Seven months ago, the Oregon Army National Guard was mobilized to support recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. Under the direction of General Pritt, those soldiers remained in and around New Orleans for 21 days, involving themselves in all aspects of support, from search and rescue, delivery of food and water, to policing and security. The Oregon National Guard's mission was part of one of the largest domestic National Guard disaster relief efforts in the countries history, and demonstrated the depth of mission capability that defines the National Guard.

On Friday, 21 March 2006, the members of the Oregon Army National Guard, again under direction of General Pritt, Commander of Joint Task Force Phoenix V, executed what was termed, Operation Backpack, bringing much needed school supplies to the schools in New Orleans. Public Affairs Officer, Major Strong, explains, "While we were here seven months ago as part of the relief effort for Hurricane Katrina and Rita, we reached out to the community back in Oregon, specifically the Oregon Department of Education, to help facilitate donations of backpacks full of supplies for school children, supplies for teachers, and books and clothing, that we were able to bring with us on this deployment, and which we were able to bring down to New Orleans to distribute to the schools and school children directly."

Operation Backpack involved the transport and distribution of over 3,200 backpacks, school supplies for teachers sufficient to carry them through the end of the year, as well as clothing for school children and teens, donated by the residents of Oregon. In all, the donations totaled 38 pallets and required the use of six heavy transport vehicles, five support vehicles and over 20 service members all from the 41st's LTF Battalion to transport and distribute. The mission was a total success. As Major Strong added, "The amount of hope and smile and joy that we distributed to these children today is far more impactful than the books and backpacks that we gave them." One only needed to look at the faces of those receiving the gifts to appreciate the depth of the Major's words.

This mission while being a fulfillment of a project initiated during the hurricane relief mobilization, is also a precursor to missions that the 41st BCT and the LTF Battalion will be involved in during their deployment to Afghanistan. As part of Joint Task Force Phoenix V, and in coordination with Public Affairs, Civil Affairs, and the LTF Battalion, relief efforts are being coordinated for children throughout Afghanistan. Major Strong continues, "We're hoping to do [similar projects] in Afghanistan by getting communities [here in the US] involved... from Oregon, from Oklahoma, from Puerto Rico, from all of these units [that compose the 41st BCT] and get them to help us to contribute to the hope that we're trying to generate in Afghanistan."

Operation Backpack demonstrated the 41st BCT's ability to deliver on a promise by bringing hope to the children of New Orleans, in an area of the country that we are already moving to forget. It was a mission targeted to assist those here at home; a mission that was successfully completed on the eve of this Brigade's deployment to Afghanistan. As this Brigade continues it's preparations for deployment, Operation Backpack stands as a reminder that not all efforts are geared towards war. The efforts that will be extended in Afghanistan by way of assistance and relief are far more lasting than the destruction that war leaves behind. While the infantry fights, it is efforts such as these that win the hearts and minds long after we have gone. By connecting communities through the hands of citizen-soldiers, the 41st BCT stands to leave a sureness of hope that will be a lasting image of their efforts for generations of Afghans to come.

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Copyright, Scott Kesterson- 2006

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