News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cumberland County High School’s Fighting Jets Battalion sending items to the 278th Tennessee Army National Guard in Kuwait, providing a taste of Christmas while being deployed.
Senior Army Instructor for the Junior ROTC Program Aaron Johnson said the Fighting Jets Batallion is a program that has rebooted this year. It is a leadership program designed to teach students to be good citizens. Johnson is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army and has deployed four times himself.
“You are like man this is a lot harder and I thought it was going to be tough and whether it’s your second, third, fourth deployment it is always a tough time of year,” Johnson said. “Especially being away from home and being away from your family and the familiarity of it all.”
The battalion will be collecting basic items ranging from hygiene items, cases of ramen noodles, playing cards, and letters. Items will be accepted through Friday at Cumberland County High School.
Johnson said every time a troop opens a support package it is like a kid opening gifts on Christmas morning.
“You would be really surprised at what small things that people take for granted and then when you are deployed and you don’t have it or even if you have it is just nice that somebody is thinking about you,” Johnson said. “Whether it is cards, letters, chapstick, a new toothbrush, or whatever is in the box when you open it.”
Johnson said it has been nothing short of amazing to see high school students being engaged to give our troops a Tennessee Christmas.
“Even the ones that are most of the time just kind of trying to fly under the radar and whatnot they are really getting into it,” Johnson said. “Honestly I think it is really going to come full circle as far as how much they reach when we get a response back.”
Johnson said he got the idea to take donations after he emailed the 278th ACR Tank Company Captain Zac Frye about how the battalion could help support the troops.
Johnson said to avoid donating any liquids as they can go bad during the estimated two-week period it would take for the packages to arrive in Kuwait.
