Air Force families given the go-ahead for early Christmas decorations after outcry
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Families assigned to two Air Force bases can officially put up Christmas decorations after an outpouring of, well, let’s call it “holiday cheer,” prompted a private housing management company to clarify its policy on decking the halls.
The privatized housing management offices for Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, and Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, have let residents know that community guidelines specifying that winter decorations cannot be displayed until the last week of November are not as hard and fast as they might seem.
“Our holiday decoration guidelines are designed to provide a general framework to help maintain consistency in our communities,” said a spokesperson for Balfour Beatty Communities, which manages privatized housing at both bases. “We value the joy and creativity our residents bring to their neighborhoods, especially during the holidays, and apologize for any confusion.”
This holiday tale began last week, when Task & Purpose reported on a message from Balfour Beatty Communities at Tyndall that directed residents of privatized housing to take down exterior Christmas decorations per the community guidelines.
“All holiday decorations should be reflective in their respective months and not any sooner than 30 days before the given holiday,” according to the message, which was posted on the unofficial Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page. “If you currently have Yuletide decor present on the outside of your home, please remove it and reinstall it in accordance with your community guidelines listed below.”
After Task & Purpose first published the story on Nov. 7, it was picked up by a variety of news outlets, ricocheting around the internet like an errant pellet from a Red Ryder BB gun, generating a tidal wave of Christmas spirit.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large">
<figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Santa Claus waves from the cockpit of an F-16. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Crystal Charriere.</figcaption></figure>On Monday, the privatized housing management office for Tyndall posted a message on Facebook seeking to “clarify and acknowledge recent concerns” about the community guidelines on displaying Christmas decorations.
“We want to be clear: the 30-day guideline was never meant to be strictly enforced, and we regret any confusion or frustration it may have caused,” said the message from Tyndall AFB Homes, which is managed by Balfour Beatty Communities. “We value the joy and creativity our residents bring to the community — especially during the holidays — and we fully support your right to celebrate in ways that feel meaningful to you.”
The office also conceded that it could have done a better job conveying its guidelines on holiday décor.
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“We recognize that the way this was communicated may have felt overly strict or out of step with the spirit of the season,” the Facebook post says.
The message also thanked everyone who shared their feedback about holiday decorations.
“We’re listening, and we’re committed to making sure our policies reflect the warmth and inclusivity that make this community special,” the message says.
A spokesman for Tyndall told Task & Purpose on Wednesday that he had no new information on the matter and referred questions to Balfour Beatty Communities.
The apparent confusion about decorations was not limited to Tyndall. The privatized housing management office at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota issued the same message to residents on Tuesday.
The office, which is part of the Balfour Beatty Communities network, posted a Nov. 4 message on its Facebook page reminding residents that winter decorations can be displayed from the week after Thanksgiving until New Year’s, said Master Sgt. BreeAnn Sachs, the chief spokeswoman for the base.
Residents were not told to remove or take down their Christmas decorations, Sachs said on Wednesday.
“The guidelines the privatized housing management office issued are part of the community standards residents voluntarily agree to when signing their legally binding lease agreements,” Sachs said. “These community standards are not part of or dictated by Dept. of the Air Force directives or policy, but by Balfour Beatty Communities at the corporate level.”
But, as it turns out, these guidelines can’t stop Christmas from coming early.
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