102d SFS Airmen reciprocate appreciation to local business

Published Oct. 31, 2011
By Erin Creighton
102nd Family Readiness Program Coordinator

OTIS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Cape Cod, Mass. -- For years, owner Harry Gnong and his employees at the British Beer Company (BBC) Restaurant and Pub in Sandwich, Mass. have frequently served military customers. When one of their fellow employees, Senior Airman Michele Copeland of the 102nd Intel Squadron, joined the 102nd Intel Wing, their personal connection to the military again grew. Then, with the deployment of the Security Forces Squadron, an opportunity was born for the Sandwich BBC to demonstrate their years of appreciation to local military forces.

The employees raised funds to send an acoustic guitar with stand, a popcorn machine with all the fixings, and 155 individual stockings to the entire Squadron (three-quarters of whom were not 102d SFS members), to Iraq for Christmas.

During October's Field Training, the 102nd Security Forces Squadron were able to return the favor and show the employees of the Sandwich BBC their appreciation. In a special presentation, with many of the stocking recipients on hand, Caroline Irving, Manager at the Sandwich BBC, was presented a Certificate of Appreciation with a flag flown over Sather Air Base, Baghdad, Iraq, on Christmas Day 2010 in their honor.