Bagram Airmen help bring better life to Afghan families

BAGRAM AIR BASE, AFGHANISTAN - A group Bagram Air Base Airmen joined with their civilian and sister service counterparts Oct. 17 to help bring a better life to the people of Afghanistan, one family at a time. 

Dubbed Operation Care, the all-volunteer effort collects and delivers clothing, toys, candy, school and hygiene supplies to Afghan families in need, with the most recent mission bringing supplies to families visiting the Korean Hospital here. 

Bagram Airmen help bring better life to Afghan families

Staff Sgt. Tracy Anderson passes out toys to Afghan children during an Operation Care visit to the Korean Hospital Oct. 17 near Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. Operation Care is an all-volunteer effort that provides clothes, school and hygien supplies, toys and candy to Afghan villagers. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Michael Meridith)

"I like doing this," said Senior Airman Elisa Rosemond of Greenwood, Wis., and a member of the 455th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron. Airmen Rosemond, who also volunteers at a homeless shelter back in the United States, said that she gets a great deal of satisfaction from helping Afghan families get the things they need.

"Service is part of who we are as Airmen, whether we're manning a post or passing out clothes," she said. 

Those sentiments were also shared by other Airmen volunteering with Operation Care. Master Sgt. Jamie Cabral of New Bedford, Mass., and a member of the 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Group, said that involvement with the program had given him an entirely different perspective on his service in Afghanistan. 

"These people don't have much, so this is my way of helping the Afghan people," Sergeant Cabral said. "I get a good feeling from doing it." 

Staff Sgt. Tracy Anderson of Wylie, Texas, and a member of Task Force Med said being part of Operation Care provides an enormous amount of personal satisfaction. 

"The best part of it is knowing that you are making a positive difference," Sergeant Anderson said.

Source: AFPN