Operation Home Cooking has been going on for 49 years, and is somewhat unique to JBSA-Lackland Air Force Base.
SAN ANTONIO — For the past 49 years, Operation Home Cooking has been connecting San Antonio families with trainees from the JBSA-Lackland Air Force Base for Thanksgiving.
Active duty staff sergeant Shane Beck has been hosting trainees for the past several Thanksgivings. He forgoes Thanksgiving with his family in Colorado to instead give back to his military family.
“As the years have gone on, it’s always interesting to see, like how basic is now,” he said. “When I went through basic, I actually went through at this time as well, so I had a family take me home.”
This year, 400 families are sharing Thanksgiving with trainees. The trainees are in the sixth and seventh week of basic training, or are graduating airmen without visiting family and friends for graduation.
“That bond between Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, and the San Antonio community, it’s strong,” said Col. Billy Wilson, commander of Air Force and Space Force basic military training. “It’s vibrant, right? And so this is just another way that we get to celebrate each other, and the support, the mutual support that we have.”
This is one of the only times that trainees get to take a substantial break away from base.
“Like Sundays you have like a little break but like we still got to be on guard, still like we still got to lock in,” said Yuki Taije Baquiller.
Baquiller is from Guam and is one of two trainees joining staff sergeant Beck for Thanksgiving. Baquiller doesn’t deny how different this Thanksgiving is.
“It’s a weird situation where, […] hanging out with, like different, like family,” he said.
For Beck, it’s all about staying connected, just as it is about giving back.
“This is hard being away from family, so I like to give that to others,” Sgt. Beck said.