Group donates funds for soldiers’ airfare

The Family Readiness Group, which consists of families of local Army Reservists currently training in the mainland, was at the receiving end yesterday of a check donated by the Saipan Golf Association to assist local troops in returning home for the holidays.

Although the amount was not disclosed, members of SGA said “it is a lot.” The check was presented to the U.S. Veterans Association of the CNMI, which sponsors the Family Readiness Group, shortly after the Veterans Day ceremony at the American Memorial Park.

“It’s a little bit of money to help the reserve unit that is now training in the U.S. We’re encouraging other golf clubs in the NMI to follow suit, and give anything they can to assist the troops return home to spend Christmas and New Year holidays with their families,” SGA members said.

Receiving the check was president of the U.S. Veterans Association of the CNMI Matt Chargualaf, who expressed his appreciation for the contribution.

“This is the first donation we received,” he said. “It’s for a very worthy cause, and we urge the community to also help out.”

Readiness group advisor Celina Babauta said that contributed funds would be used to defray costs of airfare for soldiers returning home.

Babauta also disclosed that a benefit concert dedicated to the troops is currently in the works. The concert, sponsored by the U.S. Veterans Association of the CNMI and the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, is scheduled for Dec. 23 at the American Memorial Park.

“The good thing is that our soldiers will be here for that concert,” she said. “We’ll have local bands and are also trying to get a headliner from the mainland or Hawaii. Schools will also be participating.”

Babauta said a special DVD will be produced, with recordings of the concert to be sent to all local troops currently deployed.

“There will be no charge for this. Not only will the members of the Echo Company benefit from it, but also all the CNMI deployed soldiers,” she said.

Local reservists belonging to the Echo Company 100th Battalion 442nd Infantry are currently undergoing training in Fort Bliss, Texas.

A two-week leave was granted for the soldiers to return home for the holidays. The unit would undergo another training segment at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, Louisiana after their leave before actual deployment to Iraq in February of next year.

The deployment to Iraq is in response to calls by the Pentagon for U.S. Army Reserve forces to reinforce depleted missions in the Middle East and Afghanistan.