The gift of a greeting

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mike Tateishi
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Chances are you've watched television back in the United States during the holidays and have seen service members and families sending their love back home. Now that you and the family are overseas, that opportunity is available to you.

The Hometown News holiday greetings team will be at the Tee House on Kadena Air Base, Oct. 1-2, giving you the chance to record what some might equate to a personalized holiday card. Chad Starr, the director of the Joint Hometown News Service says it's a little more than that.

"There is something powerful and exclusive about seeing a familiar face on television and that cannot be matched by any other medium," said Mr. Starr.

When a holiday greeting is broadcast, the entire community gets to see it. Moms, dads, grandmas and grandpas can get a kick out of being stopped on the street by people saying they saw the holiday message on TV during the football playoffs.

Last year the Hometown News team recorded close to 9,182 greetings from across the globe. While that may sound like decent number, it's actually not.

"These are in demand by the media," said Mr. Starr.

Most television stations tell the Hometown News Service they would have hoped for more greetings to cover their holiday programming plan. Also, when an overseas service member doesn't record one, Mr. Starr's team gets the email.

"We receive many, many contacts from family members back home inquiring why their son or daughter in uniform is not part of the greeting program," said Mr. Starr.

It's a relatively easy process for the member. You may spend five minutes driving to do the greeting, another five minutes filling out the paperwork, and another five recording the greeting. For those on the other end, it's a different story. The people stateside work feverishly making sure the messages get on the air.

"Once the teams return to San Antonio, the production process runs 24/7 and continues on that schedule until all greetings are out," said Mr. Starr.

Many television stations also go above and beyond simply airing the greeting by calling the individual families and letting them know when their loved one's greeting will air.

Other stations go even further than that by both calling and then following-up with an email with a link to the video.

You can do your part  to ensure family and friends back home see your personal greeting on local television and hear it on local radio stations by following the tips below:

-- Make sure to bring your address book. You'll need family members' names along with a city, state and phone number. No street address is needed, but station managers need phone contact info to let families know when your greeting will air.

-- Service members need to be in uniform. Work uniform is fine. Family members should accompany their sponsor, unless their sponsor is deployed. And, of course, don't forget the props: Santa's hats, pets, banners and holiday attire.

-- There is a good chance there will be waiting lines. Lunch time and after work are normally prime times, so if you can break away for a few minutes during mid-morning or mid-afternoon, you can avoid the rush.

-- In front of the camera: There aren't a lot of rules, but here are some tips to make the experience go smoothly. The top three - relax, relax and relax. So what if you'll be seen by a million TV viewers. When you're taping, it's just you and the camera.

-- Try to be cheerful and in the holiday spirit. It doesn't show well on camera if your teenage daughter looks like she'd rather be at the mall than wishing grandma happy holidays.

-- Try to keep hand gestures to a minimum and, of course, no profanity. When you're giving your greetings, don't say "Happy Thanksgiving." Most of these greetings will air from Thanksgiving Day through New Year's Day and could quickly become obsolete if the specific holiday mentioned has come and gone when your greeting airs.

-- You don't need a teleprompt or a script, but try writing down your main points on a 3 x 5 card. Sometimes nerves can cause a bout of forgetfulness, so jot down your family members' names and the points you want to get across. If you have family in more than one area, you can do several greetings. You've got 15 to 20 seconds per greeting, more than enough time to get in your holiday wishes to those closest to you.

The holiday greetings are free and no appointment is necessary. Simply go to the Tee House restaurant by the Kadena Golf Course between 8 a.m and 6 p.m., Oct. 1 or 2 and send your love home this holiday season.