DECEMBER 2, 2025 – Seven New York Army National Guard Soldiers and Airmen joined local veterans to load 150 Christmas trees earmarked military bases around the country on board a truck at Ellms Tree Farm in Ballston Spa on Dec. 1.
This was the 21st year tree farmers in the area donated to the “Trees for Troops” program. The donated trees are destined for service members and their families around the country.
This year, Soldiers of the New York Army National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters, based in Troy and the Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing pitched into help load up the trees.
Five hundred and fifty members of the 42nd Division are deployed to the Middle East and Two hundred Airmen from the 109th are deployed in support of Operation Deep Freeze, the National Science Foundation support to research in Antarctica.
The volunteers make loading the trees easy said Garth Ellms, owner of Ellms Family Farms.
“It goes very quick,” Ellms said. “We have a lot of troops that come in and so they work fast. FedEx rolls in, FedEx handles actually all the trucking of the trees for free throughout the entire country.”
For some of the volunteers, showing up was paying back for receiving trees in past deployments.
“The first time I did it, it was in 2021, and it was a great experience,” said New York Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Mitchell Mihalko, a recruiter assigned to the 109th Airlift Wing. “How could I say no to an opportunity like this?”
“2022, the winter of that holiday season, I was deployed, I received a tree while I was deployed,” Mihalko said. “So to be on both ends of the spectrum, to see the start and the finished product, it made me feel like I had a duty to come back and to return the favor.”
In New York, trees will be delivered in December to military families at Fort Drum, West Point, the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station and the U.S. Coast Guard Sector in New York City, along with other deliveries to 88 other military sites around the country.
Fresh-cut Christmas trees are gathered at regional farms and retail lots before pick up by FedEx and routed through distribution centers for delivery to military bases.
The movement, and the morning loadout of trees, including members of the FedEx shipping team who volunteered to be part of the Trees for Troops event.
Getting an opportunity to sign up for the event was easy for Mark Burby from FedEx, who said he has volunteered to be on the loadout team five times.
“I’m a veteran and I’m the senior guy,” Burby said, ensuring he has a role in the event.
“It’s about helping out other vets,” Burby said about his motivation. “I’m a vet and that’s what you think when you help out other vets.”
Since 2005, Trees for Troops has provided 326,273 Christmas Trees to military families and troops in the United States and overseas.
Military volunteers from the National Guard turn out each year to load and unload the trees, knowing they will be delivered to other military families around the country.
It is a very satisfying feeling to be part of that, said Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Elizabeth Felix.
“I’m happy to be here, it’s such an honor,” Felix said. “This is great support for the troops and that’s why I’m here to give my time, supporting you guys supporting us.”
“It’s a great thing you guys are doing so I want to support you guys,” she said.
Trees are expected to be delivered next week for distribution to troops and families.
Story by Richard Goldenberg
New York National Guard