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Airman First Class Aaron Frank said it felt 鈥渁 little weird鈥� being away from family during the holidays, eating alone on Christmas Day at the Thunderbird Inn Military Dining Facility on Kirtland Air Force Base.

But Frank knows sacrificing those days of gathering for many families and friends across the country comes with the job as an active-duty service member, a role he coveted since childhood.

鈥淚 never imagined myself doing anything else,鈥� said Frank, an 18-year-old from Iowa who landed at KAFB last week. 鈥淭his whole year has been strange for me, being away from family for the first time, especially around the holidays. 鈥� But it鈥檚 not the worst-case scenario.鈥�

Frank was one of dozens of junior enlisted airmen, retirees and their families gifted a holiday meal this Christmas, served by the base鈥檚 installation commander and leadership from the 58th Special Operations and 150th Special Operations Wings.

A Kirtland spokesperson wasn鈥檛 sure how long base personnel had put on the Christmas lunch but said it has become an annual tradition that has cultivated a sense of community. On Wednesday, military personnel ate ham, turkey, prime rib, mashed potatoes and a variety of pies.

They were also serenaded by local entertainer Robert Burns, who sang his version of 鈥淚鈥檒l Be Home for Christmas鈥� and other Christmas-themed songs.

The Kirtland dining hall wasn鈥檛 the only site that served as a gathering place on Christmas. A short drive away at the Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center, seniors congregated for a lunch hosted by the city of sa国际传媒官网网页入口.

Like the junior airman at KAFB, seniors eating lunch at the center were able to get in the holiday mood with music from a local mariachi band and food that included roast beef, mashed potatoes and posole served by workers and volunteers associated with the city鈥檚 Department of Senior Affairs.

Richard and Arlys Dove of sa国际传媒官网网页入口 talked over their meal about joining the center as members a year ago.

Richard also reminisced about his time in the Vietnam War, where he served as a sniper in the Army, and his job as a driver for North American Van Lines, driving through the crowded cities of California.

That struck a response from Raj Pal Singh, a retired postal worker, who called sa国际传媒官网网页入口 鈥渢he perfect size鈥� city to live in.

鈥淚 chose (sa国际传媒官网网页入口) because of the weather 鈥� weather and the right size,鈥� said Singh. 鈥淭his is one of the best places.鈥�

Singh was also appreciative of sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 senior centers, saying he goes often to the centers around town to take part in activities like reading and special events.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what old people would do without senior centers,鈥� he joked.

Back at the base, Airman First Class Connor Kehoe weighed going back in the food line for a serving of prime rib, shortly after clearing a plate of turkey and ham.

Later that evening, the 19-year-old planned to FaceTime his family back home in Oregon and watch the Christmas movie 鈥淒ie Hard,鈥� featuring Bruce Willis.

鈥淢ight do the series,鈥� he said.