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Simple American donations add sole to Airmen's Afghan mission

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Tammie Moore
  • U.S. AFCENT News Team
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan --  In many parts of Afghanistan, families have to sacrifice things to feed their families and survive. Shoes are one item many young Afghan children go without.

A generous handful of American donors and the Kapisa and Parwan Provincial Reconstruction Team recently delivered hundreds of pairs of recycled shoes, clothing and some radios to about 250 families at the Afghan Department of Refugees and Repatriation village.

"I really appreciate this; our people were running out of humanitarian aid, and they did not have anything for the winter," said Ali Hahm, a village elder. "I really thank, from the bottom of my heart, the coalition forces who provided this stuff for the poor people here in this village."

The humanitarian aid drop is the first the Kapisa and Parwan PRT had coordinated with the village.

"This was born out of an e-mail I received about a surgeon here who collected a lot of donations, mostly shoes from his family and friends from home," said Chief Master Sgt. John Zincone, Kapisa and Parwan PRT information officer. "He had quite a big collection, and we found an appropriate place to deliver them."

Lt. Col. Tom Knolmayer, Craig Theater Hospital general surgeon, was operating on a young boy who had been shot in the abdomen in cross fire when he noticed his callused, mud-caked feet.

"I was thinking about the fact that we were going to have to send him home with bare feet," said the colonel deployed from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. "His feet were covered in calluses that did not appear to be just formed, but formed over years. I felt sorry for him, so I e-mailed my wife and asked her to send a pair of my son's old hiking boots."

The request for a pair of shoes grew into something more. Colonel Knolmayer's wife contacted her friends and asked them to do the same. Before long, the donations came rolling in. The colonel worked with the Kapisa and Parwan PRT to coordinate a delivery of the shoes to people who needed them the most.

The PRT contacted the governor of Afghanistan who directed them to the Department of Refugees and Repatriation. With the DORR's help, the team established a humanitarian assistance drop to aid the families.

"They kind of ran the show," said Chief Zoincone, deployed from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. "We showed up with all of the goods, but they had a system in place; they had gone out ahead of time and identified all of the families. They called them out, and came into the compound area one or two families at a time. It was very orderly. Outside, a large group gathered, but the Afghan National Police was there [to keep order]."

The highly organized event allowed for each family's needs to be specifically met.

"It was a great experience; I loved being able to be a part of it," said Colonel Knolmayer, a graduate of the Uniformed Military University. "What is enjoyable for me is being able to hand out these things and watch their faces light up because they are in dire need of it; that is something we don't see very often. It is a very rewarding thing to be able to give like that."

The relationship formed between the PRT and DORR through the humanitarian aid drop is one both parties hope to continue.

"We are looking forward to having the same help, the same support," Elder Hahm said. "We have a lot of poor, needy people here."

To better support the villagers, Chief Zincone said the PRT is looking to base the supplies they take on their next humanitarian drop here on what was most demanded this time.

"They needed a lot of shoes, so we probably could have taken a few more shoes," he said. "There are some other basics supplies [we plan on taking] like blankets. We will get smarter about it and deliver it in a manner that takes less time. I would like to develop a modular kit."

The gratitude of the PRT member's efforts could not go unnoticed by those who delivered the supplies.

Everyone was very appreciative from both the government piece that assisted the team, to the police force and individual citizens, said the chief. "They don't have a lot there so they were very appreciative."

This trip is one that will stand out in Colonel Knolmayer's mind for a long time.

"It was fun to be a part of this event, but the larger concept of it is overwhelming and heartwarming," he said. "It is simple families back home who will never see villages in Afghanistan. They care enough to empty out their closets; and ship a box of shoes and clothes over here to these children."