Dec. 2012: Fort Bliss soldiers can still sign up for Christmas Adopt A Soldier program

Fort Bliss Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard is hoping to increase soldier participation in the Adopt-A-Soldier program for Christmas after a low turnout for Thanksgiving.

“While we had literally hundreds of El Paso families signed up to treat a Soldier to a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal through our Adopt-A-Soldier program, we had a low turnout from our Soldiers,” Pittard wrote in his Fort Bliss Monitor column recently. “We are hoping to reverse this trend for Christmas, but we need your help. Leaders, if you have single Soldiers staying in the Fort Bliss area this Christmas, encourage them to enroll in the Adopt-A-Soldier program and meet a local family. Soldiers, if you are uncomfortable meeting someone new, sign up with a battle buddy.”

Pittard wrote that it is a great program but that word needs to be spread about the program for it to be a success.

“Soldiers may be reluctant to get involved in this program and they may be uncomfortable meeting new people, but once they conquer this initial apprehension, they will really have a great time,” Pittard wrote.

As of Wednesday, Dec. 19, host families were no longer needed but soldiers could still sign up at www.bliss.army.mil/adoptaSoldier.”

Dec. 2012 story