Orphanage favorite off-duty destination for Manas Airmen

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Lara Gale
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BELOVODSKY, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) --  Children at an orphanage here have become accustomed to a weekly ritual. Teachers wake them from naps or gather them from activities into a common area, the door opens, and people with boxes, bags and armfuls of treats walk in. 

The kids run for hugs and in a moment they’re scattered like it’s Christmas morning -- toys in one hand and cookies in the other -- making up games, or playing quietly by themselves with new treasures. 

Senior Airman Trammel Johnson, who organizes trips to the orphanage, has a hard time letting a week pass without making this happen. 

“I always tell myself, ‘I’m taking this one day,’ but I end up going back again,” he said. “I feel obligated to the children, they’re always so excited to see us.” 

The orphanage is home to about 300 children, ages 4 to 18, with mental and physical disabilities. Some children here have parents who need help supporting their special-needs child, but most have no family, said Dr. Vera Usurkanova, director of the orphanage. The orphanage’s dozen teachers and support staff fill the parenting role with love and care, but material goods can be hard to come by. This is where volunteer Airmen have stepped in. 

“It seems like every week somebody comes with a box of something,” Airman Johnson said.

Families and friends at home often send boxes of stuffed animals, toys and candy. Plastic bead necklaces are one of the most popular items. 

Master Sgt. Bert Quick, first sergeant for the 376th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, wrote home for paint for construction projects on the playground and ended up with 24 gallons donated by Home Depot. 

The playground has become the pet project of structures specialists from the 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, who enjoy not only bringing treats, but also using their talents and skills to bring smiles to the kids’ faces. 

When they aren’t building things on base, Senior Airman John Burgess and Staff Sgt. Scott Williams have volunteered on their days off to build things here. Early last month they built stairs to the top of the slides for children unable to negotiate the ladder, and painted a gazebo near the playground. 

Last week, as rain on a freezing day turned to snow, they spent two hours on the playground with a group of volunteers, installing a double seesaw and monkey bars.

“It’s fun,” Sergeant Williams said. “We can do it, so why not? It’s something that will last these kids for years.” 

This week, they built an outdoor crib to replace one in disrepair, which will allow bed-ridden children to lie in the sun and take in fresh spring air. 

As much as the children look forward to their weekly surprises, the Airmen look forward to delivering them, Airman Johnson said. He never has trouble finding Airmen to participate in his trips; eight to 12 accompany him every week. 

This week, a volunteer organization on base known as the Manas Air Base Outreach Society granted about $2,500 to fund a large-scale plumbing project at the orphanage. It will restore water to a section of the building that houses a third of the children for the first time in longer than a year. 

There are plenty of ways to spend time off, but it’s hard to find anything better than this, Airman Johnson said.