Toy Story -- Soldier on mission for goodwill for Iraqi children

Courtesy Photo | Spc. Diana Sokol, a native of Plano, Texas, and a Soldier with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, attached to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, based out of Fort Benning, Ga., works long hours after tending to her full-time job as a medic to secure toys for the children of Iraq. Sokol has acquired over 300 soccer balls and 500 hundred stuffed animal toys that were distributed to children within the Strike Force area of operations in eastern Baghdad.  

RUSTAMIYAH, IRAQ

08.09.2007

Story by Maj. Sean Ryan 

2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division

By Maj. Sean Ryan
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE RUSTAMAYAH, Iraq – Before she deployed, Spc. Diana Sokol used to listen to Soldiers tell stories about how Iraqi children asked them for soccer balls and other items.

She would see photos of kids in the city with virtually nothing but the clothes on their back and always knew she would take action once deployed. So when the medic from Plano, Texas, arrived in Iraq, she started her goodwill mission. Sokol serves with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, attached to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, based out of Fort Benning, Ga.

Sokol's mission of goodwill included helping to secure soccer balls and other toys for children caught up in the war, even though she may never be able to personally pass them out herself with her duties as a medic keeping her at her forward operating base.

"There is more than just fighting a war, we are supposed to help the Iraqis while we are here as well," she said. To date, Sokol has acquired more than 300 soccer balls and 500 hundred stuffed animals that were distributed to children within the "Strike Force Brigade's" area of operation. She said she's nowhere near finished.

"Americans are very generous and would often send gift boxes of supplies to me, which I really appreciate, but how many bars of soap and toothpaste can you use on one deployment?" Sokol asked. She started asking her friends and family to send toys for the children instead. At first, the toys came in sporadically which was easy to maintain, but after a while, it got a little out of control and space became an issue.

By word of mouth, information spread quickly through her family, friends and their co-workers and more people started to donate. A friend of Sokol's, who works at Texas Instruments, started a toy drive and was able to collect over 500 soccer balls during the drive, the biggest one-time donation to date.

Numerous other small businesses like soccer shops in the Dallas Fort Worth area, along with individual donations, also helped immensely. Beanie Babies Ambassadors alone donated 300 stuffed animals to be shipped, and soon Sokol's room became a small warehouse.

"I will continue to give out toys for as long as I am here and hopefully someone else will continue," Sokol said. "Now, units come to me before going out on missions asking for toys and soccer balls for the kids.

"I don't believe all Iraqis don't care for Americans," she said. "It's just a small group of individuals that continue placing IEDs that make the general population look bad and I don't want the children to suffer because of it."

• Date Taken: 08.09.2007
• Date Posted: 08.09.2007 10:41
• Story ID: 11709
• Location: RUSTAMIYAH, IQ