When my husband was deployed to Afghanistan, he often mentioned how depressingly sandy and brown it was there. He dreamed of seeing anything green and alive that would remind him of home.
Imagine the impact on his unit when they received a live Christmas tree from America at their forward operating base. With a live tree, they could touch and see and smell a piece of home. Those Marines decorated their tree and smiled whenever they saw it. It lifted their spirits in a way that very few things can when you are deployed at Christmastime.
Trees for Troops: Bringing Christmas Cheer to Military Members and Families
How do you get a living Christmas tree from America to our troops overseas? It’s not Christmas magic. It’s a program called Trees for Troops. This nonprofit organization works with local farmers and numerous donors to bring the Christmas spirit to military families.
Since 2005, FedEx has partnered with the Christmas Spirit Foundation to ship the trees to service members deployed overseas or to their families living at military bases around the country.
Yes, military families can benefit too! My family has enjoyed the benefits of this wonderful program. When my husband was deployed over Christmastime, we weren’t able to go to a tree farm together and pick out a tree – one of our holiday traditions.
I wasn’t sure I would be able to load a tree onto our van by myself. In addition, I was disappointed to learn that trees are close to $100 in the expensive area where we were stationed. We couldn’t afford a fake tree, and with the cost of Christmas gifts, I wasn’t even sure we could buy a real one.
Thankfully, Trees for Troops came to the rescue and saved our deployment Christmas. They delivered an enormous quantity of free trees to our military base. All we had to do was drive to the delivery spot and claim one. A team of volunteers was there, ready to help each family load their tree and secure it to their car.
It was amazing to think about how many people donated time or money to bring us our tree, from the farmers to the volunteers, FedEx and anyone who made a donation to the organization. As a result of their efforts, my kids had a real Christmas tree, and our house was filled with the Christmas spirit.
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Trees for Troops Weekend: Dec. 3 – 5, 2022
Trees for Troops weekend is usually held the first weekend of December. That will be Dec. 3-5, 2022. Keep in mind that some locations may have an alternate date. Contact your local MWR office for more information.
Trees for Troops has impacted many families and individuals. Since 2005, the organization has collected and donated over 262,265 trees for military families. FedEx has logged over 653,400 miles for this charity in the United States alone. They deliver the Christmas trees to 65 military bases, either in the U.S. or overseas.
Trees for Troops weekend is the first weekend of December. On these dates, collection sites around the country use trailers provided by FedEx to gather trees and donations.
Thousands of volunteers and many generous donations make this effort possible. In 2018, 16,599 farm-grown Christmas trees were donated by roughly 450 Christmas tree growers, retailers and their customers in 25 states.
Trees are then donated to military troops and their families at military installations on the first and second weekends of December.
Trees for Troops Eligibility
If you are a military family or service member who wants to receive a free Christmas tree, you can learn more from your base Family Readiness Program or from the Christmas Spirit Foundation website. The Christmas Spirit Foundation publishes a list of bases they work with, but they don’t set the eligibility requirements. They work with each base to deliver the trees, but leave it up to the bases to determine how they will distribute them.
The main point of contact should be your Family Readiness Program – Airman and Family Readiness Center, Army Community Services, Marine Corps Community Services, Fleet and Family Readiness Center, Coast Guard Work-Life Office, Military Service Family Center or similar program for military members.
Each base can create its own distribution criteria, which is often based on need, rank, family members of deployed service members or even a first-come-first-served basis. It’s important to contact your base POC for specific details for your location.
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2022 Participating Trees for Troops Locations:
Here are the participating locations and dates for 2021.
Note: Most locations are participating in the Trees for Troops Weekend, Dec. 3 – 5, 2021. Contact your local MWR Office for more details.
Free Christmas Trees at Air Force Bases
- Davis-Monthan AFB – AZ
- Luke AFB – AZ
- March ARB – CA
- Homestead ARB – FL
- MacDill AFB – FL
- Scott AFB – IL
- Seymour Johnson AFB – NC
- Cannon AFB – NM
- Holloman AFB – NM
- Kirtland AFB – NM
- Nellis AFB – NV
- JB Charleston – SC
- Goodfellow AFB – TX
- JBSA Sam Houston – TX
- JB Langely-Eustis – VA
- Fairchild AFB – WA
Free Christmas Trees at Army Posts
- Fort Rucker – AL
- Fort Huachuca – AZ
- U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground – AZ
- Fort Hunter Liggett – CA
- Fort Irwin – CA
- Fort Carson – CO
- Fort Benning – GA
- Fort Gordon – GA
- Fort Stewart – GA
- Hunter Army Air Field – GA
- Rock Island Arsenal – IL
- Fort Leavenworth – KS
- Fort Riley – KS
- Fort Campbell – KY
- Fort Knox – KY
- Fort Polk – LA
- Fort Leonard Wood – MO
- Fort Bragg – NC
- West Point – NY
- Fort Drum – NY
- Fort Sill – OK
- Fort Bliss – TX
- Fort Hood – TX
- JB Lewis-McChord – WA
- Fort McCoy – WI
Free Christmas Trees at Coast Guard Bases
- Sector San Francisco – CA
- Sector Jacksonville – FL
- Pay and Personnel Center – KS
- Sector New Orleans – LA
- Sector Detroit – MI
- Sector North Carolina – NC
- Sector New York – NY
- Sector Columbia River – OR
- Station Houston – TX
- USCG Base Portsmouth – VA
- BBK Bangor – WA
Free Christmas Trees at Marine Corps Bases
- MCAS YUMA – AZ
- MCAGCC Twentynine Palms – CA
- MCLB – Barstow – CA
- Camp Pendleton – CA
- MCAS Miramar – CA
- MCRD San Diego – CA
- Camp Lejeune – New River – NC
- MCAS Cherry Point – NC
- MCB Quantico – VA
Free Christmas Trees At Navy Bases
- NAS Lemoore – CA
- NAWS China Lake – CA
- Naval Base Ventura County – CA
- Naval Submarine Base New London – CT
- NAS Jacksonville – FL
- NS Mayport – FL
- NOTU Cape Canaveral – FL
- NAS Pensacola – FL
- NAS Whiting Field – FL
- NAS Key West – FL
- NSA Panama City – FL
- Naval Station Great Lakes – IL
- NAS JRB New Orleans – LA
- NAS Meridian – MS
- NCBC Gulfport – MS
- Naval Weapons Station Earle – NJ
- NSA Mid-South – TN
- NAS Corpus Christi – TX
- NAS Kingsville – TX
- NASJRB Fort Worth – TX
- JEB Little Creek-Fort Story – VA
- NWS Yorktown – VA
- NB Kitsap-Bangor – WA
Questions about your base? Please contact your local MWR office for more information. They will have the most accurate and up-to-date information, including times, locations and eligibility.
How You Can Help the Trees for Troops Program
If you want to make a donation or get involved, here are some ways you can help out:
- From the Trees for Troops website, buy a tree or make a tax-deductible donation toward the One Thousand Trees Campaign. Just $40 will send a tree to a deployed unit or a military family.
- If you are a federal employee, select #12283 in the combined federal campaign.
- Visit a participating farm during Trees for Troops weekend to volunteer or donate. There is a list of participating locations on the Trees for Troops website.
- When you buy your own family’s tree, ask if your vendor is involved in the Trees for Troops program. They may accept donations on the spot.
- If you are employed, ask if your company will match your contribution, since it is to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
- Finally, follow Trees for Troops on social media, and share their posts so more people can learn about this program!
Since Trees for Troops is a program that can benefit both service members deployed overseas and military families stationed stateside, it is important to spread the word and let others know about this resource.
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Anne Siminski says
Good Day
I would like information with regard to sending a tree to my son deployed overseas . I recall sending him a tree in 2015, however, I do. It remember how I went about it. It was a live tree with stand and went sent decorations made by local students
Please let me know if you can assist me with the process
Thank you
Barbara Goode says
Hello,
Are there any military camps or facilities in central New York that participate in Trees for Troops? Our organization would like to make a donation to this very worthy cause but we must abide by certain selection criteria. One of the criteria is that the organization must benefit military families of central New York. Please confirm or deny.
Your timely response would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Barbara
Rick Dungey says
Ft. Drum …does that meet the criteria? They are getting trees. The other 2 NY state bases getting trees are West Point and the Reserve Center in New Windsor.
Deanna B Harrison says
Our club would like to raise money for the Christmas tree program.
Would you please send me information such as where to donate and when.
Thank you
Rick Dungey says
Many tree farms and lots have donation jars available, or you can donate online here https://www.christmasspiritfoundation.org/Donate