Desert Festivities Help U.S. Troops Keep the Holiday Spirit

Santa Claus sat near the starting cannon and a military band played Christmas carols today while soldiers of the 82nd Airborne enjoyed a five-mile Jingle Bell Jog.

The run was part of a day off that included music, volleyball, a talent show and Christmas Eve services that were off-limits to the media because of Saudi Arabia’s strict religious laws.

“Christmas is where the heart is, and in the 82nd Airborne Division, everybody’s heart is in the right place,” said the Santa Claus, Lt. Col. Bob Murphy, 43, of Fayetteville, N.C.

He was dressed in a Santa suit, complete with white whiskers and black boots. He handed out razor blades, candy, Frisbees, yo-yos and other gifts stashed in a brown garbage can liner.

“Sure, we’d love to be home with our loved ones, but, my gosh, we got an important mission to do over here,” Murphy said.

The Army division’s band, led by Chief Warrant Officer Willie James Lockett, played “Deck the Halls” to entertain the troops.

“We’re doing this so the soldier won’t be lonely and think about what it’s like back in the world where he isn’t,” said Lockett, 35, of Jacksonville, Fla., a 17-year Army veteran. “My Christmas tree will be up whenever I get back. If it’s the year 2002, that sucker will still be up.”

Chief Warrant Officer Ben Cooper, 30, of Monticello, Ark., finished first in the jog with a time of 24 minutes, 31 seconds. Keeping busy helped keep his mind off his wife and three children back home, he said.

“You try to stay occupied instead of sitting around moping (and) thinking about how bad off you are,” Cooper said.

Capt. Michael Thomas, 30, of Trenton, N.J., ran the race wearing a Santa’s cap and a pair of Bart Simpson shorts. He’s been away from home six times in the last eight years. He even saw a bright spot in spending Christmas in the desert.

“Actually, out here, we’re away from the commercial side of Christmas,” he said. “You have to look inside yourself to find the real Christmas spirit.”

Lt. Lisa Titus, 27, of the Army’s 18th Airborne Corps, got time off to run the race with her husband, Greg, a captain who commands a battery of artillery with the 82nd Airborne.

She sat on Santa’s lap but didn’t make a Christmas wish.