By Jenn Rowell, Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – Scott Notman, a Group Commander in the Royal Air Force (the equivalent of a colonel in the U.S. Air Force), already has two gifts to be thankful for this Christmas the predicted warm weather and the opportunity to enjoy it with his family.
Notman, who is attending Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, and his wife, Emma, who is with him, don't get to see their children on a daily basis. While dependents of U.S. military personnel often travel all over the world with their parents, that's not the rule for British military families.
While it's a tough concept for many Americans to understand, Emma noted that boarding school is a common solution for the British military, because is stabilizes education and friendships.
Scott said it's tough to be apart, but it's often easier than frequently moving military kids all over the world with varying school requirements and courses and having to make new friends at each stop.
Scott arrived in May so he could begin a six-week course at the International Officer School before starting his AWC course in July. Emma joined him in July and the couple will be here until May. Their children have remained in boarding school in the United Kingdom.
There's a six-hour time difference, but they kept in touch using Web cams, e-mails and phone calls. They usually talked with their children every day.
When they don't, it's usually because their children were busy enjoying friends and activities at their school, Scott said.
But they won't have to keep up with Heather, 12, and Alistair, 15, through trans-Atlantic connections during the holiday season.
Heather and Alistair, who are on holiday from school, arrived earlier this month and will be in Montgomery through the end of the year. They also were able to visit during summer holiday.
The South is very different from their home in the United Kingdom. Scott is originally from just outside Edinburgh, Scotland, and Emma is from Yorkshire in Great Britain. But, they like it here.
They've been to a Biscuits game, saw "West Side Story" at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and went to Lake Martin, Orlando, Fla., Atlanta and Destin, Fla., among other adventures.
"I loved Destin to bits, aside from the jellyfish stings," Heather said. This week, they're piling into a Winnebago and heading to Florida for the holiday.
Scott, Alistair and Heather had never been to the United States.