A Note from Iraq

I opened my e-mail last Thursday and was glad to see a note from a Fairfax County police detective who is deployed in Iraq.

Sgt. James Sparks and I met when I did stories on his family and other Fairfax County police officers serving their country. He is on the right in this photo and Tyler Butterworth is on the left.

Covering the deployment of his unit stirred a lot of feelings about the people separating from their friends and loved ones. There was so much pride as well as many tears that summer day.

It will mean a great deal to me to be there when Sgt. Sparks and his fellow soldiers come home to their families.



Sgt. Spark's Note:



Phyllis,
I just wanted to let you know all is well here at Al-Asad Air Base, Iraq. This tour has been much less violent than my last tour in Ramadi. Which is a welcome change, it seems that the troop surge has worked (some what). After we last met, I was made the Squad Leader for 1st Platoon, 2nd Squad. I now have 26 men on my Squad now, and I will tell you they have all performed flawlessly. These young men have shown great restraint under fire, along with superb discipline. Enclosed is a picture of one of my top gunners, Tyler Butterworth from Fairfax Co Va. I know I have said this before, these young men really do instill great pride in the younger generation and their Country. They have made me proud and continue to execute their duty in a professional manner. Thank you for all the support at home, and the kindness you have shown my family. All my best to you and the Channel 9 News Crew.
SSGT Jim Sparks
B Co 1st Pl 2nd Sqd
3-116th Infantry

Tribute to Tuskegee Heroes

The origional terminal of Reagan National Airport became a celebration of history on Monday. That is where the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority held a panel discussion with five Tuskegee Airmen.

The event planned as the opening of a photo exhibit, "Tribute to Our National Heroes/The Tuskegee Airmen," drew a large and diverse crowd of area students, military personnel and airport workers.

I found myself listening to these men who had accomplished so much during such a difficult period in American history. They overcame racism, segregation and injustice to fight for their
country.

The Airmen provided inspiration and prospective for the audience. It was a pleasure to report on the tribute .

Class Connection

This was one of those days when I truly loved being a news reporter. What I witnessed in a kindergarten class in Centreville, Virginia made me smile, laugh and almost cry.

It started with Suzette Haywood reading her class a book called "The Impossible Patriotism Project." It is a story about a little boy whose father is in Iraq and cannot be home for his son's presentation on parents' night.

From there the experience in the classroom just got better and better. You see, the teacher and her students had been keeping a secret from 5-year-old Christopher Lockert. His father is serving his 2nd deployment in Iraq and has been gone since September.

As Suzette finished the story, she asked Christopher wouldn't he like to share his school work with his Dad. That is when Lt. Col. Daniel Lockert's voice could be heard in the classroom. The look on Christopher's face was priceless.

For more than 45 minutes, the Air Force Lt. Col. and his friends talked to the kindergarten students. They answered questions, made jokes and listened to the children sing.

When I sat down to talk to Beth Ann Lockert, I learned more about the Freedom Calls Foundation and how the organization helps military families stay connected to loved ones.
Freedom Calls provided the technology for the classroom video conference and covered the cost.

Mrs. Lockert also had the cutest doll for her youngest, Rebekah. In fact, all three of her children have the Daddy Dolls made with a photo of their father. She says the kids also have a huge poster from Flat Daddies to help them feel closer to their father.

Anyway, I walked out of that classroom really excited about putting together the story for our 7 p.m. newscast. I hope the Lockerts, Mrs. Haywood and the students enjoy my report as much as I enjoyed being in there for a really classy connection. Click here to see my report.

You can also see more of my interview with Beth Ann Lockert or with Christopher's teacher, Suzette Haywood. If you would like to see Christopher's father and his friends singing for the kindergarten class, click here .




There is one other item for this post. I received this e-mail and was asked to share it in my blog.
Unfortunately, it is story that is far from uplifting. However, it is one that affected a man who served his country and his family.


Hello Ms Armstrong..
As I was reading your blog...I saw a story on TV news I thought you would like to look into...
GO HERE to view the story..it was on CBS news by Katie Couric...
Its truely sad how our military has failed this family...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/31/eveningnews/main3776580.shtml

Thanks..
William

Charlie Arives in America

When you are putting your life on the line in a war zone, I can only imagine how difficult it must be to keep comforting reminders of home close.

Perhaps, that is why some servicemen and women show kindness to stray dogs and cats they find. I hear military regulations make it extremely difficult for those pets to go home with the Americans who care for them in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Well, the mascot for a U.S. Army Charlie Company set four paws on American soil for the first time Thursday. A new SPCA program, Operation Baghdad Pups, made it possible.

SPCA Animal Rescue Consultant, Terri Crisp, flew to Iraq to bring Charlie back for Sgt. Edward Watson and other members of his unit. They are still in Iraq, but Charlie will be waiting for them when they return to Phoenix, Arizona.

A former reservist, Mark Feffer, was at Dulles International Airport to greet Charlie. He had a much tougher time getting Cinnamon to America. There was no Operation Baghdad Pups at that time. You can read more about his dog's ordeal in the book his sister wrote, "44 Days Out of Kandahar."

If you know of anyone who is serving in Iraq or Afghanistan and has a dog or cat they want to bring back, the SPCA might be able to help. The animals must have a home waiting for them. Crisp says the lead time for getting the pets transported is about two months. i Love Dogs, Inc. is assisting with Operation Baghdad Pups. The organizations are also looking for sponsors to help support their efforts. Check out Charlie Comes Home on the wusa9.com website for more on the story.






Have you ever been totally amazed by what wounded warriors are doing to go on with their lives after the battlefield? Fortunately, there are people and programs out there helping them make the transition. Next month, Liberty Mountain Resort in Fairfield, Pennsylvania will be the location for a very special get away, the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project Snow Sports Weekend. BRASS will host 10 wounded service members who are currently patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. The Snow Sports Weekend is free for the warriors and their families. BRASS is looking for tax-deductible donations to help cover the costs.



On a final note, a military wife called 9 NEWS NOW to let us know some families of servicemen and women are being affected by the mortgage foreclosure crisis. It seems some families are renting homes and have been forced to move several times as a result of foreclosures. Do you know of any families in this situation who are about to move again. I would like to find out how widespread this problem is and talk to a family about it. If you are experiencing this problem and would be willing to talk to us, send me an email at parmstrong@wusa9.com .

Doing What They Can

Anyone seeing those devastating pictures of the tornado destruction in the South has to question how the communities will recover from so much loss of people and property. That is why it is encouraging to know some National Guard troops are going to be there for those families.

Hopefully, the nation has gained knowledge and wisdom from the Katrina disaster and the California wildfires. In a country so rich in resources and good will, no Americans should have to wait too long before help arrives.

Did your favorite team win in the Superbowl? I have to say I was kind of rooting for the Patriots. It only seemed right considering the title of my blog site. A perfect season for Tom and the bunch would have been nice, but I think the Giants wanted it more. What does this have to do with military personnel or families? Well, while watching the Superbowl previews, I saw a really good story on the wounded warrior who inspired the New York team. You can also read the story about Greg Gadson on the CBS News website.



Speaking of CBS News, that story about the insurgents training children was chilling. Let's hope it was a video made more for purposes of propaganda than insurgent operations. If not, another generation maybe on the trail to causing terror.




The CBS news report is quite a contrast to a story American soldiers delivering gifts to Iraqi children. The photo shows Sgt. Steve Oullette handing out toys at a school north of Baghdad. The picture was taken by Pfc. April Campbell, Special to American Forces Press Service. We may not always do what is right, but I have talked to the families of fallen warriors who had stories to tell about the joy their loved ones got from helping children in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the photos to prove it.



When I get a little down time in the newsroom (which is seldom), I start looking through Google to find new items to write about or post on this blog site. Photos from the Iraq and Afghanistan war fronts don't come my way very often, but I did find a couple of websites where you can see photos of U.S. troops in Iraq as well as pictures of Americans in Afghanistan. If you know of other good sites, let me know.




I came across another encouraging bit of information about a Marine from Dumfries, Va. It appears in a Potomac News story and a USMC website. Clare Falcone passed on the links with the story about how Major Jake Falcone and other Americans pulled together to get medical help for a very ill Iraqi girl. She made to the U.S. for medical treatment thanks to their efforts. The photo from the Marine Corps News website shows 3-year-old Amina Al'a Thabit with her father.