Story by Sgt. Chris DeHart
Task Force Falcon PAO

   SVRCINA, Kosovo – With many tasks to be accomplished, units still manage to set time aside to continue helping civilians here on a more personal level.

  Soldiers assigned and attached to 2nd Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, spent Nov. 2 with students and teachers as part of their initial efforts to help out a school they "adopted." The unit delivered more than 40 boxes consisting of school supplies, winter clothes, candy and toys via ground and air transportation.

  The unit was looking for a place to make a difference, so the chaplain from 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, recommended they adopt the "Third April" school, according to Chaplain (Capt.) David G. Snyder, 2-1st. This was the aviation unit’s first mission of this nature since coming to Kosovo.

  "Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers,’ and this is a very practical opportunity for us to be peacemakers," Snyder said. "(A mission like this) lets them know there are ‘good’ armies out there that are not just out to hurt and kill people and break things. There are some out there that want to help people, and we are one of those."

  The aviation unit decided to adopt the school after performing an initial survey and establishing a rapport with the people at the school. The unit’s family support group sent boxes of clothes, toys and school supplies for the school children and also for the people in the surrounding village, according to Snyder.

  Pilots flew boxes to the school on a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter. An AH-64 Apache was also flown in to give children an opportunity to see an attack helicopter. Pilots and crew members invited students and teachers to get an up-close look at the machines, even allowing some children to sit in the cockpits. Some students even kicked around a soccer ball with troops in between learning about the Blackhawk and Apache helicopters.

  "I think this is a good thing. It shows cohesion and unity between the community and us. You can really see on the children’s faces how they feel about it," said Pvt. James Carpenter, OH-58D crew chief, Troop E, 1st Battalion, 4th Cavalry Regiment. "I am a firm believer in keeping in touch with people in the community. You can never get an accurate picture of their situation if you don’t go out and meet with them and get involved."

  The unit plans to donate time, in addition to supplies and clothes they brought, to help the school prepare for winter. The school faculty was doing all of the winterization work themselves, and even parents were donating time to work on the school. They recently asked for outside assistance to ensure the school can continue to function through the winter, according to Chaplain (Capt.) Patrick R. Basal, 1-7th.

  Although the mission was intended to help everyone at the school and in the surrounding village, the children were the ones troops hoped to have the biggest impression on, according to Snyder.

  "I think (the children) are a very large part of the peacekeeping process. What these (children) learn now will affect what they do when they grow up," Snyder said. "And if they learn (to get along) at this age, hopefully it will help to break the cycle of violence here."

  One soldier summed up the unit’s overall feelings about their mission that day with a simple phrase. Chief Warrant Officer Nelson Velez, battalion maintenance officer, 2-1st, said, "As we grow up, we tend to forget what it is really about – (helping people)."