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August 18, 2010

Army National Guard distributes boots for Afghan Security Forces

The items that SoA purchased for our Army National Guard Mentoring Afghan Police on Pakistan Border have started to arrive and are being distributed in Dand Patan, Afghanistan. With your support of this project, Spirit of America purchased 59 pairs of boots, offices supplies such as copy paper and legal pads, batteries and even two garden hoses. As you can see from the photo above, the boots are already being shared with the Afghan Police which the Army National Guard is mentoring. With the increased focus and importance of bringing Afghan Security Forces up to speed and capable of managing protection of their communities, outreach efforts like this can have a lasting impact on performance and morale of these ASF troops. Read more > >

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August 17, 2010

Family and friends send help to Afghanistan through Operation Care

Spirit of America is once again helping children and families in Afghanistan through Operation Care which is an all-volunteer team of military and civilian personnel who have been working hand in hand with US led coalition forces for several years to bring much-needed supplies to the Afghan people. SoA supported Operation Care in 2007, and we are again supporting the effort to provide school kits, hygiene items, clothing, and blankets to Afghanistan. The current head of Operation Care is an Army Lieutenant Colonel stationed at Bagram Airbase with a wonderfully supportive group of family and friends back home who have formed their own effort, "One Sole At A Time", to collect items such as clothing, school kits and blankets in support of Operation Care. Jackie Michelsen, the Lieutenant Colonel's cousin, is coordinating the collections which include donations from 2 4-H groups, half a dozen churches and several elementary schools. This outpouring of community and family support involves not only Jackie and her tireless work but many individuals who have sent multiple packages over several months including Carol Brazill, Jean Fontana, Gina Falco, Patti Ross and Deanna Galfano. Also working to make a difference for Afghan families are the Lieutenant Colonel's daughter, Courtney Smith, a mother of 4 who works nights so she can take care of her children during the day and Norma Daly, Jackie's 80-year old mother who, though she is a widow on a fixed income, has still found a way to help by hand-made baby quilts and items she picks up as time and budget allow. To date, Spirit of America has provided the funding to ship over 60 boxes weighing 818 lbs lovingly filled with supplies to share the kindness of Americans with Afghans in need. This is such a great example that one person heart in wanting to reach out can have a ripple affect that leads to big things. Everyone can help make a difference in Afghanistan. With your support of the Operation Care project, SoA will continue to fund shipping of donated items and purchase new items as needed. Below are photos of Operation Care in action.   Read more > >

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An update on Two-Way Radios for Afghan Security Forces in Garmsir

A member of the Afghan National Police in Garmsir with his two-way radio One of Spirit of America's on-going projects that has received a lot of positive feedback from the Marines are the two-way radios we supplied to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines' Afghan security force counterparts. A new unit of Afghan National Police (ANP) were recently stood up in the Garmsir District to help provide security in the Zhian Zhir Bazaar, and their use of these two-way radios have helped them communicate more effectively within the bazaar. The Marines report that the constant and effective presence of the ANP "has greatly increased public perception of safety and deterred kinetic activity." To that end, an additional batch (36 pairs) is on its way to the Marines in Garmsir in order to allow the ANP to continue to provide security in the bazaars of Garmsir. To continue to support this important project, visit the project page here. Read more > >

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August 11, 2010

Supplies on the way to Special Forces Staff Sergeant

As part of Spirit of America's support of a Special Forces Staff Sergeant helping women and children in Afghanistan, much-needed basic necessities have been purchased and are on the way. The items purchased include 100 hygiene kits which include a plastic carry case, shampoo, soap, washcloth, toothbrush and toothpaste, 100 Croc shoes and 200 school kits which include a sturdy backpack, notebook and pencil box filled with #2 pencils, colored pencils, sharpener, eraser, scissors and glue. The shipment should arrive in the next few weeks, and we will provide updates as they are available. Read more > >

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August 3, 2010

Afghanistan: “the best thing I've seen since we've been here”

Greetings, In this email, you'll see some of the things our troops are doing in Afghanistan that don't always get the attention they deserve. Please post, tweet or forward this to friends. Supporting Afghan Schools and "the best thing I've seen ..." Here is a photo from a school opening in Garmsir. The Marines you see in the photo arrived in May. The school would not have opened without them (and many others). Spirit of America provided backpacks with school supplies - pens, pencils, notebooks, etc. - for the children. Read more > >

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Gen. Petraeus's Counterinsurgency Guidance for Troops in Afghanistan

Gen. David Petraeus, the new commander of the US Forces in Afghanistan recently published his counterinsurgency guidance for troops in Afghanistan. We encourage you to read the entire document, which is attached in this post as a PDF file. Gen. Petraeus's Counterinsurgency Guidance This document is important for two reasons. First, it gives all our troops a simple yet comprehensive framework by which to plan and conduct their operations in an environment that is complex and demanding. Second, it allows the general public a sneak peak into why and how our troops are fighting this kind of war. To be sure, this is not a document about why we're in Afghanistan; rather, it's an explanation to our service men and women who are fighting in Afghanistan about why, for example, it's important to "be a good guest" and, at the same time, "pursue the enemy relentlessly." Their task is incredibly challenging but this sort of guidance helps our troops better understand how to go about their business. There are couple points from the guidance that Spirit of America would like to highlight which we think relates to how we support units in Afghanistan today: --Foster lasting solutions. Help our Afghan partners create good governance and enduring security. Avoid compromises with malign actors that achieve short-term gains at the expense of long-term stability. Think hard before pursuing initiatives that may not be sustainable in the long run. When it comes to projects, small is often beautiful. We especially like Gen. Petraeus's last point: "small is often beautiful." Many of Spirit of America's projects are "small," relative to what the Marines and Army spend on, say, a school refurbishment or construction of a women's center. School kits and sewing machines, by themselves, are an inexpensive but critical complement to these military-funded projects. --Money is ammunition; don't put it in the wrong hands. Institute "COIN contracting." Pay close attention to the impact of our spending and understand who benefits from it. And remember, we are who we fund. How we spend is often more important that how much we spend. Spirit of America's mission is to help our troops help the people. We put our faith into the judgment of our troops when they tell us the Afghan people need particular goods or items; indeed, "we are who we fund." Our model -- delivering humanitarian and economic development goods through our troops directly to the people -- helps ensure Spirit of America donor money is spent wisely and effectively. --Be a good guest. Treat the Afghan people and their property with respect. Think about how we drive, how we patrol, how we relate to the people, and how we help the community. View our actions through the eyes of the Afghans and, together with our partners, consult with elders before pursuing new initiatives and operations. This, in essence, explains how our troops help the people. The Afghans deserve our respect and humility as we try to help them achieve a brighter future.­­­ Read more > >

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July 29, 2010

Help USN Surgeon care for patients in Helmand

US Naval Commander Joe Penta is a Surgeon stationed with the Marines in Southern Afghanistan. CDR Penta and the nurses, doctors and other Corpsmen staff medical facilities across Helmand Province frequently find themselves treating locals in need of medical attention. Through the Helmand Province Help for Afghan Patients project, you can support CDR Penta and team with clothing, shoes, blankets and hygiene kits to aid their healing process for the Afghan patients they treat. As CDR Penta shared  not only does giving these Afghans basic items "bridge the gap between high tech medical care, care of the patient as a person, and the time it takes to heal" but also  "medically caring for [these patients] can be a step in winning over a village's trust in the Marines and Afghan government, and most importantly cuttingties with the insurgents." Spirit of America has made an initial contribution of 100 blankets and 100 Croc shoes. Your contribution to this project will help us to do even more. Read more > >

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1/2 Marines hand out supplies in Southern Afghanistan

As part of Spirit of America's efforts to Support Marines in Afghanistan, the 1st Battalion, 2nd Division Marines (1/2) are handing out supplies to those in need in Southern Afghanistan. The 1/2, deployed from Camp Lejeune, NC have been in Afghanistan since early Spring to provide relief in place for Coalition Forces. The 1/2 is tasked with integrating with the Afghanis and teaching them police and military operational methods in order to allow them to maintain control of their own country. Spirit of America has the privilege of working with LtCol Michael Manning, Commanding Officer of the 1/2 who was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for his contributions to the stability and security of Anbar Province, Iraq. LtCol Manning reports that the majority of items sent by SoA have been receiving including 750 school kits, 106 solar lanterns, 100 pairs of Crocs shoes, 4 solar-powered water pumps, 200 soccer balls with 5 nets and 200 volley balls with 5 nets. LtCol Manning sent some initial photos of the SoA supplies being given out with more to come. As the Marines persist in their push to rid Southern Afghanistan of the Taliban, their ability to positively engage the local population remains of vital importance. Spirit of America will continue to use your contributions to Support Marines in Afghanistan to help our Marines succeed in their mission. The 1/2 Marines in Afghanistan hand out supplies Solar lanterns and rugs from SoA help 1/2 Marines make a difference in Southern Afghanistan   Read more > >

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An Update: Infant Formula for Garmsir

Last week we blogged about the delivery of infant formula to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines in Garmsir, Afghanistan. Yesterday we received word from the Marines that UN personnel asked that the Marines not distribute the formula to women in Garmsir because of health concerns when the infant formula is mixed with contaminated water. Although the Marines had planned on distributing bottled water with the infant formula, they agree with the UN request and will provide the donated infant formula to an appropriate medical facility or health care organization working in Afghanistan who can ensure the formula is handled and used properly, instead of to Garmsir women directly. When we determine where the formula will go, we will post that information to our blog. Thank you for your support. Read more > >

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Sewing machines for Nawa and the road ahead in Afghanistan

Sewing machines provide tremendous economic opportunity for women in conflict zones­ Our Marines are trying to help women in southern Afghanistan and Spirit of America wants your support for a new project that will supply sewing machines to women throughout the District of Nawa in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. You can learn more about the project and how to support it with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines here. This project in Nawa is particularly noteworthy given the attention Nawa and its neighboring Helmand Province population centers of Marja and Garmsir have received in the press recently. Rajiv Chandrasekaran, an associate editor at the Washington Post who heads up the newspaper's Afghanistan war coverage and has made five visits in the last year to the region, wrote an essay in the paper's Sunday edition comparing the progress that has been made in Nawa versus the challenges that still lie ahead for Marja, a community still mired in a tough Taliban insurgency. While Nawa might serve as an example of how the Marines executed an effective counterinsurgency campaign, Marja--due to its isolated geographic location surrounded by canals and the Helmand Valley desert plains--provided the Taliban insurgency one last refuge in the province as US Marines surged into the district earlier this year. In that sense, Marja is perhaps the Taliban's last stand in Helmand. Chandrasekaran explains further: "Marja may not be representative in terms of geography or drugs or bomb factories, but it may be closer to the norm in one key respect: The Taliban is contesting it. "In that sense, the insurgents themselves possess the power to give us more Nawas. That may not mean Marja is a lost cause, but it does mean it will take much longer to achieve similar results. "Consider Garmsir, the district south of Nawa. It, too, was infested with insurgents, some of whom chose to stay and fight. The Marines arrived there in the summer of 2008 to begin counterinsurgency operations, and it was not until earlier this year--about 18 months later--that the area was deemed by Marine commanders to have been cleared of the Taliban. 'Garmsir is a better model for what will happen in Marja,' the senior Marine officer said. 'Nawa is the gold standard, not the example.'" The bottom line for us at Spirit of America is that the way ahead in Afghanistan will take time to yield results and our Marines in Helmand Province and our Soldiers throughout the rest of Afghanistan still have a long, hard road ahead. But, as their new commander, Gen. David Petraeus, has said, "Hard is not hopeless." Items like sewing machines provide an incredible opportunity for the women of Afghanistan to not only create and sell tailored goods on the local market but have a real stake in theirs and their country's future. Your support for Marine units like 3/3 in Nawa, 3/1 in Garmsir, and 2/6, who just arrived in southern Marja, has and will continue to be crucial in helping Marines help their Afghan civil and security partners not only counter Taliban influence but empower and assist Afghan women. Read more > >

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3LAAD distribute corn seed to farmers

Distribution of corn donated by Spirit of America by Afghan National Army Soldiers (in green),m and U.S. Marines in tan digital uniforms 155 bags of corn seed and 78 bags of fertilizer donated to the 3LAAD (3d Low Altitude Air Defense) Battalion through Spirit of America's project to Help Marines and Sailors provide for farmers in Helmand Province have been distributed to grateful farm families in the remote villages of Habib Adab, Naw Abad and Boldak.  Capt John Muntzer reported that the seed was distributed in mid-May in cooperation with Afghan National Army personnel who escorted the trucks filled with supplies through their battle-space for distribution. Though according to Capt Muntzer "there are some problems in this area... [the farmers] were grateful for the support and actually traveled to the ANA base to voice their gratitude to the local Afghan Commander." The Captain also shared that these "donations demonstrated the generosity of the American people, provided a brighter outlook for Afghan farmers, and strengthened the positive impression of U.S. Marines in Helmand Province." The 3LAAD is seeking additional donations to their project page to fund wheat seed for the Fall planting and to provide for other the overall health and well-being of the villagers in this area. Read more > >

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July 27, 2010

Good News from PRT Ghazni

Afghan girls in Ghazni Province Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ghazni has been very busy in recent weeks with the welcoming of incoming commander Navy Cmdr. John Doolittle, the loss of one of their own Army Sergeant David Holmes and an alleged poison attack at the local girl's school. The contributions that SoA sent thanks to your donations to the project "Help PRT Ghazni provide supplies for women" are bringing "good news" according to current base commander, Navy Cmdr. Phil Kapusta, "the good news is that we received a box of supplies from you yesterday.  Thanks so much." The humanitarian donations which include 200 each hygiene kits, Croc shoes, sneakers, notebooks, pens, pencils and sharpeners valued at $4,000 have started to arrive to help the PRT team reach out to the local community. Though the team hasn't yet had time to take photos of SoA's contributions being distributed, Cmdr. Kapusta did send pictures that the team has taken of the area, including this first lovely photo of Ghazni City. View of Ghazni City Kids everywhere love candy! MA2 Mattei playing volleyball with kids LTC Padilla with Afghan kids School in the western Haraza section of Ghazni A jirja (outdoor meeting) in Ghazni Read more > >

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Boots, offices supplies on way to ANP via Army National Guard

Sergeant Matthew Noyes serving with the Army National Guard in Dand Patan, Afghanistan will receive the items he requestedto help the mission of mentoring the Afghan Police in this town located on the Pakistan border. Combat boots, garden hoses and office supplies including copy paper, pens, batteries, and notepads totaling over $1,634 will equip the local Afghanistan Police in their role of providing security for the community. As a Maine Policeman in his civilian life, Sgt. Noyes can appreciate the impact being properly equipped can have on positive job performance. Your contributions to Sgt Noyes' project, Army National Guard Mentoring Afghan Police on Pakistan Border, will allow Spirit of America to continue to support this request and more like it. Check back to the project page and blog in a few weeks for pictures of the distribution of these supplies. Read more > >

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3/1 Marines partner with the Afghan army with two-way radios

Cpl Aaron Coomes, 3/1 Marines, with an Afghan National Army soldier Here's an update from 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines in Garmsir, Afghanistan, on their efforts to train and build the capacity of their Afghan army counterparts with support from this Spirit of America project: An Afghanistan National Army soldier, with his new Spirit of America-supported Motorola Talkabout hand held radio, stands post alongside Cpl Aaron Coomes from 3rd Bn 1st Marines at the entry control point of Forward Operating Base Delhi. With the donation of these hand held radios the Afghanistan National Army in the Garmsir District has a more robust communications capability while conducting operations in the Area of Operations. Thank you Spirit of America supporters. Our Marines have the unenviable yet critically important task of training their Afghan army counterparts so they can better protect the people of Garmsir, Helmand Province and Afghanistan. These simple two-way radios will help make that possible. Read more > >

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July 23, 2010

3/1 Marines: doing the little things in Garmsir, Afghanistan

A young Afghan girl tries new Crocs on for size Spirit of America supporters, here's another note from 1stSgt Michael Perez in Garmsir, Afghanistan: The Marines and Sailors from Lima Company 3rd Bn 1st Marines recently treated a young Afghan girl when she fell down and received a head contusion. After she was treated for the head injury, the Marines noticed that her shoes were falling apart so they gave her a pair of Crocs that were donated by Spirit of America. The young girl was delighted to receive the Crocs. The Marines try to pass out the Crocs whenever possible to the younger children of Garmsir, Afghanistan. In the kind of war our Marines engage in today, the little things like giving first aid treatment and a new pair of sandals to a young girl go a long way in gaining the trust of the local population and countering Taliban influence. You can continue to help 3/1 Marines build that trust by supporting their efforts on their project page here. Read more > >

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July 22, 2010

3/1 Marines help open the Koshtay School in Garmsir, Afghanistan

­ Students at Koshtay School in Garmsir celebrate their newly opened school 1stSgt Michael Perez, of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, sends along this update with some great photos from Garmsir, Afghanistan: July 17, 2010 marked the grand opening of the Koshtay School in Garmsir District, Afghanistan. The ceremony had an exceptional turnout with 3 teachers and over 120 students from surrounding villages.  Khadar, the community council representative from Koshtay, gave a speech expressing his gratitude for the efforts of 3rd Bn 1st Marines.  He indicated that this impressive event would not have been possible without the cooperation of the elders, the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the U.S. Marines.  The school principal expressed his gratitude about the opening of the school as well.  He mentioned that the school still needs more supplies, which he plans to address at the next local shura (meeting).  After the speech the District Chief of Police, ANA, Marines and elders distributed school supplies to the students: pencils, notebooks, erasers and backpacks, all courtesy of the endless generosity of the Spirit of America organization. You can continue to support the 3/1 and their efforts to support the people of Garmsir here at their project page. Click the "Read More" link below for more pictures from the school opening. Read more > >

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New Project for 1stLAR Marines in Khan Neshin

1stLAR team prior to deployment.  Front row, left to right, HM-2 “Doc” Duffy, Lance Corporal Oscar Cedeno, Lance Corporal Oscar Roman, Corporal Richard Valdez.  Back row, left to right, Staff Sergeant Miguel Rivera, Lance Corporal Jose Campos, Gunnery Sergeant Fermin Rodriguez III, Corporal Patrick Fields and Major Trevor Howell. Major Trevor Howell and the Marines of the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) have asked Spirit of America to provide support for the Afghan people. You can view their project here. The 1st LAR in cooperation with local officials and contractors are building a new school, new health clinic and new district center and also want to provide seed to replace poppy crops for the upcoming Fall planting. This area of Afghanistan was once a stronghold for the Taliban so these projects will go a long way to improving condition for the local community and helping the Marines in their mission to win hearts and minds. Since the buildings are scheduled to be ready sometime in August 2010, SoA jump-started this project by purchasing 750 school kits, 20 dry erase boards with markers and erasers, 200 pairs of Croc shoes and various medical supplies so they will arrive in time for the grand openings. Your contributions to the 1st LAR project will help offset those costs and allow us to do even more for the Marines and the people of Khan Neshin. This little Afghan girl is very happy after visiting the Marines and receiving a new pair of Croc shoes and a baby doll to play with.  The kids here are very cute. There are no doctors in this District, and no female care whatsoever.  The Marines are working very hard to fund projects to alleviate these shortfalls.  Pictured here, The Afghan contractor is digging the footings for the new Comprehensive Health Clinic that will serve this District. One of my Marines, Lance Corporal Jose Campos, pictured here at a canal inlet.  We surveyed all the local canal inlets to ensure the locals had water to irrigate their crops. Read more > >

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July 21, 2010

3/1 Marines receive infant formula in Garmsir, Afghanistan

Spirit of America is happy to report that the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, based in the Garmsir District of Afghanistan, recently received a delivery of infant formula, which included 16 cartons of Cerelac, 16 cartons of Lactogen and 3 Cartons of baby feeder bottles. Thanks to your generous support of this important project, the 3/1 will be able to help the women of Garmsir feed their children. The Marines are working to deliver the formula to the needy women and their infants; we'll be posting photos as soon as we get them. Once again, thank you, Spirit of America supporters and donors for your generosity! Read more > >

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July 15, 2010

3/1 Marines deliver children's cold medication to local hospital

Chief Hospital Corpsman Peter Delmolino, left, from Fontana, California and local nation linguist John, second from left, deliver children’s KidsEEZE medication to the local hospital in Darvishan, Afghanistan. Thanks to a generous donation from ProPhase Labs (formerly called Quigley Corporation) to Spirit of America, the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines was able to support the local hospital in the town of Darvishan in the Garmsir District of Helmand Province, Afghanistan with the children's cold medication, KidsEEZE. Here's a note from 1stSgt Micheal Perez, our go-to-guy in the 3/1: During the visit to the local hospital Chief Delmolino and the doctor discuss the recommended usage of the cold medication and most important how the U.S. forces can assist the doctor with his efforts to care for the local citizens of Darvishan. Once again the donation of the children’s KidsEEZE medication has helped open the door for a better relationship between U.S. forces and the people of Afghanistan. Thank you Spirit of America! Spirit of America is also happy to report that the 3/1 has received the two-way Motorola radios, which will be used to help the 3/1 better coordinate and plan security operations with their Afghan security counterparts in the Garmsir District.  To our supporters--thank you again! You are helping the 3/1 make in a difference in Garmsir at this critical time in our country's efforts to prevail in Afghanistan.  Read more > >

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July 9, 2010

Chess Sets on their way to PRT Khost

Spirit of America's incredible donors have come through yet again and completely funded a project in record time. We featured the new project to Help a Navy Commander Bring Chess Back to Afghanistan in our latest donor email and the request was fully funded in about an hour. The CDR's cultural advisor lives in this village outside of the base where the sailor and the locals play regularly 50 Deluxe Chess Sets with playing pieces, chessboard and travel bag and 50 Analog Wooden Tournament Clocks purchased via the United States Chess Federation are on their way to the Provincial Reconstruction Team Khost. The chess supplies should arrive in "perfect" time according to our contact since the weather will have cooled down a bit and conditions will be good to hold a tournament to re-energize chess and community in this area of Eastern Afghanistan. Check back in a few weeks to the project page and to this blog for photos and updates of the tournament in full swing. Read more > >

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