Troops, families connect via the Web at Thunder in the Rockies
In celebration of his 1-month birthday, Ryder Figler was the one doing the gift-giving on Saturday, even if he didn’t quite realize it.
Cradled in his mother’s arms, Ryder yawned and blankly stared into a webcam as his father, Sgt. Josh Figler, watched the first live images he’d seen of his newborn son.
“He actually looks happy instead of crying the whole time,” Figler said from Al Asad Airbase in Iraq, laughing with his wife, Michelle Figler, while she watched her husband on a computer screen in Loveland.
The Figlers were able to reunite Saturday thanks to a live video satellite feed provided to troops and their families at Thunder in the Rockies at The Ranch.
Starting at 10 a.m., troops at five bases in Iraq were able to hear and see live messages from family, newly inducted cadets and supporters until 2 p.m.
Larimer County Commissioner and eight-year Navy vet Randy Eubanks said connecting troops and their families is invaluable for troop morale.
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