Student Organizations Unite for the Troops

By: Tim Hanrahan
Posted In: Campus News

NEWPORT R.I. – For many service members serving overseas in combat, life’s luxuries become life’s necessities.

Salve Regina University’s college Democrats, Republicans and Political Science Club are coming together to provide some of these necessities to service members who are in desperate need of them. Many soldiers and Marines “outside the wire,” which is military jargon for being outside of an American base in Iraq or Afghanistan, lack many of the things most Americans take for granted.

The “troika” of student organizations is working in conjunction with Books for Soldiers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sending care packages to service members fighting overseas, and have set up bins and fliers in the O’Hare Academic Center for students to make donations.

“We’re basically trying to get as many donations as possible,” said Danielle Brazil, president of Salve Regina University’s college Democrats. “We’re straying away from monetary donations and looking more for practical goods.”

On many combat outposts in Iraq and Afghanistan running water is a privilege. Typically, a soldier or Marine uses baby wipes to clean him or herself when taking a shower is not possible. Also, baby wipes are often used instead of toilet paper.

Service members, especially Marines, are required to maintain military regulations and personal hygiene even without running water. These regulations include having a fresh shave and a military haircut. But maintaining these regulations requires some vital supplies which can be limited.

“Each club is giving a small amount of money for a representative to go out and buy things in case we don’t get enough from people on campus,” said Brazil. “Right now we’re looking for things such as Q-tips, baby wipes and any other practical items.”

A normal day outside the wire would begin with climbing out of a small tent or exiting a reinforced “hesco hilton,” a common nickname for the wooden huts surrounded by large dirt filled pillars called hesco barriers. Often times these huts are the only buildings on an outpost and a resupply convoy may only come once every two weeks to once a month. With no running water or a place to purchase supplies, service members must ration toiletries such as razors, toothpaste and shaving cream.

Running out of these necessities, more often than not, is a reality, forcing soldiers and Marines to either share what little they have with their fellow brother or sister in arms or they must go without, which becomes interesting when nature calls.

“I think this is a great idea and it also shows a little bipartisanship between the college Democrats and Republicans,” said Brazil. “This is something that we both can stand behind even though we disagree on how we feel about the war, but we both support the troops.”

As of this moment the first package to be sent to the troops will tentatively go out on May 1, 2009, but there is hope that the groups will continue to support the troops overseas with care packages until both conflicts end.

Brazil worries that their goals will not be met this year because of the short amount of time left in the semester; however, hopefully, some lucky soldiers or Marines this year will receive a package from Salve Regina students and be reminded that their fellow citizens still care about them.