12/18 Fort Campbell Life

A look inside...

Christmas Traditions

Gift Ideas for the Deployed

Hottest Toys this Christmas

Ugly Sweater The Uglier the Better

Finding the Perfect Tree

New Year’s Eve Ideas

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Editor Alex Zapetis

Contributors Dave Marshall

Publisher Creative ink

Creative Director Sears Hallett

Advertising Kristi Williams 270-484-0463 kristi@creativeinktn.com

Photography mixthatdrink.com Deposit Photo pg: Cover, 5 , 7, 11, 22, 25, 30, 32

Hello everyone! My name is Alex Zapetis and I am your new editor! I am so incredibly excited and blessed to be given this opportunity. My family and I are currently stationed here at Fort Campbell, KY. We were stationed at Fort Bliss, TX prior to being sent here.

I recently graduated from Arizona State University and I have two amazing little boys. They are my entire world!

Growing up, I had a huge love for writing and getting to be creative. I am now able to turn that love into informational content for fellow military spouses, and that makes me so incredibly happy. I hope to always produce articles that you all find entertaining and helpful, and I am thrilled to start this journey.

Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday, so it has been a blast getting to work on this December issue for you all. I really hope the gift guides and event information help you this holiday season. Fingers crossed that this December is your best one yet!

Alex Zapetis, Editor alex@creativeinktn.com

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

LIke us and share on Facebook facebook.com/fortcampbelllife

It seems like everyone grew up with a special family tradition enjoyed every Christmas.

Traditions are what make the holidays so magical and unforgettable.

Many times, these important events are passed down for generations. For many of us, these Christmas traditions are what come to mind when we think about time with our family and friends. If you grew up without traditions, it is never too late to start your own!

We asked some fellow military spouses at Fort Campbell what some of their special holiday traditions are, and here are some of the responses we received! It is amazing to see what some families have started and where they were raised.

“We have a Christmas treat day where everyone brings a recipe and its ingredients, then everyone takes home the treats in boxes.”

Alexandria from Illinois “Tacos for Christmas dinner! Usually, we would travel and spend a few days with family and just never had time to prepare a full Christmas dinner. I’m an Army brat, so we travel home for the holidays frequently. Now that I’m married with my own children, we are going to continue this tradition!”

Jessica from Texas “Every year on the feast of St. Nicholas, we put out a shoe. Everybody wakes up to some candy and a new ornament in the shoe! The ornaments are a new theme every year, so while everyone’s is different they all “go together” so to say.”

Bernadette from Louisiana “We go around and view our family’s trees. My grandmother started it and now we carry it on so we can all get together at Christmas. It’s a pretty busy time of year but I always know that I'll see everyone in my family.”

Daniela from Maine “We put numbers on our presents instead of names. A master list is created and then we read off the numbers and names on Christmas morning as they are passed out. This tradition started with my Gramma and continues in our family. Keeps the kids guessing!”

Kassie from Kansas 5

“Our Christmas tradition is hiding the pickle in the tree!

It started when I was a child and now we do it with our four boys. You hide a pickle ornament on Christmas morning in the tree, whoever finds it get a special gift, then the person who found it hides it the next Christmas.”

Nikki from California “We go out and leave ‘Reindeer food’ Christmas eve and look for Santa's sleigh.”

Claudia from California “We buy advent calendars at the beginning of the month.

On Christmas Eve we read “The Night Before Christmas,” bake cookies for Santa, leave carrots out for the reindeer, drink hot chocolate, bake Jesus a “Happy Birthday” cake, and the kids open one present from under the tree”

Kerri from South Carolina “We open one present on Christmas Eve. It is always Christmas pajamas and sometimes slippers. We read the Christmas story, write a letter to Santa, leave him milk, cookies and one bottle of coke.

Trish from California “My grandmother was born and raised in Belgium, so on Christmas Eve we would go to her house and eat homemade Belgian waffles and open gifts with her.”

Melissa from Ohio “My family's Christmas tradition is to be woken up to Ray Charles greatest hits playing and hot cinnamon rolls.”

Amanda from Florida “We always bake Christmas cookies, at least 4 or 5 different kinds.

We hand them out to our closest friends in a Christmas tin.”

Heather from New Jersey “My husband’s family has an extended family get-together where there is a lot of food, a gift exchange, and all the kids get dressed up to play a part in the Christmas pageant while one of the uncles reads the account of Jesus’ birth from the Bible.

There’s usually a baby there to play the part of Jesus, too!”

Rebecca from Washington “On Christmas Eve we all exchange ornaments. The ornament usually have a significance to the events of the year. By the time we all grew up and moved out we had ornaments to decorate our own tree and they all held a significance!”

Katy from California

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Having a loved one deployed during the holidays is always extremely difficult.

Everything about it is tough, including what to get them for Christmas.

Whether your soldier is already deployed or leaving shortly before or after Christmas, here are a few ideas on what to give or send to them this holiday season.

If you have a soldier leaving shortly before or after Christmas some great gift ideas include a Laptop, DVDs, work out supplements, a Kindle, and some great headphones.

Many soldiers find having their own laptops while deployed overseas to be very useful. Having their own laptop allows them to play games, video chat with their loved ones, and also watch movies. This leads into the next awesome present idea which is DVDs. Make sure to gift your soldier some of their favorite classic movies to keep them entertained while they are away. Many stores offer older DVDs for cheaper prices. This makes it easy to go stock up and create a large collection for them to watch for the months that they are away.

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In their down time, many soldiers turn to working out to release some stress and do some self-improvement. This makes work out supplements an amazing present idea.

Pre-workout and protein powder tend to be crowd pleasers.

If your soldier isn’t a big movie watcher, maybe a Kindle will be more their speed.

Having a Kindle will allow your loved one to download and read as many books as they wish when they are away.

Finally, some great headphones would be fantastic for someone heading overseas. Not only will the people around them appreciate the quiet during movie time, but they might help your soldier escape reality for just a bit.

If your loved one is already overseas during Christmas time, it may be a little harder to gift shop because you find yourself limited to what can fit inside a care package. Even though it is harder, you can still make their holiday season great. Some present ideas for this situation include their favorite snacks, a scrapbook, homemade treats, and holiday decorations.

Many soldiers grow tired of the food that they can get while deployed. It is not uncommon for someone to start craving their favorite childhood snacks. You would be surprised about how happy a bag of beef jerky, Ramen noodles, candy, and chips could make someone.

Being separated from loved ones is always the hardest when it is the holiday season. Even though you cannot be together, sending them a bunch of photographs can make things a little easier. Creating a book of photos that is a mixture of new shots and old ones can be an amazing and thoughtful gift.

Getting together with your family and creating those traditional Christmas cookies is a special treat. Snap a few photographs of the process and bag the desserts that taste like home. Even though they are thousands of miles away, doing this can make them feel a little bit closer.

Finally, create some decorations that they can hang around their personal area. Without decorations, sometimes Christmas can truly not feel like Christmas. Spread some holiday cheer and send them little ornaments and crafts that will make them smile.

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We all know that kids can be hard to shop for! Whether it be for a little cousin, niece, nephew, or even your own child, everyone can use some help when it comes to present shopping. Worry no more because we have you covered! We have composed a list of the hottest toys this season to make gift shopping easier.

Chow Crown by Hasbro Who doesn’t love a family friendly game that involves delicious foods? All you have to do is load up your favorite foods into a crown full of spinning forks. Once the music starts and the crown starts spinning, the player tries to eat all of the treats before the tune stops playing.

Pomsies Speckles Plush Interactive Toys The Pomsie is an adorable cuddly toy that tells you its needs by sounds and by its light up eyes! This toy reacts to touch and plays over 50 sounds.

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L.O.L. Surprise Bigger Surprise!

The L.O.L Surprise dolls are back, but now they are bigger and better than before. The ultimate surprise doll still offers the same unboxing experience, but now has over 60 pieces.

Don’t Step In It! By Hasbro Another board game is taking the gift market by storm. This game blind folds the player and forces them to dodge fake poo. Whoever steps in the least amount of poo piles wins!

LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Great Hall Building Kit Build the Harry Potter Great Hall and watch it come to life before your eyes!

This set includes over 878 pieces. The set also includes mini figures of your 10 favorite characters.

Fingerlings Interactive Untamed T-Rex This fierce little dinosaur grips onto your finger and responds to sound, motion, and touch.

Grumblies The main purpose of this grumpy little guy is to make him very angry! Poke, rattle, and roll him! Once he gets really angry he lets you know! Each one comes with their own personality, sound, and design!

PAW Patrol - Ultimate Rescue Fire Truck with Extendable 2 ft. Tall Ladder A great fire truck for your Paw Patrol loving little one. It comes equipped with a 2 ft. tall extendable ladder, mini fire cart, and many different lights and sounds.

Baby Alive Sweet Spoonfuls Baby Doll This precious little doll allows you to mix and create your own baby food to feed them with!

It comes with food packets and blenders to create the babies meal. After meal time it will be time for a diaper change because this little doll also knows how to poop.

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Attention all murder mystery lovers! The Fort Campbell Spouses’ Club will be hosting a “Christmas Murder Mystery” luncheon on Wednesday, December 12th. The event will be held at the Cole Park Commons from 10:30am until 1pm.

This event will highlight the Fort Campbell Stray Animal Facility. The animal facility is located at 5290 8th Street Fort Campbell, KY 42223, which is next door to the Fort Campbell Veterinary Center. Its hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 9:00am-4:30pm and Saturdays from 10:00am-4:00pm.

The Fort Campbell Stray Animal Facilities mission is to get lost pets back home to their families.

They also offer adoptions of many amazing cats and dogs. Check out their Facebook Page to view the many animals looking for a loving home! All animals are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Adoption fees are $75.00 for dogs and $65.00 for cats. All adoption fees include the DAPPL and Bordetella vaccine for dogs, and the FVRCP vaccine for cats. All animals will also be microchipped before being released to their new homes.

The Fort Campbell Stray Animal Facility is open to non-military affiliated families as well.

The facility is always accepting donations. They are in need of cat or dog food, toys, leashes, and treats! Come play Santa for some sweet and kind hearted animals!

Give them a call at 270-202-1036 for any further questions!

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Trees of Christmas Smith Trahern Mansion Clarksville Mon-Fri 9:30am-2:30pm More than 20 trees decorate the rooms of the historic Smith Trahern Mansion during Trees of Christmas. Each tree in this display is designed and decorated by a local club or organization.

Special opening December 2, 2-5pm Gateway Orchestra Winter Baroque Madison Street United Methodist Church - Clarksville • 3pm gatewaychamberorchestra.com Get in the holiday spirit! Join them for another installment of their Holiday tradition featuring Baroque classics, the Gateway Chamber Orchestra choir and the annual sing-a-long

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Sugar Plum Shoppe Heritage Christian Academy - Hopkinsville 3-7pm facebook.com/events/2195477794074211 The 3rd Annual Sugar Plum Shoppe hosted by PTF. Come out for a fun night of shopping with vendors such as Mary Kay, Tudor's Creations, Agnes and Dora, LulaRoe, Norwex, Initial Outfitters, Usborne Books, Scentsy, Paparazzi, Watercolors by Megan Desko, Backyard Chefs, Jones Butch Boutique, and so much more.

Elf Splash New Providence Pool - Clarksville • 10am facebook.com/events/256505061496082 North Pole dwellers like to escape the cold by taking a dip in a heated pool. Join Santa’s helpers to enjoy crafts, swimming, ornament making, face painting and all kinds of holiday fun.

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Music City Winterfest Centenial Park - Nashville • 10am-4pm Sat • 11am-4pm Sun musiccitywinterfest.com Holiday cheer for the whole family. Breakfast with Santa or drinks with friends at the Onesie Brunch! Shop the Holiday Market for unique gifts from Nashville craft artisans, enjoy live music by local performing groups, and treat yourself at the food trucks, s’mores stations, pet portraits, a beard competition, and tons more.

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Handel’s Messiah Nashville Symphony Schermerhorn Center nashvillesymphony.org/messiah Featuring the resounding Hallelujah Chorus, it’s Nashville's grandest Messiah – full of Music City Santa Dash 5k passion, drama and passages of Cumberland Park - Nashville 8am stunning beauty. Celebrate the whatdoyourunfor.com/races/santadash season as your Nashville What’s a better way to kick Symphony & Chorus perform off your Nashville Santa one of the most inspiring works Rampage weekend than with the dash of music ever written. presented by Rhythm Running? It’s Candlelight Christmas Tour sure to be a 5K Jolly Jog! Historic Collinsville - Clarksville • 4-8pm facebook.com/events/798736140517501 Hopkinsville Christmas Parade Experience home and structure with Downtown Hopkinsville •5:15pm • visithopkinsville.com primitive period holiday décor.

The theme of this year’s parade will be Stroll through the earliest Lewis “Songs of Christmas.”Hopkinsville’s House, the Batson Dogtrot House, own singer/songwriter Brice Long will smoke house, church/school be the Grand Marshal for this year’s house, wildlife center, and more. parade. The parade winds south on Main Street through downtown.

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Christmas Open House Belmont Mansion - Nashville • 6-8pm facebook.com/BelmontMansion

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Take a self-guided tour of the mansion decorated for a Victorian Christmas. Music, hot cider and cookies in the Grand Salon make for a festive evening.

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Holiday Fine Art & Craft Show Lake Barkley State Resort Park • 9am-4pm gocadiz.com/event/holiday-fineart-craft-show Quality Arts and Crafts , original , creative and handcrafted items. Indoor Show held at LBSRP Convention Center.

Holiday Parade War Memorial Walking Trail Park - Oak Grove • 5pm visitoakgroveky.com The 2nd walking trail holiday parade will feature mini floats including uniquely decorated golf carts, Oak Grove’s police deparment, local businesses, refreshements and of course a visit from Santa.

Christmas Theatre Events Roxy Regional Theatre Christmas 12/6-12/22 - Miracle on 34th Street 7pm December 6, 13, 20 8pm December 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 2pm December 1, 8, 15, 22 12/3-12/18 - A Tuna Christmas (for mature audiences) 7pm December 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18 Alahambra Theatre 12/11 - The Pilgram Project - Christmas in the Round • 7pm An acoustic duo, violinist Rachel Crick and guitarist Jeff Calhoun.

12/14 - Little River Music Society Christmas Show • 6:30pm Featuring “Gloria” by John Rutter with brass, choir, and percussion.

12/28 - Jaimee Paul • 7pm Jaimee is a vocalist with a voice to span the genres.

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19th Centry Christmas Fort Defiance - Clarksville 3-7pm ftdefianceclarksville.com/schedule-of-events

Come celebrate Christmas as folks did in the 1860s in Clarksville, TN. Santa will be there to read The Night Before Christmas, there will be period refreshments, parlor games, reenactors and carol singing!

December Month-long Events Tour of Trees 1st Baptist Church - Clarksville December 3 - 21 • 10am-1pm A display of more than 30 designed trees. Each tree is adorned with ornaments, ribbons and toppers, and tells the story of Christ through decoration, song and scripture.

A patriotic tree is also designed to honor military veterans.

Christmas on the Cumberland McGregor Park RiverWalk Clarksville • Sun - Thur 5-10pm Fri - Sat 5-11pm cityofclarksville.com Over two million lights in captivating displays illuminate the half-mile walk along the river.

Special crafts, dances, choirs and other activities on December 8 and 15. This free event has become a treasured tradition for residents throughout the region.

Drive Thru Christmas Light Show Clarksville Speedway - Clarksville • Opens at dark clarksvillespeedway.com Each year daily through New Years Day, the Clarksville Speedway lights up the Christmas season!

Over one mile, and over two million lights, from the comfort of your car.

Enjoy the lights and sounds of Christmas.

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This holiday season some families are asking their loved ones to not give their children toys. What might sound bizarre at first, turns out to be a meaningful request. Instead of toys that will end up at the bottom of the toy box by New Years, people are asking for presents that come with experiences. Let me explain!

Having lifelong memories and pictures with the gift giver is something that will outlast any toy. Not only does the gifting of experiences help parents declutter the pile of never-ending toys, but it also allows the child to see and do so many more things. I know for some this idea isn’t possible due to the loved one being far away. If this is the case for you and you want to gift experiences this holiday season, simply allow Santa to do it! I heard he takes photos year round!

If you wish to ask family and friends to do this for your child, there are so many ideas to give them.

If you have a younger child you could ask for tickets to a local zoo, for swimming lessons, or even to see their favorite television show live. With Nashville right down the road, there are so many live shows that are constantly happening.

For older children, tickets to a water park or amusement park would be a fun and unforgettable experience.

An amusement park that is not too far away from here is Dollywood! It would be a great weekend getaway.

More wallet friendly ideas include taking a local paint class together, going to get the child’s nails done, and taking them to their favorite restaurant any time they want! Honestly, the possibilities are endless!

When I look back on my childhood, I can’t remember over half of the toys I received. What I do remember though is amazing trips with my family and friends. Don’t be afraid to try something new this Christmas.

It may be the beginning of some amazing memories!

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Christmas time is filled with festive get-togthers with family and friends.

Make your party special with seasonal cocktails that all your guests will be talking about.

Mistletoe Martini Cranberry Christmas Cocktail 1 1⁄2 ounce vodka 1 ⁄2 ounce elderberry liqueur 1 1⁄2 ounce cranberry juice 1 ⁄2 ounce simple syrup Cranberries Mint leaves Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Pour in the vodka, elderberry liqueur, cranberry juice and simple syrup.

Shake until chilled. Strain into a martini glass.

Garnish by tossing in a few cranberries and floating mint leaves on top.

Coffee Nudge 3

⁄4 ounce dark creme de cacao ⁄4 ounce Kahlua 1 ⁄2 ounce brandy 6-8 ounces hot coffee Whipped cream 3

In order, pour the ingredients into a mug.

Top with whipped cream.

Grinch cocktail 2 ounces Midori 1 ⁄2 ounce lemon juice 1 teaspoon simple syrup

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Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, and pour in all the ingredients.

Shake well until chilled.

Strain into a chilled martini glass.

Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Very Cherry Christmas Drink 2 ounces Cherry Vodka ½ ounce Baileys ½ ounces Chocolate Liqueur Splash of cream Chocolate Syrup Several maraschino cherries Fill a shaker with ice and pour in the vodka, Baileys, the chocolate liqueur, and cream.

Shake well until chilled.

Optionally, drizzle a chilled martini glass with chocolate syrup.

Strain the mixture from the shaker into the glass.

Garnish with cherries on a skewer.

Red Hot Santa Tini 2 ounces chili-infused vodka 2 ounces Godiva chocolate liqueur Cocoa powder Cayenne pepper Sweetened whipping cream One small Thai chili pepper Make the chili-infused vodka first: put a handful of Thai chili peppers into a bottle of vodka and let it sit for 3 days.

Taste it to test the heat level. If you’re happy, you’re done. If you want it spicier, let it continue to infuse for up to 5 days. If it’s too hot now, take the peppers out, transfer to another container, and add more vodka.

Mix some cocoa powder together with a pinch of cayenne pepper, and rim a chilled martini glass with it. Shake the vodka up with the chocolate liqueur and pour the mixture into the glass. Top it off with the whipping cream and garnish by floating the chili pepper on top of the cream

Drink recipes and photos courtesy of mixthatdrink.com 24

Ugly Christmas sweater parties seem to be all the rage the past few years. Many stores sell them, but who wants to spend $30 on a sweater that is only worn for one night? Doing a DIY ugly sweater is not only a lot cheaper, but you also have the ability to make it as cute or as ugly as you please!

Many stores like Walmart sell cheap and plain sweaters. The first step of this ugly sweater DIY is to pick one up that is a size larger than your normal size. Having a tight sweater might make it more difficult for your decorations to stay on throughout the party.

The next step is to head to your local Dollar Tree for your decorations!

The Dollar Tree has so many cheap things to glue onto your sweater!

Some ideas include:

A Simple Stocking One of the easiest DIY sweaters is to hot glue one of the fabric stocking to your sweater! This DIY is cheap but still festive!

A Tinsel Tree The Dollar Tree sells so many different kinds of colored tinsel.

Simply glue the tinsel to your sweater so that it resembles a Christmas tree! You can also add small ornaments to your tree by gluing those down also!

Big Bow Top For anyone that is wanting to go the cuter route for this sweater party, then this one is for you! We have all seen the large glitter bows that the Dollar Tree sells. Simply glue the large bow down on the middle of the sweater and you’re done! Glitter and bows are always a hit! Add more bows to make it even more festive!

The Super Lazy Sweater In a major time crunch and can’t even make it to the Dollar Tree? Simply write “This is my ugly Christmas Sweater” on your plain sweater.

Add a few stick drawings of Santa for an extra touch. The point is for it to be ugly right?

Tree Skirt Top Ruffle tops are a big trend right now, so why not make your own with some festive tree skirts! Just layer them around the sweater and glue them down! It is so simple!

If there is ever a time to have a DIY fail, an ugly Christmas sweater party is it! Go out and have some fun. The sky is the limit. Wear your sweaters with pride and have a blast at the party!

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Trees for Troops is a foundation that gives military troops and their families freshly cut trees for the holidays. Trees for Troops has provided more than 208,000 fresh, farm-grown Christmas Trees to all branches of the military. More than 70 military bases are involved in this wonderful event.

This year’s Trees for Troops event at Fort Campbell will be Saturday, December 8th. It will take place at the South Sports Complex parking lot. Trees will be given out from 9:30am till 1:30pm for Junior Enlisted soldiers and their spouses. As of 2pm soldiers and their spouses of any rank can claim a tree. A military ID will be required.

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One of the best things about the holidays are the unforgettable events that come with it. Luckily, we have the USO to keep our days full of Christmas cheer! Come out and join us for six days full of memorable fun!

The week long extravaganza will begin on December 9th and ends on December 14th.

Each event will take place at the Fort Campbell USO located at 6145 Dessert Storm Ave. The week kicks off on Sunday, December 9th with the 1st Annual USO Holiday Concert.

The concert will feature the 101st Brass band and Ben Cesare. Come grab some cookies and cocoa while listening to your favorite carols too! The concert will begin at 2:00pm.

On Monday, December 10th from 1:00pm to 6:00pm there will be a family craft day.

Families are invited to come make some amazing memories and crafts together!

Next there will be a USO/Gary Sinise Foundation Holiday Dinner. It will be on Tuesday, December 11th from 5:00pm until 7:00pm. Catering provided by Nicoletta’s Catering.

Reservations will be required. Watch the Fort Campbell USO Facebook page for EventBrite information.

Wednesday, December 12th will be the day of The Great Gift Giveaway. This event is for parents only. You will be able to give and receive holiday goodies for your family! It will be held at 1:00pm until 6:00pm and reservations will be required.

Those can be made on the USO Fort Campbell Facebook.

The Little’s Lunch with Santa will be on Thursday, December 13th from 11:30am until 1:00pm. This event is for children and their parents. Lunch will be served and pictures with Santa will be taken! Reservations are required and children need to be 0-4 years of age. Check Facebook for the chance to make a reservation.

Lastly, on Friday, December 14th there will be two separate events. The first one will be from 11:00am-11:30am and will be a USO Storytime with Santa’s Elf! Reservations are required.

Check the USO Facebook page for the EventBrite information. From 2:00pm till 5:00pm there will be a Cookies and Cocoa with Santa event. Families and children of all ages are invited to come meet their favorite jolly man in red!

As with all USO activities, these events are offered as a thank you to our Active Duty/Guard/Reserve Service Members and their dependents and are free of charge.

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For many families picking out the perfect Christmas tree is a yearly tradition. It is a thrilling feeling finding the tree that’s going to hold all of the gorgeous decorations you have planned. Luckily for us, the Fort Campbell area is home to many Christmas tree farms so that you can find the tree of your dreams.

Lazy Spread Christmas Tree Farm 3682 Dailey Rd, Clarksville, TN 37042 Santa's Place Christmas Tree Farm 2169 Dunbar Rd, Woodlawn, TN 37191 Erin’s Farm 7000 Hodges Rd, Cunningham, TN 37052 Kandi Kane Christmas Tree Farm 2950 N Hinton Rd, Clarksville, TN 37043 Hope Christmas Trees 3900 Dortch Rd, Adams, TN 37010 With so many options, you are sure to find an amazing and magical tree this holiday season!

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It is crazy to think that 2019 is right around the corner! For me personally, 2018 flew by!

Everyone wants to ring in the New Year in a memorable way and start 2019 off with a bang.

For many people, New Year’s plans include having a few drinks and watching the ball drop on the television. If you’re wanting to try something new this year, we have some fun new ideas to welcome 2019.

There are so many ways to bring in the New Year!

You can even welcome it by sleeping soundly in your bed!

Just make sure you do something that will start off 2019 in a great way!

No matter what you do, just remember to stay safe and be smart. Do not drink and drive. 2019 needs you!

506th Regimental Combat Team Iraqi Freedom Memorial This monument is to honor the brave soldiers of the 506th Regimental Combat Team of 101st Airborne Division. These great men lost their lives protecting this country during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Operation Iraqi Freedom launched on March 19th, 2003 by President George W. Bush.

The President announced that this operation was aimed to rid Iraq of its dictator, Saddam Hussein. It was also used to eliminate Iraq’s ability to store and develop their weapons of mass destruction. The 2003 invasion of Iraq was led by U.S. Army General Tommy Franks and went by the code-name "Operation Iraqi Freedom". 248,000 soldiers from the United States were deployed to Iraq at that time.

More than 4412 honorable men and women lost their lives in this operation. Some of them were stationed here at Fort Campbell, KY when they gave the ultimate sacrifice. They were a part of the 506th Regimental Combat team.

The 506th Infantry Regiment is an airborne light infantry regiment of the United States Army.

The regiment served with the 101st Airborne Division in World War II. Regimental elements have served with the 101st in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

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In 2004, 1-506th was deployed from Korea to Habbaniyah, Iraq. In November of 2005 they re-deployed to Ramadi, Al-Anbar Province, Iraq, until November 2006.

While deployed, Time magazine described Ramadi during this time as "The Most Dangerous Place."

The 2nd Battalion deployed to Forward Operating Base Falcon in South Baghdad, cross-attached to the 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division from November 2005 until November 2006 under Lieutenant Colonel Gregory Butts.

The world lost some honorable soldiers during the two deployments mentioned above as they paid the ultimate sacrifice. Their names were Lt. Col. Paul J. Finken, Staff Sgt. Marco A. Silva, Sgt. Corey A. Dan, Sgt. 1st Class Gregory S. Rogers, Spc. David S. Collins, Sgt. 1st Class Randall L. Lamberson, Staff Sgt. Michael A. Dickinson, Staff Sgt. Joseph A. Gage, Spc. Dennis K. Samson Jr, Spc. Prince K. Teewia, Spc. Jose R. Perez, Spc. Douglas C. Desjardins, QM2.

Michael A. Monsoor, Sgt. David L. Herrera, Pfc. Brian J. Schoff, Cpl. Ryan J. Buckley, Staff Sgt. Christopher J. Schornak, 1st Lt. James N. Lyons, CPL Edgardo Zayas, Sgt. David T. Weir, 1st Lt. Amos C.R. Bock, Cpl. Adam J. Fargo, and Pfc. Phillip B. Williams.

May they rest in peace.