Battalion volunteers organize winter clothing drive

Families who have spent time in the North Country know the importance of a warm jacket. Soldiers who arrive from other duty stations often have an idea of the bitter cold for which Fort Drum is famous, but they don't fully appreciate the conditions until they arrive.

Kimber Tritten and Michelle Leone, 7th Brigade Engineer Battalion family readiness advisers, saw the need to help the Soldiers and their Families gather the necessary clothing to protect against the chill.

"Last year we had several Families that had moved from warmer duty stations and really had no idea of the climate change," Tritten said.

Another concern the senior spouses had was the timing of the winter weather.

"The colder weather falls near the holidays, so buying winter clothing right now makes it especially hard for everybody," Tritten added. "We want to do whatever we can to alleviate stressors before they become stressors."

Company FRG leaders were brought into the plan to help gather clothing from the Soldiers and Families of 7th Engineers. Each company was challenged to gather as much clothing as possible. In true Army fashion, the Soldiers saw it as a competition between units to gather as much as they could. Through November and December, the clothing came pouring in beyond the FRG's wildest expectations.

"The clothing drive provided more than we could have possibly imagined," Tritten said. "We all really care about each other, we know the tough times, and we know the importance of being able to depend on one another. It was breathtaking looking into the room so full."

Soldiers and Families took a sincere interest in helping their unit prepare for winter. Distribution Platoon, E Company, 10th Brigade Support Battalion, the 7th Engineers' forward support company, took the honors for most clothing gathered, earning the battalion's top donor status.

Members of the Ladies Auxiliary, Leonard H. Hawkins American Legion Post 156 also donated items to the clothes drive. Susan O'Keefe-Vaughan, president of the Ladies Auxiliary, initiated the drive after hearing about it through another member, Meaghan Clancy, sister of Lt. Col. Michael Clancy, deputy commanding officer of 1st Brigade Combat Team and former commander of 7th Engineers.

"Thankfully, (we) received a donation from the Ladies Auxiliary and were able to help some Families adjusting to our northern New York weather," Tritten said.

Each of the Ladies Auxiliary members shop for a "pretend mother-to-be" to make sure she has everything she would need. The outpouring of support from the Ladies Auxiliary was a needed and heartfelt gift to the Families.

"This was tremendous morale booster for our unit members to know that we can directly impact our active veterans and their Families," Keefe-Vaughan said. "We are proud to help those who serve us unselfishly, and we wish to continue on this path to support your troops at Fort Drum."

Leone and Tritten were both thankful for the auxiliary's gracious donations. Some of the donations included thank-you notes, gift bags, new and gently used clothing. There also were many donations of children's clothing -- something Families really needed.

"The donations from the Ladies Auxiliary showed our Families how much the supporters they may never get to meet really do care for them," Leone said.

After the clothing drive ended in early December, the FRG had to sort and organize thousands of articles of clothing by size and type to make it easy for the Families to find what they needed. FRG advisers, company FRG leaders and FRG volunteers spent countless hours during the evenings and on weekends to get the clothing ready for distribution. The FRG advisers stressed that the success of the clothing drive was attributed to the volunteers and Soldiers who helped coordinate the effort.

The first round of distribution took place Dec. 8. The 7th Engineer Families were invited to the battalion headquarters to sort through tables of clothing. Volunteers from across the battalion were on hand to assist Family Members.

"(The event was a) rewarding experience that benefited those in need," said 1st Lt. Marty Smith, B Company, 7th Engineers. "The byproduct of the drive was the teamwork that went into it. We really established a sense of Family, and I'm proud to have taken part in it."

Leone agreed that the drive benefitted the entire unit. It brought the Soldiers and Families together and showed that they can count on the unit and depend on each other.

After the first distribution, the unit still had many items left. Tritten and Leone reached out to 1st BCT in hopes of helping as many Warrior Brigade Families as possible. A second distribution was held Dec. 13.

"I believe they have a new sense of Family within our battalion," Tritten said. "We all care for each other, and I think this brought out that sense of pride and taking care of our own.

"This was a joint effort, a truly amazing product of the Army side working with the FRG side and the Families coming to support," she continued. "We are so proud to be a part of the 7th Engineer Battalion and a part of 1st Brigade Combat Team."

The FRG is already looking forward to next year's drive. They are looking to expand the effort to

all of the FRGs in 1st BCT during the donation and distribution phases.