Red Cross Volunteer Loves Her Work In Iraq

Defend America News ^ | Sgt. Waine D. Haley

[SandRat]

Red Cross workers Heather Ross and Michael Patton at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq. “I love working with the soldiers – I love hearing their stories – I love being part of this,” said Ross. U.S Army photo by Staff Sgt.Russell Lee Klika
Red Cross Heather Ross
Red Cross Volunteer Loves Her Work In Iraq
By Sgt. Waine D. Haley 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment TIKRIT, Iraq, April 17, 2006 — Every day, women are making history here in Iraq, but one Red Cross worker is making history one family at a time. Heather Ross, assistant station manager, Tikrit-American Red Cross, might not make the history books but she is a part of the soldiers’ and their families’ history while in Iraq. Ross started as a volunteer with the Red Cross in the United States. This is her fourth trip to this area and she is completing her second year in Iraq. “I love this job – I absolutely love this job,” Ross said. “I love working with the soldiers – I love hearing their stories – I love being part of this.” The main mission for the Red Cross is to provide a communication link between the American public and the Armed Forces. Ross and the other two members of her team assist the units and the soldiers in making a decision as to when a soldier needs to go home on emergency leave. The team also gets to relay good-news messages to soldiers who might be hard to contact. The Tikrit office has a coffee shop. It also gives away free gift cards for phone calls and the Army and Air Force Exchange Service. Businesses and people that support the Armed Services donate products.	U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Joshua P. Reasnor and Staff Sgt. Antony R. Towndrow, both from the 732nd Expeditionary Mission Support Group, receive gift checks to the Post Exchange, which were given out by the local Red Cross. U. S. Army photo by Sgt Waine D. Haley AAFES receives donations from military supporters for the gift checks and they also donate some. Thousands of dollars in phone cards and thousands of pounds of coffee are just some of the other things donated by military supporters in the United States. Ross and her team often stand outside the chow hall and hand out the gifts as people come through. If someone looks grumpy they might get a gift check just to cheer them up. “Every once-in-awhile you get to touch someone’s life at a personal level,” Ross said. “We have people all over the world but I feel like it means something to be over here.”

[SandRat]

Wonder how many Doughnut-Dolly Stories this will evoke???? Keep it clean now guys this is a family forum.

[stm]

People like this were always welcome and always willing to help, they were a true blessing. When I was there (03 - 04), civilians were strongly cautioned against wearing DCU's because they could be mistaken for combatants, putting them at considerably greater risk. I guess now it really doesn't matter if you are wearing an uniform everyone is pretty much at risk.

[pfflier]

The donut dollies I remember were, to be kind, fond of their food. I was never a big fan of the ARC, the Salvation Army did so much more for us while not seeking the publicity the ARC loves to generate.

That being said, I am proud of any Amercian that has the guts to go to Iraq and help the troops.