G-5 section provides humanitarian aid

Photo By Staff Sgt. Ty Stafford | Staff Sgt. Laurie Miller, 221st Military Intelligence Batallion, hands out an Operation Iraqi Children school supply kit to a student at the Abu Hassan school near Logistical Support Area Anaconda.  

03.16.2006

Courtesy Story

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An important goal inherent within the mission of the 3rd Corps Support Command civil affairs (G-5) section is humanitarian assistance. This involves 'short-range programs aimed at ending or alleviating human suffering. HA is usually conducted in response to natural or man-made disasters, including combat which may take the form of disaster relief or refugee assistance. HA is designed to supplement or complement the efforts of host-nation civil authorities or agencies, which have primary responsibility for providing relief."

To that end, the solicitation, collection and subsequent distribution of needed humanitarian supplies is a daily routine for select members of the G-5 staff. On any given day, one can expect the delivery of large boxes of supplies from tenant units here.

Soldiers at Logistical Support Area Anaconda have received a myriad of donated supplies from family members, churches or schools andcommunity groups. The groups decided to contribute to the betterment of the Iraqi people.

Donated supplies include everything from toothbrushes to teddy bears, blankets to bandages.

One very popular grassroots humanitarian aid program receiving a significant amount of press coverage and one in which the 3rd COSCOM G-5 is intimately involved is called Operation Iraqi Children (OiC).

OiC, is a Kansas City, Mo. based, non-profit/non-governmental funded program created in March 2004 by actor Gary Sinise and author Laura Hillenbrand with the mission of providing school supply kits to Iraqi children.

The 3rd COSCOM G-5 is actually the primary entity responsible for the coordination of the receipt of goods from Kuwait via the United States and their distribution throughout the Iraqi theater.

Since the 3rd COSCOM G-5 became involved in this initiative, in October 2005, the process of moving pallets of supplies from the OiC warehouse in Missouri to LSA Anaconda and subsequently to civil affairs personnel in each of the Multi-National Divisions has proven to be very effective. To date, thousands of school supply kits have been delivered into the hands of children throughout Iraq.

• Date Taken: 03.16.2006
• Date Posted: 03.16.2006 09:16
• Story ID: 5746