Comfort bears from Vance heading to USS Laboon Published Dec. 2, 2009 By Joe B. Wiles 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The sailors aboard the USS Laboon will find a comfort bear in their Christmas stocking this year thanks to the work of Kim Winfield and the children in the School Age Program on base. The cloth bears are hand made by the SAP children to give to military members who deploy. Ensign Jeff Jaglowicz, a former Vance student pilot with the U.S. Navy, currently assigned as an electronic warfare officer on the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Laboon, heard about the bears during his time here. He contacted Marsha Williams, the Vance Arts & Crafts Center manager, asking her if it was possible to get some comfort bears for distribution to the 23 officers and 315 sailors on the USS Laboon during their Dec. 18 Christmas party. Ms. Williams contacted Ms. Winfield, the director of SAP, and the wrapping and packing began. A box of 350 comfort bears will be in the mail soon. The comfort bears are a standard item in the packages mailed to deployed Airmen and Soldiers by the Airman & Family Readiness Center at Vance. "We have mailed out 59 of the bears," said Tech. Sgt. Bobbie White, Readiness NCO with the A&FRC. Each bear comes with the following note attached: I'm your little special Bear And this is what I do... Just put me in your pocket And know I'm thinking of you. When I cannot be with you As I would love to be... Just reach into your pocket For that is where I'll be.