Photo By Tech. Sgt. Samara Scott | Army Sgt. Sean Bergstrom (left), from Company B, 3rd Battation-4th Infantry Regiment,...... read more read more
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HERAT, Afghanistan - Army soldiers from Camp Stone captured the hearts of children in Adraskan when they visited the village of Ammon Khal to pass out soccer balls June 16.
Regional Support Command-West soldiers frequently travel to Adraskan. During their last visit the command decided to donate soccer balls to the children.
"This is an effort to gain positive relations with the entire Adraskan community, especially the kids," said Command Sgt. Maj. Grear Dale III, command sergeant major for RSC-W.
Soccer balls were donated to RSC-W Commander Col. Bradley Booth by his father-in-law, Al Favata. Booth said he wanted to use them in hopes of capturing the hearts and minds of the Afghan children.
"In Adraskan specifically, there has been some negative sentiment from some of the kids as seen by them throwing rocks at convoys, etc.," said Lt. Col. Scott Jones, RSC-W S-3 (Operations) officer-in-charge. "It was our thought process that if they got to meet us and we could talk to them, establish a relationship with them, then we could forge a friendship and they would look at us a little differently."
At first, the children were apprehensive with the soldiers, but once the soccer balls were brought out, the children lit up with joy. The soldiers shared water, gum, conversations, and laughs with the children.
With the positive feedback from the village elder and the smiles on the children's faces, RSC-W will continue to visit different villages throughout the western region of Afghanistan in the hopes of further fostering the relationships with the Afghan community, leaders said.
| Date Taken: | 06.16.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 06.29.2011 05:44 |
| Story ID: | 72929 |
| Location: | HERAT, AF |
| Web Views: | 92 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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