Dear Members of Operation Santa,

I am LTC Joanne MacGregor, Commander of 2-149 Aviation Battalion.  I would like
to take this moment to send you my heartfelt thanks for the generosity and
thoughtfulness of so many people who made wonderful Christmas Stockings for my
Soldiers.  We have approximately 550 Soldiers in the Battalion and we fly CH-47
Chinooks, UH-60 Blackhawks, and UH-60 MEDEVAC aircraft based out of Balad, Iraq.
 It was such an overwhelming feeling of warmth and joy to see all these boxes
arrive filled with beautiful hand sewn stockings full of snacks and goodies for
the Soldiers, they absolutely loved it. 

It is because of volunteers like you who give so much to the troops and make us
feel supported unconditionally that we are able to continue our mission with
pride.  The generosity and support from people like you makes being away from
our family and loved ones bearable.

Being a Central Illinois native myself from Peoria, IL it is with great pride
that I serve our country and represent the United States here in Iraq. 

I wish everyone back home a Happy and Peaceful New Year.


Warmest Regards,
LTC Joanne MacGregor