NTM-A Troop

Air Force Maj. Karl Palmberg gives a bag of toys to an Afghan child during a volunteer community relations supply donation to a refugee camp in Kabul March 31, 2011. Palmberg is a personnelist in NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan who is deployed from Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. April Lapetoda)

NTM-A troops deliver supplies to refugee camp

Published April 1, 2011
By Tech. Sgt. April Lapetoda
NTM-A Public Affairs

KABUL -- Several troops from NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan in conjunction with a non-governmental organization delivered supplies to a refugee camp here March 31, 2011, as part of a volunteer community relations program.

The supplies included items such as: beans; rice; sugar; blankets; cooking oil; tea leaves; flour; clothes; and toys, and were donated by people in the United States who mailed the items to NTM-A and Sozo International.

The refugee camp is home to about 50 families who live in several small tents and a building, which is partially destroyed. Each of the families received enough cooking supplies to last up to a month.

While the recipients were appreciative for the supplies, those who volunteered to deliver the goods also took something away from the distribution.

"It was good to get away from Camp Eggers and see some folks who are non-military," said Air Force Maj. Karl Palmberg, who is deployed to NTM-A as a personnelist from Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. "(This mission) made me appreciate what we have back home. It's nice to give something to the poor."

Others had a more personal connection as their reason for volunteering.

"I lived my whole life in a refugee camp and I want to be able to help other Afghans," said Wakil Abdul, one of the representatives from of Sozo International at the distribution.