VFW Leaders Visit Operation Provide School Supplies at FOB Warrior

Courtesy Photo | This group of volunteer Soldiers and Airmen gathered at the Operation Provide School Supplies warehouse August 4 to put together student packages and pause for this group photo.  

KIRKUK, IRAQ

08.15.2005

Courtesy Story

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FOB WARRIOR, Iraq -- A group of distinguished visitors from the Veterans of Foreign Wars visited the 116th Brigade Combat Team's Operation Provides School Supplies (OPSS) warehouse at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Warrior August 4 to see how the program handles thousands of items donated for Iraqi children.

Mr. John Furgess, Jr., Commander in Chief of the VFW and several other prominent VFW members visited the program which receives school supplies donated from the United States and packages them for distribution to school children.

"When I became OPSS NCO, I noticed that we received a significant number of donations from the VFW," said Sgt. Imelda Remillard, OPSS director. "My volunteers and I send hand-signed thank-you letters to all the donors thanking them for their generosity and the donations. The VFW is a big supporter, so they have received numerous thank-you letters from us."

Remillard became the OPSS director in March. She coordinates Army and Air Force volunteers who come to the OPSS warehouse several times a week to unpack, organize and repack supplies.

"The VFW is interested in how OPSS helps the Iraqi children with their education," said Remillard. "I told them that, while there are many programs in the U.S. for American children, there are none in Iraq. We provide the Iraqi children with the basics of school supplies."

Once assembled, each kit includes color markers or pencils, crayons, pencils, pens, a ruler, scissors, an eraser, a pencil sharpener, glue, writing paper, construction paper, and a coloring book. According to Remillard, there are 24 major schools that the program supplies in the Kirkuk area.

"I had one VFW member ask, "What do you need?," I said, "We need coloring books, the shortage places a halt on processing more student packets." He asked, "How many?, "" said Remillard.

Before they departed, Remillard gave the guests a compact disc describing the school and medical assistance projects of the brigade. She also gave them a letter describing OPSS.

Supporting programs that increase educational opportunities for Iraqi children in the province of Kirkuk is part of the 116th Brigade Combat Team's mission while deployed in north central Iraq. The unit's mission also includes assisting Iraq's new government, supporting economic development, facilitating communications and improving security and stability in the region.

The 116th BCT is comprised of headquarters and staff sections, two armor battalions, a mechanized infantry battalion, a support battalion, a field artillery battalion, an engineer battalion, and various intelligence, signal, and specialized units. The 116th BCT is one of several Army National Guard units deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III.

• Date Taken: 08.15.2005
• Date Posted: 08.15.2005 16:36
• Story ID: 2726
• Location: KIRKUK, IQ