The company adopted Multi-National Division – South Soldiers from the improvised-explosive device defeat team through an organization known as AdoptaPlatoon Soldier Support Effort.
“In the past I’ve had care packages from organizations, but this one is probably the best,” said Staff Sgt. Meghan Markson, St. Paul, Minn. native and assistant master camera noncommissioned officer, 34th Inf. Div. “It was nice to receive items that were actually useful here from people back in the states.”
Founded in 1998, the volunteer-based nonprofit organization works to provide a better quality of life for Soldiers deployed to a combat zone by sending greeting cards, letters and care packages.
In most cases, AdoptaPlatoon will provide a link between a deployed Soldier and an individual or family wanting to support the troops. However, for the MND-S Soldiers here, a link had been made well before their deployment began.
Maj. Rodney Rego, MND-S IED defeat team officer-in-charge, is a finance manager in his civilian career and has been with Alliant Techsystems in Minnesota for more than 10 years. His colleagues adopted his team for their deployment in Iraq.
“The people back at Alliant spoke with me before we deployed about sending care packages out to us,” said Rego. “They have AdoptaPlatoon drives periodically and they figured, since we’re deploying they’d send the care packages to us.”
Rego said the company has been adopting platoons well before he deployed and in the past he has donated different items to help lift the morale of Soldiers as they serve overseas.
AdoptaPlatoon maintains a list of items recommended by Soldiers who have been deployed and they often solicit feedback so those sending care packages may send the most practical items possible.
“It’s really nice that they sent the things you can’t get here,” said Sgt. 1st Class Carolyn Sandburg, a Cottage Grove, Minn. native and master scanner with MND-S. “There are some things that you can only get at home.”
Sandburg said she also appreciates that the AdoptaPlatoon program caters to Soldiers who don’t have large families and receive care packages often.
According to the organization’s web-site, more than 160,000 service men and women have been “adopted” since the program began.
“The folks back at Alliant Techsystems just wanted us to know that we’ve got the support and gratitude of our friends in the states,” said Rego.
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq – Soldiers from the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division recently received more than 50 care packages from their adopter – Alliant Techsystems based in Minneapolis.