Manas Airmen improve on community legacy

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jerome Baysmore
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) --  Airmen of the 376th Expeditionary Mission Support Group and Security Forces Squadron here donated $1,403 Jan. 23 for infrastructure improvements in their near-by adopted village Oktyabrskoye.

Village mayor Galina Tereschuk met with visiting Manas AB Airmen and invited a small gathering of villagers to share the news of the upcoming water pump transformer maintenance that will ensure a constant flow of water throughout the village.

"We weren't looking to make this into a huge deal, we just wanted to help," said 1st Lt. Steven Falusi, the 376th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron officer in charge of logistics. "I had volunteered in other areas off base, but Capt. (Matthew) Simpson and I wanted to make a contribution that would impact a larger group of people." Captain Simpson is with the 376th Expeditionary Mission Support Group.

All together, 376th EMSG Airmen and the Village Partnership Committee members have donated $1,965, beginning with an earlier donation to cover village water pump repairs.

Ms. Tereschuk had worked with the village water and electric companies to fix the  previous problems, but the village couldn't spare any more to cover the additional expenses of upgrading the power transformer.

"Today members from the base have donated (funds) to assist us to repair the transformer to ensure everyone in the village has a constant supply of water," Ms. Tereschuk said through an interpreter during the check ceremony. "We thank them for their generosity, and we will make sure these repairs are made immediately." 

Lieutenant Falusi, a traditional guardsman with the Connecticut Air National Guard, said he felt the need to get involved after touring other villages in the area.

"They are a people who live a simple life. I felt that I needed to do something that would help a lot of people, so Captain Simpson and I decided to split the cost of the repairs," he said.

Oktyabrskoye is one of six villages the base supports through the Manas Service Organization that raises funds to support the Village Partnership Program.

Chief Master Sgt. Robert Petchell, the 376th ESFS security forces manager, said the VPC also helped other areas in the village such as donating blankets, food and gifts to the village elders, including many former Soviet Block WWII vets.

The chief's favorite memories come from working in village private preschool, he said. 

"I really enjoyed visiting with the villagers; primarily the kids, he said. "They are just like the kids at home; they love to play and want to teach us their ways.

"They do not make much money, just barely enough to pay for the teacher," the chief said. "Most parents can't pay or pay very little, so we helped them by building an outhouse, fixing their furnace, buying two tons of coal, donating lots of candy, school supplies and toys, plus the most important, playing with the kids."

Chief Petchell will return home soon, but will leave with great memories of this unique aspect of his deployment, he said.

"I will miss this part of my deployment experience," Chief Petchell said. "Who would have thought we would be working to help the people of an ex-Soviet Block country?

It didn't take long for both sides to realize that people, and their needs, are the same all over the world, he said.

"We kept coming back because it was the right thing to do and we really enjoyed it," the chief said. 

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