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WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 28, 2008) - An Air Force Space
Command major and two staff sergeants stationed at Peterson Air
Force Base, Colo., are proving that just three servicemembers can
affect people halfway around the world.
Maj. Jason Gross and Staff Sgts. Rosalia and Billie Burgan are
making a huge difference in the lives of Iraqi and Afghan families
through the Texas-based Victory Boxes project. The program
encourages Americans to send care packages to servicemembers in
Iraq and Afghanistan who have volunteered to distribute the
contents to local citizens.
"Along with setting up displays where people can come and pick
up boxes, we also attend group meetings such as the newcomer's
group at the Broadmoor Hotel," said Rosalia. "We brief the members
about the program and give out boxes."
Local community organizations get involved, as well, she said.
"The Pikes Peak Library staff supported the program," she said.
"They gathered school supplies, shoes and clothes."
An e-mail from a soldier who got his unit involved in the
project perhaps provides the best answer as to why these three
airmen got involved in this program.
"I explained the program to my soldiers, and they understood as
well as I do that amidst all this turmoil, there are still good,
kind people who have not been tarnished by this war," the soldier
said in his e-mail. "Your 'e-boxes' have stretched out far beyond
what I think you intended them to.
"You've shown hardened soldiers that war is not all about
destruction, but also rebuilding; not just about tearing down an
enemy but also giving hope to the future generations," he added.
"Above all, you've allowed us to keep our humanity, which is
something that is easily lost here." Gross has seen both sides of
this effort. He became a volunteer while in Iraq, receiving some of
the packages and distributing them to local communities. The
reactions of the Iraqis inspired him to want to do more.
"I really enjoyed putting a smile on the faces of the children,"
he said. "It made me homesick for my own family, but in a good way
-- reminding me of the important things in life."
Upon his return, he contacted Mary Margaret Halleck, the founder
of the Victory Boxes program, and began working closely with her to
get more people from the command and the local area involved.
"This effort is such a worthwhile thing," he said. "You can't
believe the look on people's faces when they get something that is
going to make their life a little bit better. This is the other
side of the battle, winning the hearts and minds of the people of
Iraq and Afghanistan." The in-theater volunteers are not all
front-line troops, however. They are chaplains, medical personnel,
civil affairs and supply folks. People at all levels and in all
services are getting involved.
The Victory Boxes program started because Halleck's stepson was
deployed to the war zone, and, in his communications to her, he
described the true poverty he saw. She put together some care
packages for him to distribute and sent them off. Her stepson came
home, but she realized the need was still there, and it inspired
her to start Victory Boxes in mid-2005.
That action inspired others like the airmen serving in Colorado
who have proven that person-to-person contact counts in the
rebuilding efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan
Victory Boxes is a supporter of "America Supports You," a
Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with
servicemembers and their families serving overseas.
Editor's Note: Military families can also avail
themselves of the Defense Department's America Supports You
program, which highlights home-front groups across the nation that
are providing a variety of services and support to troops and their
families. A listing of these groups and information about their
efforts is available at www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil.
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