Soldiers deliver school supplies
to Afghan children

16th MP Bde. PAO

	photo by Pfc. Garett Hernandez/16th MP Bde. PAO Sgt. Crystal Starks, a chaplain’s assistant with the 16th Military Police Brigade, presents an Afghan woman with children’s clothes during a visit to a base hospital at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — Fort Bragg paratroopers serving in Operation Enduring Freedom brightened the day for Afghan children at a base hospital Thursday.

Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 16th Military Police Brigade, delivered donated school supplies to Afghan children at a hospital on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

The school supplies were donated to the brigade through Capt. Thomas Cieslak, who, with help from Pfc. Garett Hernandez, received and sorted the donations for groups of Soldiers to distribute at the hospital. 

Paratroopers of HHC, 16th MP Bde. and other U.S. military servicemembers from Task Force Protector, the task force led by the headquarters company, visited the Egyptian-run hospital to hand out the supplies and other donations gathered by Chaplains (Lt. Col.) Thomas Drake and (Capt.) James Watanabe. 

“The Soldiers had a wonderful time, they were really happy they could reach out and touch the lives of others,” said Drake about the visit. “We are truly appreciative of the Egyptian Hospital personnel allowing us to come in so that we could present gifts to the local nationals.”

Crayons, notebooks, colored pencils and stuffed teddy bears were among the most popular of supplies given to Afghan children and their mothers who were present at the hospital. The children seemed thrilled to receive items for drawing and coloring. 

“It meant a lot to all who participated to be able to give to those who have so little,” said Maj. Devon Blake, an officer with the 16th MP Bde. Blake took part in the visit and spoke with Afghan women after presenting them with items for their children.

The paratroopers from Fort Bragg intend to carry on the donation effort throughout their deployment through “Operation P.E.N.C.I.L.”; pencils, erasers, notebooks, crayons, illustrate, learn. The Operation has been organized to enable supporters of the 16th MP Bde. to donate supplies for Afghan children and is spearheaded by Cieslak.