Thursday's the deadline to 'Adopt an Airman' Published Dec. 2, 2008 By Staff Sgt. Tanya Holditch Keesler News editor KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- Nearly 300 Keesler Airmen are deployed, and today is the deadline to mail holiday packages to ensure they arrive on time. Adopt an Airman is a program run by Tech. Sgt. Jessica Woodruff, airman and family readiness center, and connects Airmen deployed from Keesler with people who want to send them a holiday package. Sergeant Woodruff has already paired 52 deployed Airmen with people on base, but there are 18 Airmen still waiting to be adopted. Not all of Keesler's deployed Airmen have requested care packages since they already have family and friends mailing holiday items to them. However, many of the Airmen don't have someone to send care packages, especially the single Airmen, she said. Sergeant Woodruff's goal in organizing the project is to ensure that every Airman who wants a holiday care package gets one, she said. "This fosters camaraderie on base and might even establish a friendship later," she said. Anyone can request a name from Sergeant Woodruff. Some people have requested names of Airmen in a specific squadron while others have requested multiple names. Airmen are requesting unexpected things, according to Sergeant Woodruff. She said that Airmen aren't requesting hygiene items, but are asking for things to make their deployed time more fun. Frequently requested items include hand-held electronic games and party hats, decorations and noisemakers for New Year's Eve. Flat-rate boxes with no weight limitations are available at any post office, and postage is $9.80. Military mailing kits are also available at http://www.usps.com. For more information, call Sergeant Woodruff, 376-8508.