Air Cav delivers for school children

1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs
Story by Staff Sgt. Joe Armas

Date: 12.15.2010
Posted: 12.20.2010 13:13
News ID: 62343
Air Cav delivers for school children

FORT HOOD, Texas – The holiday season is in high gear, and as Christmas approaches, the holiday spirit of giving has graced the soldiers and family members of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.

Soldiers from Task Force Guns, 1st ACB, delivered needed supplies to the students of their adopted school, Trimmier Elementary, in Killeen, Texas, Dec. 15.

“The goal was to help the teachers take care of their students by providing them with the basic necessities,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Douglas Greene, of Gaithersburg, Md., TF Guns, 1st ACB.

The task force donated approximately 150 items ranging from books, clothing, and shoes to the school. The items were accumulated during the past month at the task force’s headquarters.

“We asked the teachers what their biggest needs were, and in the process we found that they [the teachers] were coming out-of-pocket to cover down on some of the basic supplies that the students were lacking,” said Amy Oliver, of Petrolia, Texas, the family readiness support assistant for TF Guns.

Not everyone realizes that there are children out there that lack something as simple as a decent pair of shoes, said Oliver. Accidents happen, and some of the students didn’t have clothes to change into.

“We focused our efforts on obtaining donations of the specific items they requested,” said Oliver.

According to Greene, the Task Force has other similar supply drives planned for the school in the near future.

Furthermore, he thought the event was a great opportunity from the command’s standpoint to achieve one of their objectives.

“We wanted to instill that spirit of volunteerism in our young soldiers and make them aware that we all have to do our part to help out those who are less fortunate,” added Greene. “A significant amount of the school’s student population has military connections, so we’re essentially taking care of our own in the process.”

One of the soldiers in TF Guns can attest to what Greene said.

“As a father, it makes you feel good inside when you can help other kids in the community,” said Pvt. Eric Carver, of Jourdanton, Texas, a supply specialist with Headquarters Company, TF Guns. “I think it’s great that we can help out our adopted school in this capacity.”

For the school, the outreach from TF Guns does not go unrecognized.

“It’s important that we have such a giving relationship with the unit, and it is greatly appreciated” said Melissa Dotson, parent liaison for Trimmier. “It means a lot to us the fact that they support us in our endeavors and care about the well-being of our students.”

Finally, Dotson pointed out what was ultimately accomplished as a result of the efforts of the soldiers and family members of TF Guns.

“The winter will be more comfortable and the holiday season more joyous for many of our students now.”