NTM-A troops participate in reading program in Kabul school

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. April Lapetoda
  • NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan Public Affairs
KABUL, Afghanistan (AFNS) --  Several NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan members visited a local school March 15 here to read to school children as part of an outreach program.

"This program is good for the children," said Army Capt. David Zielinski, NTM-A Afghan media outreach branch chief. "It gives them the opportunity to interact with servicemembers. We  get to answer their questions. It also gives us the opportunity to interact with the local community."

NTM-A members have hosted the reading program for the last six months and servicemembers from different nations have participated in the program every few weeks.

"It was nice; I haven't been in a classroom like that or around kids in a while," said Senior Airman William Daugherty, a desk sergeant and patrolman at NTM-A.

His co-worker agreed.

"I didn't know what to expect, (but) I was surprised by how well they speak English," said Airman Nicholas Johnson, who is also a patrolman in NTM-A.

In addition to reading, the servicemembers also sang, danced and decorated cupcakes with the first grade and younger students.

"The program is very valuable ... it's very important for the kids," said Heidi Miller, a kindergarten teacher at the school. "It shows the kids the difference between what they may have thought about the troops in Afghanistan and teaches them they are here to help for peace, and they can have fun. It shows the children that the troops are men and women with names, families and faces."