Broadcast teams to record holiday greetings - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

Broadcast teams to record holiday greetings

Bring out the holiday decorations. Yes, in September.

Broadcasting teams with Joint Hometown News Service started making the rounds at military bases Wednesday to record holiday greetings of service members and their families stationed overseas.

Three broadcast teams, each with three members, are traveling to the Pacific, Europe and southwest Asia theaters this fall to record greetings. They will hit more than 60 sites this year, including 23 Air Force bases and locations, said Chad Starr, director of Joint Hometown News Service.

The news service mailed 9,500 TV and radio greetings last year, with 4,100 Air Force-related personnel and family members participating. The service says more than 52 million households watched greetings on TV and 21 million listened on the radio.

“The holidays are a tough time for service members who are stationed overseas and can’t be home,” said Starr, a retired Army lieutenant colonel. “This is just one little way to let the folks back home know they’re thinking about them and that they’re doing well.”

Each greeting runs about 15 to 20 seconds. Troops with family members in more than one location may record more than one greeting.

Production runs round-the-clock after teams return to San Antonio in mid to late October. Video and audio greetings are then separated by state or, in the case of heavily populated states, by region.

TV stations, radio stations and newspaper websites then decide which greetings to run. Each greeting typically airs multiple times and on more than one station during the holiday season.

To see the teams’ schedules for recording greetings, visit the Joint Hometown News Service website.

When you go

Here are tips from Joint Hometown News Service on making the most of your holiday greeting, taken from an Air Force news release:

• Show up midmorning or midafternoon, if possible, to avoid lunchtime and after-work lines.

• Wear your uniform. (A work uniform is acceptable.) You can also bring holiday attire and other props, as well as pets.

• Family members should come with their sponsor, unless that sponsor is deployed.

•Bring an address book with your family members’ names, city, state and phone number. Station managers need the phone number to let families know when your greeting airs.

• When on camera, try to relax and be cheerful. Keep hand gestures to a minimum, and do not use profanity.

• Write your main points on an index card. You don’t need a script, but notes may help you remember everything you want to say.

• Most greetings will air from Thanksgiving Day through New Year’s Day, so don’t say “Happy Thanksgiving” — it could quickly make your greeting outdated.