Posted on 08/08/2006 6:14:32 PM PDT by SandRat
8/8/2006 - KARADJE, Niger (AFPN) -- Niger villagers were smiling ear-to-ear when 14 Airmen from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, handed out soccer balls and rice in July.
The 787th Air Expeditionary Squadron, made up of Airmen from the 24th Intelligence Squadron and 1st Combat Communications Squadron, is deployed to Niger for Eagle Vision. The focus of the deployment is to collect satellite imagery for mapmaking purposes.
"Whenever we deploy on Eagle Vision missions, we help out host nations," said Capt. Ben Powell, 787th AES commander.
The squadron collected 30 soccer balls donated by people in the Kaiserslautern Military Community.
"Usually the kids (in Niger) kick around a balled-up shirt or anything that rolls," the captain said. "When we started handing out soccer balls, they all wanted to touch them. They ran off with huge smiles."
The children were not the only ones who received gifts. Villagers poured into the streets when the Airmen handed out 1,000 pounds of rice.
"We heard the largest need in the village was food, so we donated money out of our pockets and bought rice," said 1st Lt. Ken Malloy, 1st CBCS deployed commander.
Each family in the village filled their bowl with a serving of rice, which feeds a family of four for one week, he said.
"They were ecstatic," said Lieutenant Malloy. "It was great to give back to people that needed it the most."
Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world and was ranked last on the United Nations Development Fund index of human development, according to CIA reports. The land-locked, sub-Saharan nation, whose economy relies on subsistence crops and livestock, is populated with several struggling villages like Karadje.
The terrain and weather are not only challenging for African villagers but deployed Airmen as well.
The 787th AES members are trained to deploy to bare base locations, such as Niger, and "set up camp." The team was surprised to confront one of the most difficult deployed locations they could recall, Captain Powell said.
Daily sand and electrical storms make operating technical equipment a challenge. Nevertheless, the team continues to successfully carry out its mission despite 100-degree days and no running water available at the camp, he said.
"I am so proud of our deployed team," said Lt. Col. Joe Sublousky, the 1st CBCS commander. "They excel at what they have been trained to do and are doing it under the most challenging of circumstances. Helping out those less fortunate is something every squadron member would do, and these deployed personnel are representing us in a great way. They are ambassadors not only for the U.S. Air Force but for the human race."
well.....
probably not, but THANKS AGAIN
Let's replace Mexicans with those people, then a lb of tomatoes will be $0.30 instead of $3.00.
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