12/26/2025
Christmas hits different when you’re part of a force that never sleeps.
For most people, it’s a day to slow down and be with family. For a lot of the military, it’s another day on the schedule. Another watch, another patrol, another mission. The work doesn’t pause just because the calendar says Christmas.
Some of the most memorable Christmases aren’t the ones with a tree and a table full of food. They’re the ones spent in country or downrange, where you grab a quick meal when you can, call home if you’re lucky, and lean on the people next to you because they’re your family in that moment. It’s not glamorous. It’s just real. And it sticks with you.
We also want to say this clearly to the families back home. You carry your own load. You keep things steady, you make it feel normal for the kids, and you do it while missing someone you’d rather have right there with you. That sacrifice matters, and it doesn’t get said enough.
From all of us at CORE Survival, thank you to those serving and working through the holiday, and thank you to the families who are missing them today. We don’t take it lightly.
Share your stories with us. Merry Christmas. Stay sharp, stay safe, and get home when you can.
***A makeshift Christmas tree at OP Hotel in Ramadi in December 2005. (Courtesy of Joey Bennett) Task & Purpose