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‘Our
Soldier’
Strangers turn paper bond into friendship
Friday, February
10, 2006
By
Amber Branford
Cpl. Carrie Blais is not another soldier, she is known as “Our Soldier” to six employees of Benchmark Administrative Support Services in Bel Air. They also think of the Marine Corps as their friend.
The newfound friendship developed through what many people have all but forgotten- mail.
A pen, piece of paper, envelope and a stamp have managed to foster a sense of companionship among a group of Hartford County residents, a soldier and her family.
Blais is slated to return soon to the U.S., to Connecticut, after completing her second tour of duty in Iraq.
After spending time with her family in her home state, Blais will be traveling back to Camp Lejeune, in North Carolina- but not before making a brief stop in Hartford County.
Employees at Benchmark Administrative Support Services – Susan Brown, Sherry Epple, Beth Framarini, Kathy Kelly, Fran King and Debra Stoecker – have been communicating with Blais for the past seven months while she is serving in Iraq.
None of the employees at the Bel Air company knew Blais before they signed up to correspond with a soldier through the My Soldier Program via the Internet.
Our Soldier
According to Kathy Kelly, office assistant at Benchmark Administrative Support Services, her boss found the web site almost a year ago through Manhattanville College, which provided the new-age pen-pal service.
“We thought as a group, this would be something we would really like to do,” Kelly said in a recent phone conversation.
The My Soldier Program was developed by Sgt. Juan Salas, who served 14 months in Iraq, and upon his return, established the program through his school to show support for troops serving in hardship areas, according to the program’s web site.
When the group of six employees signed up for the program at www.mysoldier.com, they were assigned to a soldier but were unsure of their soldier’s gender or age would be.
“We didn’t really know what to write at first,” Kelly said.
Learning the Little things
Originally, Kelly said each of the six employees made the letters personal, explaining who each person was, the weather and the atmosphere of the office so Blais could get an understanding of who she’d be corresponding with.
Included in the first letters to Blais, Kelly said they sent paper envelopes, because soldiers don’t always have access to those things.
Corresponding by overseas mail is not always prompt according to Kelly. The average response time is about one month. Still, the group of employees has kept in contact with Blais on a pretty regular basis, learning about her as an individual, not necessarily a soldier.
“Our soldier in particular loves to read,” Kelly said, later adding, “We know that she has a dog and she loves her car.”
Kelly said they also write about pets and any down time she has while serving in Iraq.
But the one thing that has brought the local group and soldier together- her life as a soldier- is almost never discussed.
The employees at Benchmark like to keep their letters light and upbeat, refraining from discussing any type of sad news.
“I don’t believe she is at liberty to say anything about what she is doing,” Kelly said.
The only thing that the group has come to understand about Blais is that she is somewhere in Iraq and she is on her second tour of duty. They do not know when she began her second tour.
“It sounds like she’s in a relatively safe area,” Kelly said.
Packaging care
The group sends a care package to Blais about once a month, filled with things such as toiletries, sunscreen, eye drops, nuts and hard candies.
They have also sent phone cards so she can call family in Connecticut and writing paper.
Although a care package is not expected, the core group of six enjoys sending some special treats. On average, they spend between $12 and $17 per package each month.
Over Christmas, the group sent three care packages to her to brighten her holiday season.
Although Blais’ letters are normally pretty brief and addressed to the group, Kelly said after she received the holiday package, each of the six employees received a personalized holiday card written in crayon.
Thankful
Speaking on behalf of the Benchmark Administrative employees, Kelly described their correspondence with Blais as “a good feeling.”
“She’s given up her life to go over there, so we can do things back here and that’s pretty admirable,” Kelly said.
In November when Blais returned home for two weeks, she was able to speak with her pen pals in Hartford County for the first time. The group has begun talking with Blais’ parents in the U.S. after she returned to Iraq.
“I’m sure there are probably some people over there that may not have anybody over there to write to them,” Kelly said. “Fortunately for Carrie, it sounds like she has a very loving family.”
Kelly said the group has been in contact with Blais’ mother so they know exactly when she’s coming home this month. In their only phone conversation with Blais, Kelly said, Blais said she would like to stop through Maryland to visit her My Soldier friends.
A picture of Blais hangs in the Benchmark Administrative Support Services office in Bel Air.
My Soldier
According to the My Soldier web site, the American public can adopt a soldier “regardless of political views and opinions of warfare, our troops need our support.”
Upon adoption of a soldier, participation should consist of periodic upbeat letters or e-mail to the soldier contact provided.
A starter kit is available to people to download once they’re enrolled so they can get a better understanding of how to begin and letter writing guidelines from Salas.
According to the web site, about 50 percent of the soldiers respond but 100 percent appreciate receiving the letters. Sending care packages is optional.
While serving for almost two years in Iraq, Salas was commended for his part in saving a life of a child.
Through the long days in Iraq, Salas is quoted on the web site, that letters were one of the things that kept him going.
“From kids, Boy scouts, students. A letter was like a piece of gold. Something you will keep for the rest of your life,” Salas says on the site.
His love for letters has turned into a national new-age pen-pal service in support of U.S. troops.
And the trend to adopt a soldier is catching on, not only in Hartford County but across the U.S.
“I know I’d feel good if someone took the time to write me a letter,” Kelly said, later adding, “It is a very, very fulfilling thing to do.”
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