Thursday, November 20, 2008
Quick Poll
How much do you plan to spend on Christmas presents this year compared to last?
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Published Friday, September 26, 2008 in Education
Smokey Road students adopt Army platoon
The Times-Herald
The students at Smokey Road Middle School, far from an active military base, have recently become "platoon daughters and sons."
Last month the school in west Newnan adopted an Army platoon currently deployed in Afghanistan, and they are now part of the daily lives of 26 combat medics currently serving in a northeastern province of Afghanistan.
In turn, the 24 men and two women of that platoon are now part of the school's daily life. Smokey Road's platoon is associated with the 1st Infantry Division, 3rd Team, 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment of Fort Hood, Texas.
Through daily e-mails and phone calls from Afghanistan direct to the school every Friday, the project has grown into something "that's just taken on a life of its own," said Principal Laurie Barron.
Barron hoped the project would be an opportunity for students to be able to connect to some of the troops serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It started out as a way to ship a few care packages, and quickly evolved into a program in which students are now getting the opportunity to ask questions of the medics every week, write them letters and be involved in their shared histories as well as learn about some of the realities of their experiences.
"We had no idea it would develop into a daily, ongoing program," she said.
The project, begun mid-August, came about through Adopt A Platoon, a nonprofit organization created 10 years ago by volunteer mothers to help lift the morale of deployed service members' morale.
Barron explained she wanted the school to get involved "to show gratitude to the military men and women who are defending our freedom and lives."
The troops get to experience "a piece of home" through care packages that are mailed every two weeks. Last week, students included about 400 letters and other items from home. When the school's parent-teacher organization learned the cost of their initial shipment, the PTO picked up the tab.
The troops, in turn, are offering a little of themselves, starting with their pictures and short biographies that they've written themselves.
Sgt. John E. Washburn, the squad leader, stays in contact with Barron and Katie Davis, an eighth-grade social studies teacher, daily.
Washburn, 42, said the experience with Smokey Road's students has lifted everyone's spirits in the platoon.
"They are very excited because they get to communicate with people they don't even know," he said.
Washburn added in an earlier e-mail that when the men and women are deployed to "the middle of nowhere like where we are, you get depressed thinking about missing home or friends and so on. Well, this great school is taking care of this by encouraging the students to write letters to the soldiers. To some, this simple task would seem like a little thing, but to all of us, it's one of the greatest gifts we could ever get. As a soldier that has been through two combat tours, I can tell you that every time they get mail, he or she is one of the happiest people on earth. Because as you read the letter, you get to escape the reality of your current location. It is very therapeutic to read mail from people that support you. The helps us keep down the amount of soldiers that have to be evacuated for combat stress."
The first bio e-mailed to the school included his own. Washburn described himself as someone who enjoys watching NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing and spending time with his family, which includes his wife of 16 years and two daughters. Originally from upstate New York, Washburn has been stationed in Georgia, Colorado, Germany and Texas.
Through e-mail, students have also been introduced to others in the platoon, including Capt. Amanda Cuda, a family physician originally stationed in Hawaii who was cross-attached to the Texas outfit. She's married to a urologist, and they have a 10-month-old.
Washburn initiated contact by calling and leaving Barron a voice mail message. Since then, he's agreed to call the school each Friday to talk with up to 10 students at a time and share the questions with other members of the platoons.
Barron explained the only requirement of the program is that it has to be volunteer and "all done from the heart." It was important for Barron and Davis that it not be considered a class competition, where students are rewarded with a pizza party.
"This is just about hoping we're making better citizens here," she said.
The students aren't rewarded nor punished for participating or not participating. The students are only asked to write a question, which is reviewed by their teacher to make sure it's not "insensitive." The student is then asked to write what Washburn's response was to their question, and their feelings about his response as part of their homework. The letters are then shared with the platoon.
Davis said she was overwhelmed by the students' generosity and compassion, describing one student who wanted to add something to the first care package, but she had nothing to give so she cut out a newspaper article that she hoped one of the troops would enjoy reading. Another student sent some of her favorite pocket-sized stuffed animals. Davis said the stuffed animals were obviously well-used and loved, tucked in a shoebox. She explained the student wanted the troops to have them to "keep them safe." She also hoped that the soldiers would "git (sic) home soon." As part of the project, the teachers don't subject the children's letters to correction or grading.
Barron said she was struck by the students' level of maturity in their weekly questions.
Frederiqua Turner, one of the first students to talk with Washurn, asked: What made you want to risk your life and leave your family to go and serve your country?
Washburn responded "just to know the thought of me serving my country makes me happy. I did this because I wanted to keep my family safe and make sure my country will be proud."
Turner wrote it "almost put tears in my eyes because this touched my heart and if I had the chance to tell him how much that meant to me it would be indescribeable (sic). Not many people would want to risk their lives for people they do not know, but the only thing I can say is thank you! Again I say this with my chest up and with a lot of pride. Thank you!"
Faulty, staff and others are invited to participate or drop off donations of supplies, letters and cards at the school's media center. The shipments will be mailed every two weeks with the next shipment scheduled for Oct. 3.