WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY | Air of uncertainty surrounds Thanksgiving at Fort Knox

Air of uncertainty surrounds Thanksgiving at Fort Knox

By Maira Ansari - bio | email
Posted by Charles Gazaway - email

FORT KNOX, KY (WAVE) - This Thanksgiving is especially sentimental for some soldiers. Tuesday, President Obama is expected to announce that he plans to send more troops to Afghanistan. Chances are many of those soldiers will be from Fort Knox. While the uncertainty is not easy for some soldiers, they are thankful.

"Not being with family it's affecting me, but I've got family here" said Private First Class David Wilson. "You take a lot of things for granted for what you have at home."

"We usually don't get a lot of time to eat. You see us scarfing down our food. It's habit," said Wilson.

"Being able to taste it was nice. Nice to not have drill sergeant over your shoulder," said Private First Class Justin Maunder.

On Thanksgiving Day, soldiers at Fort Knox sat down for a little taste of home.

"We try to make this as special as we can. With decoration and food and leadership present that they have support," said Major General James Milano.

For many of these soldiers, it's their first Thanksgiving away from their loved ones. Private First Class David Wilson hasn't seen his family in Arizona since August.

"I went on emergency leave. Got a Red Cross message my mother died," said Wilson. "If it weren't for these guys, I would break down. The guys around me keep me strong."  

With U.S. forces expected to leave Iraq by August 2010, soldiers were hopeful this would be their last Thanksgiving there. But many could soon be redeployed under reported plans to send up to 35,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

"A lot of these soldiers have been told they are going to war," Wilson said. "They all know it. They take it seriously. For those who think it's nothing, It's a really big deal."

"A lot of my friends are going and I have friends right now that are there, but I know this group is smart and talented," said Maunder. 

The next time these soldiers will see their families will be Christmas. They will be allowed to go home for two weeks.

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