Balad leads from front in season of giving

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Josh Moshier
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  No matter what holiday you celebrate -- Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or any other -- this time of year is generally regarded as the season for giving and a time to share.

One might wonder, then, why the spirit of this season isn't observed all year.

But it is here at Balad, where many Airmen celebrate giving every day. Through programs such as "Blankets for Balad," "Operation Kindness Explosion," "Operation Iraqi Outreach" and the base bottle cap drive, Airmen are providing citizens of Iraq with gifts that can make life easier, and are symbols of the friendship Americans are forging with these people.

According to Staff Sgt. Terry LaBreck, project leader for the 332nd Expeditionary Communications Squadron's Operation Iraqi Outreach, programs like these are much more than charity.

"I'm hoping (these programs) show the Iraqi people that we're here to help bring democracy to this country," he said. "They shouldn't have to live in fear."

Operation Iraqi Outreach is a program devoted to collecting and distributing toys to the children of Iraq. The gifts given -- soccer balls, stuffed animals, coloring books, crayons and more -- are often taken for granted by children in the United States. For the Iraqi children who receive them, they're a symbol of joy.

"We want to give kids the ability to have fun and enjoy themselves," Sergeant LaBreck said. "We want them to have the same opportunities children in the United States have."

Blankets for Balad is operated out of the Air Force Theater Hospital here and is intended to provide comfort and basic hygiene irems for Iraqi children.

A secondary purpose of the program is to reemphasize the humanitarian aspect of Operation Iraqi Freedom and to build trust with the local population who are seeking a peaceful future for Iraq, according to Staff Sgt. Yolanda Jackson, NCO in charge of the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group's donation programs.

Children who arrive at the hospital, whether for personal medical care or because members of their family have been killed or seriously injured and they have nowhere else to go, are presented with blankets, stuffed animals, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other items.

"These gifts make an immediate difference by providing comfort and hygiene items that might not be available in some of these communities," Sergeant Jackson said.
"Hopefully, the blankets and stuffed animals also are making a psychological difference to the children by providing a sense of security and stability in these transitioning times."

Sergeant Jackson witnessed firsthand the impact these gifts can have.

"I gave out the first blanket to a girl who lost family members from an insurgent's mortar attack," she said. "It was a bright yellow blanket, probably the brightest she'd ever seen. It was almost as bright as her face when she received it."

Operation Kindness Explosion was an initiative of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing chaplains. The program provides toys, candies and hygiene and school supplies to needy Iraqi children. Donations are collected and dropped off with the Army Civil Affairs office at Logistics Support Area Anaconda, which then delivers the various items to children during trips outside the wire.

According to Staff Sgt. Jason Noel, 332nd Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron and Operation Kindness Explosion representative, the program is about making a difference in the lives of children.

"(We want to) see the hearts and lives of kids changed through loving them in a practical and compassionate way: meeting their needs," Sergeant Noel said.

Airmen at Balad also spearhead a bottle cap drive throughout the Iraq theater of operations. The purpose of the drive is to collect bottle caps from the thousands of bottles of water consumed at bases throughout Iraq everyday and donate the caps to a French recycling company, which in turn provides a monetary donation toward the purchase of wheelchairs for needy children.

The project was initiated by Judith Zachrau, a sixth-grade teacher at Ramstein Middle School, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

According to Staff Sgt. Devin Carter, a lead representative for the bottle cap drive, the base's participation serves three purposes.

"This gives servicemembers here a (way) to give back to the world by helping the environment through recycling, to help a child in need and to continue to have a presence in the community," he said. "It shows that even though we're here facing all types of hardships, we can still find the time between mortar attacks to give to worthy causes. That speaks volumes to the character and values of everyone here at Balad and throughout the (area of responsibility)."

The common bond these programs share, beyond the spirit of giving, is they're symbols of the goodness of human nature and the willingness to assist those in need.

"The hardest feeling to describe is the one that comes from giving when you've made a difference in someone's life who is less fortunate," said Sergeant Jackson. "It's a profound fulfillment that, within your capacity, you made a difference."

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