JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- Operation Home Cooking is celebrating its 50th year today as more than 700 Air Force trainees spend Thanksgiving with 289 host families from San Antonio and surrounding communities across the region.
Trainees were picked Thanksgiving morning by host families for a day of celebration, continuing a half-century tradition that has become one of the most meaningful expressions of support in Military City, USA.
“Operation Home Cooking reflects the incredible support our community shows our trainees every year,” said Col. William “Bill” Ackman, commander, 737th Training Group. “The warmth and kindness shown by these families, not only makes this tradition meaningful, but also reinforces what it means to serve in a city that cares deeply about its military.”
A key part of the program’s success is the dedication of longtime organizers, including Laurie Pozorski, chief of Basic Military Training’s scheduling office.
Pozorski has been pairing trainees with families for 30 years. Her work has helped sustain tradition and ensure every participating trainee is matched with a welcome home for the holiday.
The program, coordinated by the 737th Training Group, pairs Basic Military Training trainees in the sixth week of training with volunteer families who open their homes for Thanksgiving. Many families return year after year, some for generations, creating lasting connections that often extend well beyond the holiday.
As Operation Home Cooking marks its 50th anniversary, it continues to bring people together, foster belonging, and ensure Airmen experience the warmth of the holidays as they begin their Air Force journey.
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