Photo By Chief Petty Officer James Brown | Chief Logistics Specialists Alan Wood and William Kop of Expeditionary Combat...... read more read more
CHESEAPEAKE, Va. - Lynelle Starling of Austin, Texas, sits and matches pieces of fabric, cuts and then hand-stitches them until another blanket is finished for a Sailor in Germany who will be returning from deployment.
The blankets are en route to Sembach, Germany, to the barracks of the Warrior Transition Program. WTP is where redeploying Sailors do gear turn and begin the transition from Afghanistan, Kuwait and other forward locations to the United States. The blankets Starling makes provide comfort for more than 180 Sailors a month. She began making blankets in February 2014 when her son, Navy Capt. Dan Starling returned from a visit to WTP as part of his duties as Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center commanding officer and shared his experience with her.
Once she heard of the need for blankets, she knew she had to do something for our returning warriors. With the amount of personnel returning home to their families, Starling averages over two blankets a week with the help of her daughter-in-law and grandchildren, but the bulk of the work is done by Starling herself. With two veteran children and a father who was a World War II veteran, this is her way of giving to those who serve.
“I really enjoy making these blankets and I know they’re going to people who will need and appreciate them,” said Starling.
Chief Gas Turbine System Technician – Mechanical Tim Alber, Leading Chief Petty Officer, WTP, appreciates Lynelle Starling’s commitment to providing a little piece of home and warmth to our returning warriors.
“The average temperature difference here in Germany is about 30-40 degrees cooler than Afghanistan, which can get as hot as 110-120 degrees. The average temperature in Germany is similar to that of Oregon or Washington, which is why a soft warm blanket is nice to have for our returning Sailors,” said Alber.
She will never meet those Sailors and they may never know her name, but for her son, it’s not about recognition, but taking care of our own because she did such a great job of taking care of him.
“My mom has always been great at sending little touches of home every chance she got when I was deployed, so it’s an honor for me to know that her support for the Navy will now be shared with returning warriors for years to come,” said Capt. Starling.
| Date Taken: | 07.09.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.13.2014 20:35 |
| Story ID: | 135975 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, US |
| Hometown: | AUSTIN, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 99 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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