From left to right) 401 Tactical Fighter Squadron Chief Warrant Officer (CWO), CWO Mark Riach, Brad Bailey (Canadian Natural Resources Limited), Carrie Baumgardner (Canadian Natural Resources Limited), and 4 Wing Commander Colonel Dave Moar pose for a photo in front of Christmas Morale Packages that will be sent to troops currently deployed overseas – Photo: Aviator Alex Thornton, 4 Wing Imaging

Deployed Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members from 4 Wing will be receiving a little Christmas cheer in the mail, compliments of Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) and the 4 Wing Military Family Resource Centre Society (MFRCS).

On October 25th 4 Wing Commander Col Dave Moar and 401 Tactical Fighter Squadron Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Mark Riach joined CNRL’s Brad Bailey and Carrier Baumgardner to pack care packages that will be sent to members away from home this holiday season as part of the Christmas Morale Program.

“[CNRL] has been very generous over the years, supporting troops that are away,” explained 4 Wing MFRCS Fund Development Manager Judith Chance. “They came on three years ago and we’ve grown the partnership. They support deployment activities as well as the deployment reunion, they are also the sponsor of our cancer-peer support groups so they are very involved in 4 Wing.”

30 packages will be sent out in total to members in Alert, Kuwait and Egypt. The boxes contain things like snacks, puzzle books, games, flashlights and other items.

“The packages were shipped out on Friday, the 29th of October, in order to reach their destinations for Christmas Day,” said Chance. “Because the Romania deployment ends before Christmas, we did not send Christmas Morale packages to them, hence the lower numbers this year.”