When Anthony Lesterson wakes up every morning at a U.S. Army training base in Eastern Europe, one of the first things he does is turn on the coffee pot. As a retired 26-year U.S. Air Force veteran, he knows that coffee is a fixture in the military.

“Any military organization knows that the first thing you do is a big coffee set-up,” Lesterson said during a virtual call from his office at the base. “People are going to hit it all morning. And you want them to have it because it gets them going. They’re early risers.”

Lesterson is deployed in Eastern Europe to support military members on active duty and their families through the Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) & International Services of the American Red Cross. Each year, they assist more than 240,000 military and veteran families by leveraging a network of volunteers across the country and around the world.

This is Lesterson’s first deployment since joining the Red Cross in Michigan as senior regional program specialist for the SAF in December 2022.

Lesterson has been busy assimilating into his role since arriving last month. This includes being a conduit between military members and their families back home and coordinating activities for military members, in partnership with the United Service Organizations (USO) and Army Military Welfare and Recreation (MWR). The USO is known for bringing entertainers to troops around the world; the MWR provides a variety of community, soldier and family support activities and services. Together, Lesterson, the USO and MWR support about 1,000 military members.

“I want to make sure they are being taken care of, even if it’s the simple things like coffee and snacks,” he said. “I tell them, come in here (his office), grab something (from the table of fresh fruit, candy bars and other assorted snacks), sit down for a few minutes, talk to me. I ask them how things are going. I do that a lot.”

On a recent day, Lesterson moderated a bingo game. Next, he is working on bringing in a local yoga instructor for yoga classes and planning a pancake dinner. There also have been movie nights and barbecues. CPR training may be in the offing soon, he said.

“We take turns sponsoring different activities,” he said of the USO and MWR.

From experience, Lesterson knows the rigors of military deployment. In his role as a SAF Red Crosser, Lesterson aims to be a morale booster and confidant for military members.

“I’m trying to be that person who motivates them, that inspires them and makes them feel welcome,” he said. “And to let them know that they are appreciated. I appreciate them for what they are doing here.”Lesterson said he has been warmly received by military members.

“They are glad the Red Cross is here to support them during their deployment while serving their country in Eastern Europe,” he said.

Lesterson gets up at 7 a.m. every morning, without the benefit of an alarm clock. He awakes to the grunts and chants of military members going through their daily physical training outside the window of his barracks.During a recent warming trend, temperatures were in the low 80s. Before that, it rained every day for 14 days and temperatures dropped to the middle 50s.

“It’s not too far from Michigan (weather),” he said, adding that the sun starts rising about 4-430 a.m. The time difference between Michigan and Eastern Europe is six hours.

“I’m happy to be here,” Lesterson said. “It’s another chance for me to come here and serve the people in uniform now that I’m not in the military. It’s another way for me to contribute and be that morale support, be that friendly smile.”

By David Olejarz, Regional Communications Director