Once the sun started to set, Fort Bliss Garrison Commander Col. Stuart James, provided brief opening remarks and then welcomed the child of a deployed Soldier to the stage to officially light the Garrison Christmas Tree. (Photo courtesy Fort Bliss Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation Marketing)
Bliss Religious Support Office, FMWR, 1st AD Band team up to host holiday fun
By Michelle L. Gordon, USAG Fort Bliss Public Affairs
The crisp evening air was filled with excitement and anticipation, Dec. 5, 2019, as parents and kids huddled near the trees surrounding Center Chapel One on Fort Bliss, Texas, to welcome the start of the holiday season.
The annual Christmas Tree lighting is always a reason to celebrate, but this year the Fort Bliss Religious Support Office, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, and the 1st Armored Division Band teamed up to make the event bigger and brighter for Fort Bliss families.
The night started with the Garrison Christmas Tree lighting and pictures with Santa Claus at the chapel, followed by holiday crafts and games at Mickelsen Community Library. It culminated with the 1st AD Band’s “Sounds of the Season” holiday pops concert at Soldier Hall.
“In recent years these have all been separate events, but we all thought this would be a good way to tie all of the activities together in a way that benefits each of the events and that benefits the community,” said Installation Senior Chaplain (Col.) Allen Staley. “It’s basically a family night. It’s an opportunity for the entire family to be engaged.”
The evening began at “Arlene’s Tree,” which is located near Chapel Center One. It is named for Arlene Cain, a military child who was stationed at Fort Bliss in the mid-1970s. She was a frequent volunteer at the chapel and at William Beaumont Army Medical Center. Cain passed away suddenly in 1978 from an undiagnosed lung disease at the age of 17. Her family donated the tree to the chapel 40 years ago and Staley said it grew rapidly, eventually becoming the official Fort Bliss Christmas Tree sometime in the 1980s.
Once the sun started to set, Fort Bliss Garrison Commander Col. Stuart James, provided brief opening remarks and then welcomed the child of a deployed Soldier to the stage to officially light Arlene’s Tree for the 2019 holiday season.
The 1st AD Band, along with the Bliss Elementary Children’s Choir provided holiday tunes until the crowd welcomed the event’s special guest, Santa Claus. Families then enjoyed soup, cider and sweets provided by the Religious Support Office before progressing to the library, and eventually to Soldier Hall for the concert.
“We wanted to emphasize the fun traditions of the season, the spiritual significance, and the building of community,” Staley said. “It was great having the different directorates within the Garrison work together to accomplish that purpose, as well as host programs that improve the quality of life for our Soldiers and their families.”
