Alamogordo NM
11-28-2025 2:48am

Sweetening the Holidays: The Heartwarming History of Holloman’s Airmen Cookie Drive and 2025 Highlights

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. – In the shadow of the Sacramento Mountains, where the high-desert winds whisper tales of resilience and service, the Holloman Air Force Base Airmen Cookie Drive stands as a cherished tradition that turns simple baked goods into symbols of community warmth. For over a decade, this annual effort—spearheaded by the Holloman Spouses Organization in partnership with the base’s First Sergeants Association—has brought homemade holiday cheer to young airmen far from home, reminding them they’re not alone during the season of giving.

A Legacy Born of Gratitude and Camaraderie

The roots of the Cookie Drive trace back to the early 2010s, emerging from the tight-knit spirit of Holloman AFB, established in 1942 as Alamogordo Army Air Field amid World War II’s urgent call for pilot training. As the base evolved into a hub for advanced aviation—hosting everything from F-16 Fighting Falcons to MQ-9 Reaper drones and international allies like the German Luftwaffe—it became a beacon for service members from across the globe, many of whom live in on-base dorms and pull holiday shifts guarding the nation’s skies.

The drive’s official launch is often credited to around 2012, when spouses and first sergeants recognized the quiet loneliness of dorm-dwelling airmen during Christmas. “It’s about giving every Airman a bit of homemade Christmas,” explained Staff Sgt. Brenna Reineck-Watson in 2021, capturing the event’s ethos of small gestures with big impact. What started as a modest call for a few hundred dozen cookies quickly snowballed into a community-wide phenomenon, blending Alamogordo’s baking traditions—think crisp ginger snaps, chewy oatmeal raisins, and nut-free chocolate chips—with the base’s culture of service.

By 2021, the drive had matured into a well-oiled holiday ritual, requesting 1,049 dozen cookies to stock dorm stockings for over 1,000 airmen. Drop-offs at the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce and Holloman’s Community Activities Center buzzed with volunteers sorting fragrant bags, while the community exceeded goals: 1,149 dozen poured in on the first day alone, plus over 200 more the next morning. That year, the request doubled to 2,049 dozen to accommodate Task Force-Holloman’s expanded personnel, underscoring the event’s adaptability to the base’s growing mission.

Fast-forward to 2022, and the drive delivered bags of treats to 1,200 dorm residents, with spouses and sergeants personally distributing them on December 5—a touch that turned recipients like Airman 1st Class Jason Robinson into wide-eyed symbols of joy. By 2024, community generosity hit new heights with more than 890 dozen donated, filling stockings for airmen working through the holidays and reinforcing Holloman’s role as a “proud member of the local community since 1942.” Each year, the event evolves slightly—incorporating allergy-aware guidelines (no nuts, please!) and pre-packaged bags of three cookies—but its core remains unchanged: bridging the gap between base and town, one crumbly bite at a time.

This tradition isn’t just about sweets; it’s a thread in Alamogordo’s fabric of gratitude, echoing the base’s history of innovation—from training space chimps Ham and Enos in the 1960s to modern UAV testing. As the Holloman Spouses Organization notes, it’s a way to honor those “unable to return home,” fostering the same resilience that has defined the base for eight decades.

2025: Raising the Bar with a 15,000-Cookie Goal

This year, the drive is sweeter than ever, aiming for an ambitious 15,000 cookies (that’s 5,000 dozen!) to treat the base’s 1,200+ dorm airmen amid a bustling holiday season. Organized by the Holloman Spouses Organization, the event emphasizes pre-packaged bags of three cookies each—no nuts, to keep everyone safe—and invites bakers, families, and businesses to join the fun.

Drop-off details are straightforward and welcoming:

• Off-base: Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce, 1301 N. White Sands Blvd., Sunday, Dec. 7, from 2–4 p.m.

• On-base (with access): Holloman Community Activities Center, 722 Idaho Ave., Building 325, Saturday, Dec. 6, from noon–5 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 7, from 7 a.m.–4 p.m.

Volunteers are needed to help sort and distribute—email HollomanCookies@gmail.com to sign up or ask questions.

Last year’s success (890+ dozen) sets a high bar, but with Alamogordo’s legendary community spirit, exceeding 15,000 feels within reach. As one organizer shared, “Dorm Airmen receive treats as part of the annual Airmen cookie drive aimed at service members who may have to work during the holidays.”

Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just dropping off a store-bought batch, your contribution stocks those dorm stockings and spreads joy across the Tularosa Basin. In a world of fleeting connections, the Holloman Cookie Drive proves that a cookie—and a community—can make all the difference.

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