L'VIV, Ukraine-- Forty-fifth Infantry Brigade Combat Team Soldiers deployed in support of the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine typically spend their days mentoring the Ukrainian army, but in-between training rotations, the Thunderbirds have found other creative ways to give back to their host country-this month JMTG-U Soldiers brought joy to the children of Ukraine in the form of a toy drive for the local pediatric hospital.
The drive, in which approximately 50,000 hryvna, or $2,000, worth of goods were donated, was the brainchild of the JMTG-U medical section.
"We wanted to do something that would benefit the Soldiers and the community," said 1st Lt. Dylan Gerred, the 45th IBCT's medical officer. "We first called the hospital director, sat down with her and told her our idea; they were ecstatic."
In addition to the toys, the Soldiers also provided the hospital with a projector and sound system for playing movies and infant mattresses at the request of the hospital director.
The medics never anticipated how significantly the outreach effort would grow.
"We initially wanted to keep it small, just the medics, but we were able to expand it as other Soldiers wanted to participate," said Gerred.
The event brought smiles to the faces of the children and Soldiers alike.
"They have a heart for the children," said Gerred, noting that many of the deployed Soldiers have not seen their own children in months, and in some cases, for nearly a year.
Col. Chuck Booze, the JMTG-U deputy commander, who has three daughters of his own, participated in the event as well.
"As Guardsmen, our Soldiers have strong ties with their communities back home in Oklahoma and it's great to see they have not lost that while deployed to Ukraine," Booze said. "Making this connection will have a strong and lasting effect on our Soldiers and the people of the L'viv region. I am very proud of the initiative taken by our medical platoon to help improve the lives of these children."
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