REACHING OUT TO THE CHILDREN OF IRAQ

(This is from a Doctor friend of mine serving in Iraq as a Colonel. This was a great encouragement to me)

REACHING OUT TO THE CHILDREN OF IRAQ

The war has taken on a very different focus for us of late . Although it's devastating consequences continue to knock on our door almost daily , we all seemed to be filled with a renewed and uplifting sense of purpose . The CMOC or Civil Military Operations Center , has now been reborn as the Civil Military Outreach Center . That is the name we have given that ray of sunshine that has broken through our dark clouds of war .

It has been only about a week since we visited the 5th Special Forces clinic along the wire at RPC . However since we announced our intentions to reach out to the children of Iraq , the response has been overwhelming both at Sather Air Base as well as with our families and communities Stateside . The base Chaplain is beside himself with joy at the prospects of ministering in a small way to the innocent . Civil Engineering wants to pitch in cleaning , painting , plumbing and doing all that they can to improve the simple facility . Keep in mind these CE folks are already working 24/7, doing some of the heaviest lifting on base . The Company Grade Officers Council wants to be involved . The First Shirts and the Chiefs have petitioned me directly to be " allowed " to participate . The list goes on and on to include just about every Squadron and Group Staff Agency on base .

At home , the response has been truly American . Boxes around the nation are being filled with hope - soon to be distributed to the most fragile victims of humanities steely side. I was humbled by the fact that Dr. Campbell , the Headmaster at The Covenent School ( Will's school ) , has seen this as a project worthy of the organized involvement of the Covenent School families .

You know - there is clearly a God given goodness that allows for this type of response . I believe we are all born with the light of goodness . How and why- in some- it turns to darkness - I just don't understand . It is usually very very dark around here .

Dr. Salvatore Lombardi