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455th ESFS delivers soccer donations from Grand Canyon state

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Drew Nystrom
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  The Air Force has a history of balancing the need to meet operational needs with the responsibility of being a good neighbor to the surrounding community.

Members of the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron looked to find the same balance here Sunday as they delivered more than $800 worth of soccer equipment to a local village.

Staff Sgt. Michael Alger, a 455th ESFS patrol leader and native of Mesa, Ariz., said that on his arrival to the area of operations he noticed the local village's soccer field was dilapidated.

"I noticed their soccer field was really torn up," Alger said. "There were no soccer nets and kids were kicking around soccer balls that were all torn up."

That's when the defender decided to do something.

He enlisted the help of his Wingman and wife Senior Airman Rebecca Alger, a Security Forces specialist also assigned to the 455th ESFS here, and they reached back to their home state of Arizona.

"We wrote some schools and people back home to see if we could get some equipment donated and sent here," Alger said.

According to Senior Airman Alger, the response was outstanding.

The Future Business Leaders of America chapter at Desert Hills High School in Gilbert, Ariz., raised the more than $800 used to buy the soccer equipment, said Senior Airman Alger. She said they then bought and shipped it to the Algers here.

Delivering the equipment to the local village occurred Sunday when a group of about 15 Airmen presented the equipment to the village elder who assisted the Airmen with disseminating the items to the children.

"Thank you very much," the elder said through an interpreter. "The children are very happy with the sports equipment and the village as a whole is very happy to have good neighbors."

No translator was needed to tell what the assembled children thought of their newly acquired sporting goods.

The smiles said it all.

"I think it went great," Sergeant Alger said. "The village elder was very thankful and appreciative. He offered us drinks and food after Ramadan."

Besides establishing goodwill for its own sake, Sergeant Alger said he hopes the donations might translate into improved safety for the base and the surrounding area.

"These are the people we're here trying to help," Sergeant Alger said. "By having good relations with the local villagers, if people come here looking to cause harm, maybe [the villagers] will come to us and say, 'Hey, this person doesn't look right around here.'"

"Hopefully, that will lead to no one getting hurt and keeping everyone safe in and around this area."