Staying warm in Afghanistan

U.S. Service members pack a mixture of wet shredded paper and saw dust into wooden forms to make fire bricks at Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan, Feb. 16, 2014. Service members from all branches along with coalition partners all volunteered to make the fire starters that are later distributed to local Afghan families to use as a source of heat during cold weather.(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Gary J. Rihn/Released)

Staying warm in Afghanistan

U.S. Service members pull down on levers that squeeze excess water from newly formed fire donuts, a mixture of wet shredded paper and saw dust that is placed into a mold, compressed and then dried, at Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan, Feb. 16, 2014. Service members from all branches along with coalition partners all volunteered to make the fire starters that are later distributed to local Afghan families to use as a source of heat during cold weather.(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Gary J. Rihn/Released)

Staying warm in Afghanistan

U.S. Service members along with Coalition partners participate in the making of fire donuts, a mixture of wet shredded paper and saw dust, at Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan, Feb. 16, 2014. Service members from all branches along with coalition partners all volunteered to make the fire starters that are later distributed to local Afghan families to use as a source of heat during cold weather.(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Gary J. Rihn/Released)

Staying warm in Afghanistan

U.S. Service members unload newly formed fire bricks and place them on racks for drying at Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan, Feb. 16, 2014. The Service members all volunteered to make the fire starters that are later distributed to local Afghan families to use as a source of heat during cold weather.(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Gary J. Rihn/Released)

Staying warm in Afghanistan

Staff Sgt. Razvan Olteanu, Sgt. Major Georgica Bogdan, and Sgt. Major Cristian Bratu of the Romanian Army, stand beside a table of fire bricks that they helped to make at Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan, Feb. 16, 2014. The soldiers all volunteered to make the fire starters that are later distributed to local Afghan families to use as a source of heat during cold weather.(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Gary J. Rihn/Released)

Staying warm in Afghanistan

Recently formed fire donuts and fire bricks dry on racks at Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan, Feb. 16, 2014. The fire starters are a mixture of wet shredded paper and saw dust that is placed into a mold, compressed and allowed to dry, then later distributed to local Afghan families to use as a source of heat during cold weather.(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Gary J. Rihn/Released)

Staying warm in Afghanistan

A fire donut, made of a mixture of wet shredded paper and saw dust pressed together in a mold, burns at Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan, Feb. 16, 2014. Service members from all branches along with coalition partners all volunteered to make the fire starters that are later distributed to local Afghan families to use as a source of heat during cold weather.(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Gary J. Rihn/Released)

Helping Afghans to stay warm

Published Feb. 20, 2014
By Senior Master Sgt. Gary J. Rihn
455 AEW/Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Afghanistan winters can be brutally cold, especially if you have no source of heat.

Thanks to a group of Service members at Camp Phoenix, local Afghan families now have a clean convenient source of heat.

Twice a week, a group of U.S. and Coalition partner Service members gather for a couple of hours to make what they refer to as fire donuts and fire bricks, to be distributed to the local community. The group consists of Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marines, along with Coalition members.

They combine paper from cross-cut shredders, sawdust and water to form a pulp, put it into pieces of PVC pipe or wooden forms, press the excess water out, and allow them to thoroughly dry in the sun before loading them up for distribution by an approved contractor. The Afghan families that receive the fire starters then use them as a source of reliable heat during the cold winter months.

"This is a great opportunity to help the Afghans. We take it for granted that you turn up the thermostat and the furnace warms your house. That's not the case here," said U.S. Air Force Captain James Haslup, deployed from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. "Besides, it's another way to show the Afghans that we're here to help with more than just security."

The program is a part of Operation Outreach Afghanistan, a group of individuals that volunteer their time and resources to help the children of Afghanistan. They do this by providing food, clothing, school supplies and basic medical items to hospitals, villages, orphanages, and schools in need. These volunteers are the heart and soul of the outreach program and it is through the direct involvement of Service members that they are able to request gift support from families, coworkers, civic groups, religious organizations and businesses back home. The mission of OOA helps to empower the Afghan people through compassionate humanitarian assistance.

"I grew up less fortunate than some others, and now give back to those less fortunate than me," said Senior Master Sgt. Nicola Natale, deployed from Dover Air Force Base, Del. "Since I can't go outside the wire myself, this is the closest I'll ever get to directly helping the Afghans."

Close to 900 Service members have volunteered since the fire donut program began in 2009, with over 400 still actively participating at different times.

"I see the benefit here. Their life, the way they live, is totally different than America. The time that I spend volunteering to help them is rewarding to me," said Staff Sgt. Lentrell Hill, deployed from Robins Air Force Base, Ga.

Besides helping the local community, the joint volunteer environment also gives the U.S. Service members an opportunity to work closely with their brothers and sisters from the Coalition services and in turn builds camaraderie, networking and sometimes friendships spanning well beyond the volunteer environment.

"I want to help the Afghan population. They deserve that," said Staff Sgt. Razvan Olteanu of the Romanian Army. "It's a great experience for us to work with the community here."

"Coalition soldiers really get behind the effort. It demonstrates remarkable character on the part of the Coalition members helping us out," added Haslup.

In addition to the ongoing fire starter project, volunteers have put together school supply kits for the children as well as bags of winter clothes and household goods, have raised money through a Holiday Hustle 5K run in December, and invited children from a local orphanage on to the base where they were able to each receive a large bag of toys and clothing items. The children visited Camp Phoenix for a couple of hours where they were able to play catch and other games with OOA volunteers, take pictures and share snacks with the Service members.

As a result of the volunteers' dedication, the OOA missions have helped to build trust and lasting relations with many local villages in the Kabul area.