Recent News
Letter From CPT Vince Boncich
Letter to Citizens of Holmdel Township, New Jersey
Incredible letter written by one of our adopted unit’s Commander (Alpha Company, 1ST Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division) sent to their adopted city with their photos in Iraq.
To: Citizens of Holmdel Township, New Jersey
From: Alpha Company, 1ST Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division
To: Citizens of Holmdel Township, New Jersey
From: Alpha Company, 1ST Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division
My name is CPT Vince Boncich, Commander of Alpha Company, 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. I would like to thank all the children from Holmdel Township School District for all the letters they wrote to the Paratroopers of Alpha Company at Combat-Out-Post 4 (COP4). Every Paratrooper that received a letter has written a letter back that and is enclosed in this envelope. Most Paratroopers that wrote signed their name at the end of their letter; inviting you to write back to COP4 and establish a pen pal oversees.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the school supplies that were sent to COP4. We have distributed the supplies to the schools in our local area; primarily 1st through 6th graders. Every child I see here I want to scoop up and take to the U.S. and give a shot at a decent life.
That is not possible. What is possible is to put a smile on their faces, if only for a few moments. You know how excited you get when you open up your gifts on Christmas morning and find Play Stations, bicycles or that gift that youbve been waiting for all year. The same excitement is displayed here in Iraq when these children open up a box of crayons or a soccer ball. Even my Paratroopers are rewarded by playing Santa Claus for a few moments. In my opinion, it is critical to our safety to turn the area that is in close proximity friendly by gaining the trust of the local population.
The Iraqi culture is based on family, clan and tribal relationships, family being the most important. My hope is when an Iraqi mother or father see us giving supplies and toys out to their children they just might think twice about helping the enemy do harm against American troops. If nothing else, hopefully when the U.S. leaves Iraq in two, three, or ten years these kids will remember their brief moment with the Alpha Company Paratroopers and that moment of joy we made possible. My travels around the globe have shown me that, more often than not, big projects end up as big failures; but small projects (one Paratrooper helping a child) reap large rewards. The American soldier is the best ambassador we have, bar none.
Always know that you are all the reason we do what we do; please accept this letter and pictures of our company as our token of appreciation for all that you and your families do. Thank you for your support and God Speed.
