Swordfish:
Romania:
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Going the distance!
More than Dracula!
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N A S SIG O N E L L A
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November 27, 2015
Vol. 32 No. 45
(Far from) home for the holidays: How Sigonella celebrates Thanksgiving By Nicole Ybarra NAS Sigonella Public Affairs
NAS Sigonella, Sicily – For many Americans, Thanksgiving evokes images of family and friends gathered around a large dining table, football, and tryptophan-induced food comas. But for the thousands of service members and family members stationed at NAS Sigonella, many miles from their loved ones and the comforts of home, a little extra effort is required to make the holidays festive. Even so, while the people around the table may be different, Sigonellans strive to hold on to their Thanksgiving traditions. “This will be my fourth Thanksgiving away from family and my third Thanksgiving in Sigonella. We usually celebrate by hosting a potluck with our close friends. It's a great way to incorporate our family traditions while learning about new ones. Our Sigonella friends are our family away from home, not only during the holidays, but every day. They are the ones who we share our daily life with and they make the holidays special,” said Lt. Amanda Boudreaux, Occupational Audiology DIVO. While some choose to celebrate with their military family, others like HM3 Eric Morera prefer to keep to themselves during the holidays. “I prefer not to do much for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays – the atmosphere is so warm and heartfelt, and of course the decorations are spectacular. I've come to realize that the holiday season isn't lonely simply because you’re alone but rather because we tend to forget the good memories we made throughout the year. So no matter where I am, it's the memories of my family, previous and current friends, that represent the holidays for me,” said Morera. On Nov. 26, the Galley hosted a Thanksgiving meal with traditional dishes for NASSIG service members. Volunteers from the community helped to serve the meal, providing a sense of home for
those celebrating the holidays far from family and loved ones. FSO Lt. j.g. Micah Wallin explained that the Galley took a different approach to Thanksgiving this year, attempting to create a festive atmosphere instead of simply serving food. “We're one big family. People come to the Galley, have a hot meal and there are always people to talk to and joke around with. You’re guaranteed to make new friends and family, and that’s exactly what we want to do and provide over here at the Galley,” explained Wallin.
Other members of the Sig’ community spent the holidays in Tuscany, as part of the MWR tour to Florence, Siena, Pisa and San Gimignano. The tour included stops at the Verrazzano Winery for Thanksgiving lunch; a walking tour of Florence; a visit to the city of medieval towers, San Gimignano; and Piazza del Campo in Siena. While the faces around the table may be different and the dishes might not taste like Mom’s, Sigonellans still found meaningful ways to give thanks this year, while stationed overseas.
Sig’ Citizen profile: Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Gerardo Preciado By LT Paul Newell NAS Sigonella Public Affairs Officer
NAS SIGONELLA, Sicily – Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Gerardo Preciado is fascinated with what makes people of different cultures tick. It’s always been that way for him; it’s how he was raised. Preciado was born in Los Angeles, spent his formative years in Ensenada, Mexico, and by age 18 was commuting back and forth across the border each day to serve as a gas attendant in San Ysidro, Calif. Straddling the border and inserting himself in two different cultures gave Preciado a nuanced perspective and insights that sparked a passion: how to inspire people of differing, sometimes dissenting opinions, to come together and work toward a common goal. “Growing up in Mexico taught me to be resourceful,” said Preciado, one of only five uniformed members working for the Sigonella branch of the Defense Logistics Agency. “I learned to work with what I had; not what I wanted.” In addition to gleaning from his physical surroundings, Preciado credits his parents for teaching him ingenuity and the value of perseverance instead of taking the easy way out. As a U.S. citizen living in Mexico he was approached at work one day by a man soliciting him to transport drugs. “He wanted to know why I was killing myself working at the gas station when I could be making big and easy money smuggling drugs across the border,” Preciado recalled. “He said all I had to do was park my car in the same spot at my home and the same spot at work – nothing else – and they would take care of the rest. Of course I had a vision and wanted money but knew that once I got into it I would never out and I knew that so I wasn’t even tempted. My parents instilled that in me.” Not long after declining the offer to traffic drugs, Preciado, sensing a golden opportunity Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Gerardo Preciado, left, verifies inventory at to expand his mind through travel while getting paid and gaining college credits, Defense Logistics Agency Sigonella, Nov. 3, 2015. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ramon Go/Released)
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