'Strangers' come through for local soldiers in Iraq

Arizona Daily Star ^ | 9/18/04 | Carol Ann Alaimo

[SandRat]

Published: 09.18.2004

'Strangers' come through for local soldiers in Iraq

By Carol Ann Alaimo

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Jeffry Scott / Arizona Daily Star Donated for soldiers in Iraq who lost their personal belongings in a fire, a wide variety of useful items are sorted by Elks Club Tucson East Lodge members, from left, Florence John, Connie Mills and Tom DeRousse. Local businesses helped with donations.

 

Beyond basic

 

The Army provides troops with basics, but soldiers supply their own grooming products and personal items. They include:

 

 

Standard Issue:

 

• Combat fatigues
   
• Boots
   
• Canteens
   
• Protective equipment
   
• Service weapons
   
• Fitness wear

 

Personal items:

 

• Sunglasses
   
• Toiletries
   
• Batteries
   
• Baby wipes
   
• Hair clippers
   

 

The kindness of strangers can amaze those it touches. Especially when they're at war on the other side of the world.

 

About 130 members of a local Army Reserve unit in Iraq recently lost all their personal belongings when their rustic living quarters were destroyed by an electrical fire.

 

Much of what they lost soon will be replaced, thanks to several city merchants and the efforts of a local fraternal group.

 

"Words can't explain what it's like, this total outpouring of strangers helping us," said Master Sgt. Victoria Scuola-Brandt of the Tucson-based 208th Transportation Company, which sent scores of citizen soldiers to the deserts west of Baghdad in February.

 

She said the troops are deeply moved by the generosity of the community and the Tucson East Elks Lodge.

 

"They just think it's great, it's really wonderful that people are behind us."

 

Scuola-Brandt, who stayed behind in Tucson as a unit administrator, got word of the fire a few weeks ago when e-mails arrived showing pictures of the charred aircraft hangar that had served as a makeshift barracks.

 

"It was pretty emotional," she said of the news.

 

"The good news is everybody's alive. But they lost everything. The only thing they had left were the uniforms they were wearing."

 

The Army provides troops with basic gear such as battle fatigues, boots and bedding. Personal items like toiletries, batteries, books, sunglasses and sleepwear are the soldiers' responsibility.

 

But the Tucson reservists are stationed "in the middle of nowhere," Scuola-Brandt said. There's no military exchange store nearby, and getting to one posed a challenge "especially with all the fighting going on now," she said.

 

Members of the Elks Lodge, who had made plans to adopt the unit's soldiers overseas, knocked on doors of local businesses with word of their plight.

 

Sears, Safeway, Bashas', Mervyn's and the military exchange store at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base answered the call, kicking in donations of goods. Members of the lodge, 615 S. Pantano Road, added to the loot.

 

At last count, about $5,000 worth of merchandise was amassed, including hair clippers, batteries, sunglasses, sleepwear, track suits and toiletries, said Elks member Nancy Browne.

 

Browne and other members spent Friday evening packing up the bounty. They made arrangements with D-M to have the shipment airlifted to the Tucson troops, she said.

 

Browne, a retired Army major and Gulf War veteran who organized the effort, said her heart went out to the fire victims because she knows what it's like to serve overseas with few comforts.

 

"We hope this brings them a little bit of home." Browne said.

 

"It's basically just Tucsonans taking care of Tucsonans. That's what I like about Tucson."

 

Contact reporter Carol Ann Alaimo at 573-4138 or calaimo@azstarnet.com.

 

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[SandRat]

Strangers helping Soldiers

[Cate]

Stories like this just confirm that the USA is the best place to be. We are a proud nation of people who ALWAYS come through when the chips are down. And the best part of is that we are never alone in our endeavors that benefit one another.

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[SwatTeam]

I like these type of human interest stories. It reinforces my belief in the basic moral goodness in people. Thanks.

[VOA]

publicity bump

[Americanwolf]

Good news and support bump!

[TEXOKIE]

This is now an official Prayer Warrior Field Trip thread destination!