Photo By Staff Sgt. Karonda Fleming | Staff Sgt. James E. Morris, 130th Engineer Brigade, hands out clothes, shoes, and toys...... read more read more
LSA ANACONDA, Iraq - Soldiers often find themselves routinely performing the same missions each day throughout their deployment in Iraq. However, the 130th Engineer Brigade has found a love for donating to the Iraqi community in addition to their typical jobs.
The unit's time outside the wire is usually limited to repairing potholes, managing routes, and constructing forward operating bases, said Capt. Brian J. Henderson, commander of Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 130th Engineer Brigade, based in Hanau, Germany.
Henderson, whose hometown is Martinsville, Va., said interactions with the Iraqi citizens were normally restricted to friendly waves as the unit traveled to various bases. "We wanted to try to get out and do a little more," he said.
The 329th Civil Affairs Battalion helped coordinate frequent visits to the Almaq Sood School, just outside of LSA Anaconda. The first mission to the school was in June, said Sgt. Andrea P. Migliore, noncommissioned officer in charge of Personnel Actions Company, HHC, 130th Engineer Brigade Since then, there have been more visits to the school, which toys, candy, shoes, and clothes were donated.
Migliore, whose hometown is Pennsville, N.J., said she realized after her first visit to the school that none of the children had shoes to wear. "I sent out a mass email to friends and family back home, and now, I have over three hundred pairs of shoes that will be donated to the Iraqi community."
There are only 40 students at Almaq Sood School, Migliore said. The rest of the shoes will go to other schools within Iraq. Spc. Joel P. Jessen, operations specialist, whose hometown is Hardin, Mont., said doing civil affairs missions gives him a sense that he is doing something good for the local Iraqis. All of the missions Soldiers conduct here are important, he said. However, donating to the children gives a better sense of helping people.
"The interaction with the kids made me feel happy,
| Date Taken: | 09.01.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 09.01.2006 12:07 |
| Story ID: | 7604 |
| Location: | BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 318 |
| Downloads: | 217 |
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