around the clock, 24-seven, to have the thousands of greetings sent to TV and radio stations throughout the nation by Thanksgiving. Each servicemember's greeting is edited to a 10 to 15-second piece.

The holiday greetings program has grown into one of the most visible Department of Defense broadcast programs. More than 2,300 stations nationally run the greetings during commercial breaks throughout the holiday season.

"We get a lot of positive feedback from the stations.  They always want more greetings," said Larry Gilliam, Hometown News deputy director and "grandfather" of the program.

"The reason why holiday greets are so important is because of the effect they have on the family back home," said Mr. Grogan. "Most Airmen and Soldiers have no idea how much it means to their loved ones who see a greeting aired back home.  I get calls all the time from crying family members saying "thank you" and how it was the best present they ever got. Just being able to see their son or daughter or loved one during the holiday when they couldn't be home with them is priceless."

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