Mississippi Army National Guard Soldiers donate backpacks and school supplies to Afghan children

News: Mississippi Army National Guard Soldiers donate backpacks and school supplies to Afghan children

Joint Sustainment Command - Afghanistan

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Students at Parklane Academy, McComb, Miss., load backpacks full of school supplies in preparation for mailing to the 184th Expeditionary Sustainment Command. The 184th ESC delivered the backpacks to Afghan children attending the Kandahar Airfield Bazaar School. The school supplies were provided through a unique collaboration between Mid Gulf Forestry, Inc., and students from Parklane Academy in McComb, Miss.

By: U.S. Army Col. Richard Martin
Joint Sustainment Command-Afghanistan

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Children at the Kandahar Airfield Bazaar School were presented with backpacks and school supplies by members of the 184th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, Saturday, June 25.

This was made possible by the work of Ed Funchess, owner of Mid Gulf Forestry Inc. and students from Parklane Academy, McComb, Miss.

U.S. Army Col. Richard Martin, the J3 operations officer for the 184th ESC, was contacted by Funchess inquiring what he could do to help while the unit was deployed to Afghanistan. Martin and Funchess both agreed that working with children would do the most good.

Funchess, through his contacts, raised enough money to purchase 50 backpacks and school supplies to fill them. He then contacted Parklane Academy administrator, Mr. Jack Henderson, to ask for help in loading the school supplies in the backpacks and packing them into the boxes. Parklane Academy students volunteered to stuff the backpacks with school supplies and prepare them for mailing.

Funchess then mailed the boxes loaded with backpacks to the 184th ESC.

Martin and soldiers from his section took the backpacks and school supplies to the Kandahar Bazaar School where they were handed out to the children. The school staff and children were very grateful for the supplies.

The 184th ESC is a Mississippi Army National Guard unit that deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2010. The unit is responsible for all sustainment operations for American and coalition forces.