JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Col. Tyler Schaff, JBA and 316th Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Ezekiel Ross, command chief, have a holiday message for the Joint Base Andrews community:
First and foremost, Chief Ross and I would like to wish every single member of the Joint Base Andrews family Happy Holidays.
Celebrating the 2020 holiday season has already proven difficult as we must continue to make every effort to remain vigilant in enforcing social distancing and safety procedures to protect against COVID-19. Everyone who has the opportunity to safely celebrate the holiday season with loved ones is encouraged to do so. If you are fortunate enough to celebrate the holidays at home in the company of your loved ones, we ask that you take time to think about our deployed Airmen and their families who miss them. As many of you know, a number of our medical personnel have deployed to help with the COVID-19 surges in North Dakota and Texas; we want to thank them for their readiness when our fellow Americans are in need.
We are grateful for all of our service members, civilians and contractors who have answered our nation’s call, and support JBA’s no-fail missions. Your commitment to readiness and resiliency this year during a global pandemic that has challenged us on a daily basis is appreciated more than you know. It is humbling to see what you have been able to accomplish. The talent, intelligence, energy and innovation you demonstrate in working to achieve goals in support of JBA’s missions make us proud and honored to serve as leaders of this installation.
Please know that we want to celebrate the season with you. You and your families deserve to experience moments of festive cheer this month, and we are doing our best to provide those during this unprecedented time. The Chapel will be holding Christmas tree and Menorah lightings on Dec. 4; these can be watched virtually via the Joint Base Andrews Facebook page. Another event is the holiday parade routed through base housing, which is scheduled for Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. Your participation is highly encouraged. We hope these events bring you some joy and make your children smile.
We also encourage you and your families to show kindness and generosity toward our fellow Americans throughout the holiday season, whenever possible, as many Americans have suffered this year. The warm spirit members of our base community demonstrate can make a tremendous difference in the lives of others. We wish each and every one of you Happy Holidays, good health and all the best in 2021.