Santa makes an early stop in Iraq

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, Iraq — Jolly old Saint Nick has a lot of places but does Santa stop in Iraq. It’s not very reindeer-friendly, after all - so where are deployed soldiers getting their Christmas cheer? The Soldiers of the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division learned that the spirit of Christmas doesn’t have to come directly from Santa Claus. Operation Christmas Tree (OperationChristmasTree.com) is dedicated to filling Santa’s shoes as best they can. They send real, living Christmas trees to Soldiers deployed all over the world. By visiting their website, people can donate money, choose to send a tree to a specific soldier, or to make a general donation. . Operation Christmas Tree has brightened the holiday season for the battalion by sending a hundred trees for them. Lt. Col. Christopher Stenman scattered the trees throughout his command. Soldier, Spc. Sterling Molby, a Brainerd, Minn. native, was astonished at the kindness of strangers. “It’s great to know that people still have us in their thoughts and prayers during the Holiday Season,” said Molby. It turns out that Santa Claus does stop in Iraq, after all. Spc. Angie Johnston is the public affairs officer for Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division