Military Appreciation Month with DFWAIC
recognizing our work with the military
Please enjoy our 2024 Facebook campaign, recognizing our long history and body of work in support of the U.S. military.
In recognition of Military Appreciation Month, we will be sharing some of our favorite memories supporting the military at DFW, throughout May. Our team of chaplains are grateful to be able to honor and support the members of the armed forces by providing spiritual and emotional support as they travel to and through our airport.
In 2003, the Army tested a trial run of rest and recuperation (R&R) charter flights through DFW. Among other considerations, the hospitality of a local grassroots effort to “Welcome Home A Hero” led the Army use DFW for the program from 2004 – 2012. Our chaplains logged countless hours receiving and returning over 450,000 military men & women who were coming home for a two week break from active duty in Iraq and in Afghanistan. It is one of our greatest honors to rise to this occasion and support our soldiers; whether it was a personal thank you, an offer for prayer, or connecting them to family – the small part we played in the R&R program holds a big part of our heart, in supporting the military.
In partnership with American Airlines, our chaplains support the Fallen Angel program by providing emotional and spiritual support to the military escorts traveling with fallen military and the families receiving their lost loved one. In recent years, the efforts of the Defense POW/MIA Agency have increased the fallen angel flights through DFW with repatriated remains from previous conflicts. Our chaplains are on hand for multiple flights each week, providing peace and prayer throughout the dignified transfer process.
#DFWAIC is humbled and proud to support Medal of Honor recipients, in life and in death. Each spring, DFW welcomes newly awarded recipients for a weekend of events. In 2020, Chaplain Fr. Greg McBrayer participated in the dignified transfer of Army Sgt. 1st Class Ron Rosser, who was awarded the MOH in 1952.
In the summer of 2019, #DFWAIC joined the community in honoring the lives and service of local military who fought in the invasion of Normandy. For the 75th anniversary of D-Day, eight veterans travelled to Paris, but not before American Airlines hosted them and their guests at the C.R. Smith with lunch, followed by cheers and waves from the community, to send them off with gratitude. The Chaplaincy was delighted to offer prayer and well wishes to some of our nation’s greatest heroes.