Tallil airmen donate clothes to Iraqis

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Bob Oldham
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
Airmen here have found a way to become involved with the local Iraqi community through a joint operation with the Army.

As airmen leave the base after their tours of duty, many dispose of their civilian clothes. Officials here decided to collect the discarded clothes, clean them and give them to orphanages, schools and local families.

“There’s a lot of life left in those clothes,” said Chaplain (Maj.) Michael Warner, the base’s chaplain from Kadena Air Base, Japan. He is the wing’s focal point for the program, Project Good Will. “Our people want to do something to make a difference in the life of the Iraqis.”

Security requirements here limit the number of people who can actually leave the base. Airmen can only leave the confines of the base for mission-essential reasons, officials said. Volunteering is not considered mission-essential, but it is something airmen here have repeatedly asked chaplains and others to do.

Staff Sgt. Rusty Winge, a firefighter here from Yokota AB, Japan, and the rest of the base’s fire department prepare the clothes for distribution.

The base’s security forces airmen distribute the clothes when they are off base. They take clothes with them on patrol and give them to local families. In turn, they receive information about any bad guys that may be about. Soldiers also drop off clothes and supplies at orphanages and schools.

Some deployed airmen have contacted their home units, and airmen there are sending used children’s clothes here to be distributed to the orphanages and schools.

The fire department at Yokota held a toy, clothing and food drive. Some of those items are on their way to Iraq.

“Four boxes are in the mail,” Winge said.

It takes about two weeks for packages to arrive. Officials at Kadena have eight boxes of children’s clothes on the way.

“We’re looking for ways … to get clothes into the hands of some of the homeless children,” Warner said. “There are a lot of homeless kids who live on the street in An Nasyriah. If we could figure out a way that might not incite a riot or violence, then we might look at that as well.”

Warner said he thought it is human nature for airmen to want to help their fellow man, especially as the Christmas holiday approaches.

“I think at this time of the season that airmen are very reflective about giving … the gifts that they’ve received for the year, and (they) want to make a positive difference in lives of the Iraqis as a gesture of good will,” he said. “I think we see this as the best of human nature … when folks are wanting to give. Every day airmen come (to) my office and say, ‘What can I do for the Iraqis?’”

Project Good Will started with the Air and Space Expeditionary Force Blue rotation airmen. It stopped temporarily as airmen from Blue went home and AEF Silver airmen arrived, but it is back in full force. Warner said he expects the program to last through Silver and into future AEF rotations.