Thanks to Coach Eleanor Brainard, whose son is deployed in Iraq, the New England Comets Premier Soccer Club will be donating all of its old Yankee gear to the enthusiastic soccer players at Fort Polk. There are approximately 150 kids on the base who play soccer; unfortunately, they simply do not have any uniforms, or other quality soccer equipment. Many of the families are underprivileged and on welfare, and many of the kidsʼ parents are deployed overseas for long periods of time. Coach Brainard has graciously spoken with the recreational department head and he is thrilled at the prospect of using our old Yankee gear, in the appropriate red, white, and blue.
This is truly a great cause. We ask every player who receives a free replacement kit to donate his/her following items:
· Red, blue, and white jerseys
· Red, blue, and white shorts
· Blue and white socks
· T-shirts
· Warm up jackets
In addition, gently-used cleats, balls, and other soccer equipment will surely mean the world to the kids. We will inform the players and the parents of pick up logistics and timing shortly after tryouts are complete. At NE Comets, we teach values in addition to soccer and thank everyone for their help and cooperation!
About Fort Polk
Fort Polk was established in 1941 and named in honor of the Right Reverend Leonidas Polk, the first Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Louisiana and a Confederate General. Thousands of soldiers learned the basics of combat here during the World War II Louisiana Maneuvers. Afterwards, the post was opened for the Korean War and then closed. On March 12, 1993, Fort Polk officially became the home of the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), which relocated from Arkansas. Fort Polk is also home to Warrior Brigade, which contains several combat support units. Medical, dental and military police commands also support the installation. Soldiers of Fort Polk have been called to serve around the world in recent history. They fought in Panama during Operation Just Cause and in the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Storm. Currently Fort Polk is supporting the war on terrorism by providing contingency training for the Armyʼs light infantry and special operations forces and by deploying home station and reserve component forces in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Noble Eagle, and Iraqi Freedom. The JRTC and Fort Polk is experiencing a tremendous transformation to be able to continue to accomplish our missions as a Combat Training Center, Power Projection Platform and a Modern Installation that supports our soldiers and families.
Fort Polk Economic and Population Facts can be viewed at http://www.jrtc-polk.army.mil/FactSheet.pdf |
