Lighting up the base
By Steve Herring
Published in News on November 28, 2017 7:34 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Col. Christopher Sage flips the switch during the annual Seymour Johnson Air Force Base tree lighting with the help of dozens of children Monday night.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Mariah Beach, 14, holds her cousin Kyler Britton, 1, so that he could get a closer look after the lights were turned on Monday night at the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base tree lighting.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Sandra, McKenna, 7, and Lucas Pennington wait in line for cookies and hot chocolate Monday night before the tree lighting at Seymour Johnson. Not pictured were Savannah Gallien, 11, and Lillian Pennington, 3.
Aurora Mullins, 8, didn't have to wait for the Christmas tree to be lighted.
She and her 1-year-old sister were wearing a string of colors lights each.
"My lights, my mom bought them at Dollar Tree, and they flicker on all kinds of different ways, and they stay still at the same color," she said.
But still, Aurora was excited when Fourth Fighter Wing Commander Col. Christopher Sage flipped the switch Monday night to light the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Christmas tree.
Before lighting the tree, Sage, who earlier had been helping serve cookies, invited all of the children to gather close to him to help light the tree.
"I liked lighting the tree because it was fun when it kind of just like flicked on," Aurora said.
Kind of like magic, she added.
Anna was more interested in the oatmeal raisin cookie she was gnawing on.
Santa was not at the event attended by a large crowd on the lawn in front of the commissary.
Santa is expected to arrive Saturday morning, possibly in a F-15E, in time for the children's Christmas parry, Sage said.
Aurora said she had fun running and playing with friends and had sampled chocolate chip cookies.
"I am trying to keep my daughter entertained with all of the festive stuff going on," said mom Debra Mullins. "We have been singing Christmas carols and drinking hot chocolate, eating cookies and watching kids play and run around.
"It's good. They do it every year and we enjoy it."
Cayla Armstrong, 8, was sipping hot chocolate while mom, Shana, held her cookie.
"I usually like normal cookies," she said.
It was a good cookie, but the lights coming on were even better, said Cayla, who was among the children who gathered around sage as he threw the switch to light the tree.
"I liked it," Cayla said.
Cayla said her family normally puts up their tree closer to Christmas.
"We came up here last year and watched them do the tree lighting," said her mother, who works in the commissary. "One of my co-workers told me it was today. I knew they were doing it, but I couldn't remember which day.
"I brought her because she had so much fun last year. I think it is really nice for them to do this for everybody up here, especially for those families who might have family who are deployed. It still gives them a little bit of closeness with everybody else because they know they are here with a lot of other people who are in the same predicament."
The holiday is a much-deserved break for airmen, Sage said in his welcome.
"It is time to long for peace on earth and to wish well to all," he said. "It is a time to remember all the airmen, specifically their families that are here with us tonight for those that are deployed."
It was a great turnout, he said.
"It just shows how excited people are for the holiday season," Sage said. "It was an honor to serve (the refreshments). You know with the local community and base, we have a long tradition of service here. It is just a great way to kick off the post-Thanksgiving holiday now as we transition to the Christmas holiday.
"We have a long tradition of lighting a Christmas tree the first Monday after Thanksgiving so that is what we are doing here tonight. It is a great time to get all of the families together, get all of the children together, sing a few Christmas carols, share some cookies and hot cocoa and celebrate the community that we have here on base."
Several large cards lined the road by the commissary.
It is a long-standing tradition on Air Force bases for squadron volunteers to put together a holiday or Christmas card, Sage said.
They will be displayed between now and New Year's. The cards are judged and the top-place finisher gets bragging rights for having the best card at the wing, he said.
"We are excited about that," sage said. "They worked hard over the last couple of weeks to produce their -- some are very thoughtful, some are funny. Some of them are more serious."