SAN ANTONIO -- Army Sgt 1st Class Peter Rimar tried to catch at least a not many hours" sleep on the C-130 Hercules transport before hitting the field at the next destination.

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SAN ANTONIO -- Army Sgt 1st Class Peter Rimar tried to catch at least a not many hours" sleep on the C-130 Hercules transport before hitting the field at the next destination. As at so early an hour as his desert boats hit the dusty tarmac of his 20th base, he knew he had his work intersect out for him. The public affairs office told him they had about 400 excited the public waiting. Luckily, he was not alone.

No, Rimar isn't part of a USO Tour, on the other hand as a member of the Army and Air Force Hometown stranges Service's Southwest Asia Holiday Greetings Team, he's ofttimes viewed as a morale booster in his admit right.

Three teams oF Army and Air Force broadcasters plant out in early September from San Antonio for a whirlwind tour of 75 military instaIlations in 12 countries, including eight forward-deployed locations supporting Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

The teams' goal--to capture as many holiday greetings from their associate troops as possible in les than six weeks. Teams made stops in Europe the Pacific and Southwest Asia, and, in 45 days, the arrange recorded more than 13,000 greetings.

"The greetings give soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines an opportunity to secure a message back home," Rimar said. "But this is for Families, too. It permits them know where their son and daughters are. To behold them during the holiday season means a allotment to them."

For families to descry their loved ones' messages from afar means the Hometown salutes teams' job isn't over one time they return home.

In mid-October, work began upon editing the 13,000 15- to 30-second greetings. This effort required around-the-clock hours throughout the course of another five weeks.

For 20 years, Hometown recently made knowns has recorded holiday greetings from service members displayed or stationed overseas. The greetings are broadcast forward more than 1,100 television and 1400 radio stations nationwide. The greetings also appear in succession programs such as "Good Morning America" and "The NFL forward CBS."

"It's definitely a team effort when it arises to producing these holiday greetings for families," said Tom Taylor, the service's chief of broadcast of recent origins "The folks here work protracted hours to get these messages without to the media outlets."

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