Soldiers and Airmen receive banner post cards from hometown supporters

Courtesy Photo | This banner was presented to 217th Finance Detachment, California Army National Guard, at Forward Operating Base Warrior, Iraq. The 217th Finance Detachment is headquartered in San Luis Obispo, Calif. This is one of several banners distributed to units on the FOB. (Photo submitted by B Company, 451st Civil Affairs Battalion)  

KIRKUK, IRAQ

10.16.2005

Courtesy Story

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FOB WARRIOR, Iraq -- Soldiers from the 116th Brigade Combat Team's B Co., 451st Civil Affairs were recently able to help the Association of the United States Army and Northern California's Alameda County Fair Association deliver signed banners to Soldiers and Airmen stationed on FOB Warrior, Iraq.

These organizations sponsored specific message banners for each branch of military service to allow hometown supporters the ability to send personalized messages to troops stationed in the Middle East. The program is called Operation Post Card.

Maj. Eric Boettcher, Commander of the B Company, 451st Civil Affairs Battalion, and his soldiers passed out the banners at FOB Warrior, Iraq, to various units from the California National Guard and the Air Force stationed there.

"It gave me great pleasure to help out the morale of the soldiers that we presented the banners to," said Boettcher. "It is difficult to be overseas away from family and friends, let alone in a hostile zone, and it is the little things like this that really help the morale of the average military person serving over here."

According to Boettcher, these banners were displayed for signing at the 93rd Annual Alameda County Fair. Many of the messages were written by mothers, fathers, children, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles of military personnel currently serving overseas.

"So many people want to contribute to helping out the soldier who is overseas. This is just one way people can show their appreciation to that soldier," said Boettcher.

The 116th BCT is working together with the 506th Air Expeditionary Group to perform a four-fold mission in Kirkuk Province including training and supporting Iraqi security forces, helping Iraqis improve their local economy, assisting their new government and improving their communications.

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, including the aviation and finance units from California. The 116th BCT is one of several Army National Guard units deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III.

• Date Taken: 10.16.2005
• Date Posted: 10.16.2005 17:26
• Story ID: 3366
• Location: KIRKUK, IQ