AFOTEC members fill boxes of gratitude for deployed members

Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. -- It has been said that feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. The caring members from the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center expressed their gratitude by putting together quarterly care packages for the organization's deployed team members April 14.

"The AFOTEC Key Spouse program initiated the care package program to ensure deployed members are taken care of as we continue to support their efforts and help support their families," said Senior Master Sgt. Peter Padilla, AFOTEC First Sergeant. "Packages are put together each quarter and contain a variety of items such as snacks, books, DVDs, personal hygiene items, and cards and notes signed by family and friends."

The AFOTEC Key Spouse program is lead by Brandi Miller, wife of Master Sgt. Scott Miller, AFOTEC Commander's Action Group Superintendent. "These care packages provide a bit of home for our deployed Airmen," said Mrs. Miller. "The boxes are filled with the generous donations of our stateside team members who want our deployed members to know we are thinking of them and appreciate their enduring sacrifices on behalf of our country."

"This program is important for not only the deployed members but also the people staying behind," said Anita Eichhorn, wife of AFOTEC Commander Maj. Gen. David J. Eichhorn. "Putting these packages together allows our people to do something for those who are deployed and it's a really nice way to let them know they are missed here at home."