Photo By Staff Sgt. Bryan Lewis | Sgt. Joe Collramos, a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter door gunner with Task Force Warhawk...... read more read more
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KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Less than one percentage of Americans pledge their lives to the U.S. through the military and choose to stand up for those in need.
A group of Soldiers from Task Force Warhawk that are deployed to Shindand Air Base, Afghanistan, went beyond their military duties and took a stance for a group of children who are fighting their own battle.
Twelve Soldiers started a movement by shaving their heads to support a Puerto Rican children’s hospital, which specializes in pediatric cancer patients.
“I think kids love Soldiers and I think for a kid see a Soldier shaving his hair off to support them is motivation to fight,” said Sgt. Joe Collramos, an UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter door gunner.
Collramos, a Puerto Rico native, started the “Bald Warhawk” movement as a way to motivate those who inspire him.
“I don’t call myself a ‘hero’ because I’m doing my job and I picked this,” he said. “Those kids didn’t pick to fight for their lives, they do. That’s a real hero to me.”
Even from half a world away in a high-paced environment that has everyone mission-focused, Soldiers quickly joined in as a way to do something, no matter how big or small, to help the children.
“I just wanted all the people with cancer to know that we support them. And I know that this act will bring some smiles and energy to them,” said Spc. Hector Colon, a supply specialist for Headquarters and Headquarters Company.
The children responded to the Soldiers’ actions with enthusiasm.
“I feel great that they support us. Thank you very much for your support. You are all courageous,” said Natalia Gil, a patient at the San Jorge Children’s Hospital.
The inspiration for some Soldiers to participate came from personal experiences of Family members who are or have battled cancer.
“Cancer is something been around in my life with my friends and Family,” Collramos explained. “When I was in middle school, I lost a friend who was battling cancer. We were always talking how we wanted to be Soldiers when we grew up.”
“I currently have my grandmother, Carmen Roldan, under treatment and she is 83 but looks and feels like a 30 year old,” Colon said. “As long as we [the family] continue to make her happy and continue to give her more energy, she will win the fight.”
Even female Soldiers from the Warhawk Battalion have pledged to donate their hair when they return to the U.S. in order to make wigs for the patients.
The male Soldiers who have joined the movement plan to keep shaving their heads for the remainder of their deployment as a way to support the hospital and its patients.
“I call these kids ‘warriors’ because they fight their own war in order to survive, and that’s why we’re trying to make a movement and get more participation on this cause,” Collramos stated.
| Date Taken: | 08.26.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.27.2014 02:07 |
| Story ID: | 140468 |
| Location: | SHINDAND AIR BASE, AF |
| Web Views: | 338 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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