Mail call!

October 12, 2006

Maj. Ryan Guiberson walked into his office and said it was a big day. He'd received packages and letters in the mail.

Guiberson, director of operations for the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron — the deployed designation of Little Rock Air Force Base's 463rd Airlift Group — sat down and opened the first letter.

A grin spread across his face as he opened a pink card from his grandma. The conversation whirring around him became background noise. He was home, reading his grandma's words.

When he was done with the note, he said, "Look at this." He turned the card around and showed us a perfect four-leaf clover taped inside.

Grandma has a clover patch in her yard back home in Montana. And she has a knack for finding the lucky four-leaves. She used to tape them into his high school football uniform.

Capt. Laura Schmutzer walked in with a container of blondies from her grandma. White brownies from heaven.

The night before, Lt. Will Pahn told about a package he received from a bunch of eighth graders. They colored pictures and wrote notes wishing him luck.

His favorite? A picture of a jet with the after-burner fire blazing out the back. Written next to it was the sentiment: "Here's my crappy picture of a jet."

The package was a gift from friends of an old roommate's mom.

Capt. Steve Hreczokosij gets a package every three days. His wife always has a box for their two young children to fill up with pictures and whatever else they'd like to send to dad. He said sometimes that leads to interesting packages. But he'd have it no other way.

In the crew rest room at squadron headquarters, an airman is on the phone.

"Hi honey, it's daddy. Yes, I'm still in Iraq," he said. His voice hushed to a whisper as he asked about school and home, his back turned to his buddies that filled the room. Above the phone is a sign dictating that calls home be limited to 15 minutes.

Another box of homemade cookies circle the room, fresh from a package.

It's a good day.

Posted by editor at October 12, 2006 04:14 PM