FOB KALSU, Iraq – With all the groups and individuals who want to send items to help deployed Soldiers, there can sometimes be a glut of items piled up with no clear way to get them to those who need them most. At Forward Operating Base Kalsu, the ministry team solved this issue with a pantry.
The chaplains and chaplain assistants of the 203rd Brigade Support Battalion and the Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of a supply pantry for the Soldiers of Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Dec. 8.
The pantry, which is stocked with contributions from organizations like Operation Soldier, church groups and independent businesses from across the country, offers free items to Soldiers three days a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The pantry offers a variety of items including food, drink mixes, paperback books, greeting cards, DVDs, T-shirts, hygiene products and playing cards.
“The opening of this building shows everyone here how much the people back home care about us, but it also shows what our chaplain assistants are capable of,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Spencer Gray, 203rd BSB. “From the beginning, they got out front on this and made it happen. This is a great example of what taking care of Soldiers is all about.”
