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Afghan kids benefit from packages, too
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Dear Editor,
To the Military Moms:
I’ve been in Afghanistan for about three weeks and I have received four boxes from your organization. You people are incredible.
The patriotism that exists in small-town America is simply astonishing.
I looked at your eight pages of donors and sponsors and I am in awe at how well the entire community has come togetherfor this.
By way of clarification, I am currently in Kabul, Afghanistan and work on the ISAF base.
The ISAF is the International Security Assistance Forces and we have members from every NATO country working here. We have a USO office located with the American element and I take most of the contents from the packages over there for all of the young servicemen to utilize.
We do have exchanges here but the selection is usually pretty limited. Getting a few other items is very nice.
Additionally, we have a local orphanage that we support.
Most of the toys and crayons go to them. Most of the Afghan kids that I have met are incredible.
They are extremely poor and desperately try to get something from us.
They make little bracelets or other items and try to sell them to us whenever we leave the gates.
I usually give the kids a handful of candy or bubblegum and keep moving.
Hopefully with some continued generosity, we will stop the next generation of kids from becoming Taliban soldiers.
I look forward to seeing you all when I return to Kansas next year.
Semper Fidelis,
Joseph Chrivia,
Chief Warrant Officer-3,
United States Marine Corps,
Kabul, Afghanistan