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When Ben Moody and Michael Sarno, Army reservists and members of Jersey City, New Jersey, IBEW Local 164 returned home from tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, they brought back an appreciation for the "little things in life." Sarno says: "After being in the desert, and seeing how important a bottle of water or sunscreen can be, I definitely slow down and appreciate everything I have."

Sarno and Moody were on hand to personally thank members of Local 164 who participated in a month long effort, "Care Packages for Troops," to make "little things" more available to our soldiers in the Middle East.

The drive culminated with a daylong collection of donations from Local 164 members, the community and local corporations. Two tractor trailer loads of supplies, including toiletries, baby wipes, non-perishable items, stationary, flea collars, sunscreen, batteries and lip balm were delivered to Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base for distribution to troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"When we heard that the basic necessities of our troops needed to be supplemented, we organized this collection," said John Nordyk, Local 164 Volunteer committee chairman, who spearheaded the collection along with Business Agent Keith Misciagna.

"If we can ease the burden of just one soldier, then we have accomplished our goal," stated Business Manager Richard Dressel, who saluted the collection drive for "bringing together many people for a common cause."

Sacramento
Member Sends
Letter from Iraq

Bryan Wilfong, an inside wireman with Sacramento, California, Local 340 was part of a reserve detachment activated in November in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Wilfong, whose unit is responsible for most of the telecommunications network in Kuwait and southern Iraq, sent the following letter to his IBEW brothers and sisters back home.

Greetings Brothers and Sisters,

It has been a real experience traveling around to many of the different bases and seeing firsthand what the electrical systems here are like. There is a very large and noticeable difference between the systems that I have been accustomed to installing as a professional in Sacramento and the systems that the local contractors here install. I can only imagine that this is what the electrical system must have been like prior to the union.

We have had multiple electrical fires in the Technical Control Facilities (TCF) at the various bases that we control.

The TCF is the main computer room on each base. Believe it or not, many of the people in the Army over here know of the IBEW. Once word began to spread that I am a member of the IBEW back in the real world, the requests started to come in to have me go around and fix what the local contractors have installed. This type of recognition of our professionalism and training is a credit to all the members of the IBEW both past and present.

Always proud but staying low,
SSG Wilfong, Bryan B.

Ohio Apprentice Headed Overseas

Donald Jones, Army reservist and member of Steubenville, Ohio, Local 246 is in Fort Bragg, North Carolina awaiting orders overseas. A fourth year apprentice, Jones serves with the 463rd Engineering Group based in Wheeling, West Virginia.

"All of the brothers and sisters here in Steubenville are proud of Don not only as an IBEW brother, but as one who will stand up and proudly defend his country," says Kyle Brown, Local 246 business manager. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Don," he adds, "as well as all of the men and women serving our country in this time of strife."

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