This year, sailors assigned to Training Support Center Great Lakes (TSC) onboard Naval Station Great Lakes (NSGL) will enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with local families thanks to the Adopt-a-Sailor program. 
    The Thanksgiving Adopt-a-Sailor is a program in which sailors are invited into families’ homes to share Thanksgiving dinner. It’s an opportunity for sailors to enjoy a home-cooked meal and the company of a family. It has been a tradition here at Great Lakes since World War I.
    In 2011, 120 families hosted 250 Great Lakes “A” School sailors from Naval Station Great Lakes. Sailors on board the base who would like to volunteer for this program are encouraged to talk to their chain of command as soon as possible.
    “The Adopt-a-Sailor program is such an awesome opportunity. It’s an opportunity for the community to reach out to our sailors and provide a home environment to them on a day when they are surely home sick,” said Capt. Peter R. Lintner, commanding officer for TSC.
    “The program gives the host family an opportunity to get to know the sailors and it’s such a welcome relief for our sailors. Many don’t have the leave time yet to go home for Thanksgiving and it can be a very depressing time for them.”
    Interested families are encouraged to visit the Training Support Center Great Lakes website at: