CNO helps bring troops home for Christmas

Thanks in part to help from the Choctaw Nation, members of the 45th Field Artillery Brigade of the Oklahoma National Guard were able to spend time with their families over the Christmas holidays.

Several of the soldiers got off the buses dressed for the warmer Fort Bliss, Texas, climate, where they are currently training for an overseas deployment to the Central Command area of responsibility. The bitter cold and blowing snow served as a reminder of the season and why they were coming home.

Staff Sergeant Makayla McKean said some were more prepared than others. “Luckily, a lot of us had been talking about the weather difference here, so most of us were pretty prepared,” she said. Some others were seen getting off the warm buses in shorts and flip-flops.

Specialist E4, Lainey Lordahl, from McAlester, Oklahoma, was excited to be home. “I’m just going to spend a lot of time with my family before we go [back to El Paso] and see my dogs. I miss them,” she said.

Oklahoma National Guardsmen unload bus- es and collect their gear as they return home for a quick Christmas break from training at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

When asked what her top priorities were for her short time home, she said, “Hanging out with my dog, my parents and my sister. I don’t get to see them too often. So that’s definitely top 10 for sure…take some naps and eat and just kind of love on my family. Make sure we all get to spend some good quality time together.” McKean said.

McKean and Lordahl were both grateful to all of the organizations.

“It was super helpful to have somebody take care of us and our families to get us home and whatnot. The Choctaw Nation and a bunch of other companies and groups really did their part in trying to take care of us and get us home for the holidays,” said McKean.

Lordhal was glad for the opportunity to come home as well. “Number one, I would like to thank the Choctaw Nation for giving us the opportunity to come home in the first place. There’s a bunch of organizations that helped as well, so thank you,” she said.

The organizations that worked with the Choctaw nation to help get the guardsmen home for the holidays were the Oklahoma City firefighters association, The Oklahoma City fraternal order of police and the plumbers and pipe fitters local union 344.