Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale (DDG 106) celebrated Christmas Dec. 25 while underway in the Gulf of Oman.

As part of the festivities, a special holiday meal was prepared by the culinary specialists aboard serving turkey, ham and a variety of sides and desserts.

“I’m used to being away because this is my fourth Christmas in the Navy,” said Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class Derrick Pollitt, a native of Melbourne, Kentucky. “The holiday meal we had, reminded me a little of home.”

Even though they were separated from their loved ones, the crew dressed in festive holiday attire and filed onto the mess decks with grins on their faces and trays full of food. They took time to enjoy the holiday spirit while remaining focused on the mission.

“The morale seems to be a little higher with this meal,” said Culinary Specialist 1st Class Miguel Escajeda, a native of Fontana, California. “It brings people closer together. We are out to sea, so we are all the family we have out here.”

In addition to the holiday meal, every Sailor received a stocking stuffed with a variety of items including hygiene products, a letter from a child, and playing cards. In total, the crew was provided with approximately 300 stockings. The stockings were put together by the command ombudsman.

“It’s really nice to know that someone is out there thinking about us while we’re out here during the holidays without family,” said Electronics Technician 2nd Class Alexej Halvorson, a native of Denver.

Over half of the crew participated in a tacky-sweater raffle, hosted by Stockdale’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program. Sailors who dressed in festive attire were given a raffle ticket which entered them into a drawing for a chance to win a prize.

“I wore a green and red Christmas wrapping paper suit,” said Cryptologic Technician (Technical) 2nd Class Scott Johnson, a native of Sacramento, California. “Since we aren’t able to celebrate Christmas in the traditional sense, you have to go all out and celebrate anyway you can.”

Stockdale is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points.

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