COURTESY OF BANGOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

For more than three decades, one of Bangor’s proudest traditions has begun with a simple act: showing up.

In 1991, thousands descended on Bangor International Airport to welcome home troops returning from Operation Desert Storm and support those deploying to areas of conflict. Veterans, families, students, scout groups, and neighbors filled the terminal, sometimes lining the airport access road with cars. From those extraordinary gatherings grew what would become the Maine Troop Greeters & Museum, and a tradition now known by generations of American service members.

Since formal recordkeeping began in 2003, Maine Troop Greeters have welcomed more than 1.6 million service members through BGR. For those returning from deployment, Bangor may be their first step back on American soil. For those deploying, it may be one of their last stops before heading overseas. In either direction, the mission is simple: be there. A handshake. A smile. Applause. A sincere “thank you.” A reminder that someone recognizes their service.

Continuing that tradition requires something important — the next generation of Maine Troop Greeters. The organization is entirely volunteer-driven, and preserving this uniquely Bangor tradition means welcoming new people into its ranks. You do not need to be a veteran or have a military connection. You simply need a willingness to show up and offer a few moments of gratitude to the men and women who serve our country.

And today, there is more to the mission than greeting flights. Over the years, service members have left behind thousands of challenge coins, patches, flags, photographs, letters and other pieces of military history as tokens of appreciation. Those gifts became the foundation of the Maine Troop Greeters Museum at BGR and expanded the organization’s mission from welcoming those serving today to preserving their stories for tomorrow.

The Maine Troop Greeters welcomes new members and greatly appreciates donations, which are used to purchase snacks and toiletry items for soldiers, as well as help with museum operations. If you are at the airport when a troop flight arrives, please join us in welcoming and thanking the transiting troops. Greeting these men and women who serve our country is a memorable experience and unique to Bangor, Maine.