CC is for Commando Cookie

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Joe McFadden
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  If you happened to walk through the base chapel Dec. 12, you may have detected the combined aroma of chocolate chip, peanut butter, snicker doodle, oatmeal raisin, and iced gingerbread wafting throughout the building.

It wasn't part of a cooking competition or a new tithing process but a way to give Air Commandos a "taste of home."

Volunteers from the Hurlburt Field and Emerald Coast communities baked, packaged and delivered more than 14,000 cookies to nearly 1,200 dorm residents as part of this year's "Commando Cookie Drop."

The drive, organized by the base chapel, consisted of homemade treats made by active-duty and retired military, spouses, church groups, law enforcement, military appreciation committees, honorary commanders and other civic leaders for single Airmen who may not be able to go home during the holiday season.

"This is directly tied to the holidays and is a practical way to demonstrate care and concern for dorm Airmen who are often times away from their immediate family," said Maj. Paul Castillo, chaplain of the 1st Special Operations Wing.
 
Throughout the previous weekend, the chapel accepted donations from throughout the local community. Volunteers spent the morning of the drive sorting at least a dozen of a variety of cookies into decorative bags colored by crayons and glitter made by local elementary school children.

"This was truly a community effort to make something special like this happen," Castillo said. "It's just been a phenomenal success of cooperation between the chapel, first sergeants, spouses and community for the benefit of our Airmen."

Squadron first sergeants, aided by fellow NCOs, went door-to-door to drop off the goodies to Airmen at their dorms.

"This is a great thing for me to do as a shirt," said Master Sgt. James Groves, first sergeant of the 1st Special Operations Comptroller Squadron and wing staff agencies. "Not everyone gets to go home for the holidays, and this provides them with a taste of home."

Senior Airman Nickolas Fisher, 1st Special Operations Comptroller Squadron, received a colorful cookie assortment from Groves at his room.

"This was wonderful, and I love getting cookies," Fisher said before heading out to squadron physical training. "It's very nice of everyone who did this. I'm even going to keep this bag, too."