Some 150 deployed Soldiers of the 201st Military Intelligence Battalion will receive extra gifts during the Holiday Season, thanks to employees of HNTB Corporation.
The 42 employees of the engineer, architect and planning company's downtown San Antonio office piled a conference table full of shippable items, among them snacks, condiments, coffee and cocoa mixes, grooming accessories, toiletries and even Christmas ornaments.
Deborah Parker, HNTB office technical specialist, coordinated the activity for the company.
"We do something every year," said Parker. "This year we wanted to do something for our Soldiers overseas."
A retired staff sergeant with 22 years in the Army, Parker said she first called Army Community Service at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston. She learned there that a battalion of the 470th MI Brigade had deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She then contacted the brigade and spoke to the unit's family readiness support assistant, Andrea Greene, who offered information and pointers about mailing packages overseas.
On Nov. 28, Greene and 1st Lt. Chendrell Stewart went to the HNTB office to see what had been gathered and to help package the items into three small and three larger boxes. Besides contributing the contents, the employees were also paying for the postage to mail the boxes.
"They'll love it," said Greene in expressing gratitude for the intended mailing. "The young Soldiers' faces will light up … like Christmas."
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