CRW Airmen brighten Afghan boy's day by fulfilling simple request

  • Published
  • By Roger Drinnon
  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Capt. Marian Collins' third deployment to Afghanistan in October became her most rewarding one -- not because of any medal earned or battle fought, but because she reached out to an Afghan youth whose gratitude gave added meaning to her team's mission.

Captain Collins, assistant director of operations for the 571st Global Mobility Squadron at Travis AFB, Calif., was deployed from the 615th Contingency Response Wing at Travis to Shindand, Afghanistan, to restore a 1960s-era airfield to accommodate air mobility operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She said while deployed, her desire to help others inspired her to bring candy, cookies and water to some local Afghan children. She and other team members gathered donations from fellow deployed Airmen, and they set out to offer the treats to any Afghan children in the area.

Captain Collins said as they followed the base's perimeter fence, they didn't see any children until reaching the end. There, they found an Afghan boy standing with some goats just outside the fence.

Coincidentally one of her teammates, Agent Keivan, was able to speak and interpret the local language. Agent Keivan was deployed for his sixth time to Afghanistan as an Air Force Office of Special Investigations CRT member. As he spoke with the boy, Captain Collins wondered why the boy didn't seem happier to be getting the candy and cookies.

"The boy was grateful, but he asked for school supplies instead for himself and his sisters, so they could attend school," said Agent Keivan. "Captain Collins promised to bring some back to him."

Agent Keivan, Captain Collins and other team members then began looking for school supplies back at the base.

CRTs often deploy to open a new air base or to expand air mobility operations at existing ones. The expeditionary nature of CRTs sometimes doesn't allow for much luxury or surplus supplies.

"There's no (base exchange store) at Forward Operating Bases like this where we typically deploy, so we had to scrounge up whatever we could find," said Agent Keivan.

Within 24 hours, they had gathered several notebooks, pens, pencils and other items they hoped would help the 16-year-old goat herder and his four older sisters.

"We brought him the school supplies the following day, and the boy looked amazed that we came back. Although Agent Keivan could not be there to interpret, I could tell he was saying 'thank you, thank you' again and again," said Captain Collins. "He was much happier than when we had brought the candy and cookies."

Captain Collins said the experience was her most rewarding during a deployment, despite two previous deployments to Afghanistan and two other deployments to Iraq.

"It was the best I'd ever felt while deployed," said Captain Collins. "I missed my daughter's birthday during this deployment, but being able to help another child really felt good."

AMC has two CRWs -- the 615th at Travis AFB and the 621st CRW at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. The CRW's deploy cross-functional teams within 12 hours notice to quickly open forward operating airbases in expeditionary environments for combatant commanders anywhere around the world. They promote worldwide peace and stability by building mobility partnerships with host nations and by working alongside them to establish their own mobility systems. AMC's CRWs ensure the command rapidly extends its global reach to support combat operations, to provide disaster relief, and to build peaceful mobility partnerships abroad.