A group that’s been sending treats and trinkets to soldiers stationed in Iraq will expand its focus to become international Soccer Moms. Ronda Jordal of Forest City has a son who was called to active duty in the fighting in Iraq. Now his unit, the 101st Airborne Assault, is working on peacekeeping near Mosul, in northern Iraq. Jordal says they’re working in a huge sector, with 62 villages that range from 200 to 15,000 people. The soldiers and their families back home are well aware of the centuries-old feuds that are behind continuing tension in the region. She says they’re going into the villages and with all the different sheiks and their animosity to one another, Jordal says the soldiers have discovered one rare common denominator…a love of sports, especially volleyball and soccer. Her son’s battalion commander, Captain Aaron Luck, has emailed to tell friends and family back home that their support could help the soldiers encourage friendly interaction among the Iraqi villages as well as between the local people and the American soldiers. The International Soccer Moms’ budget is only for humanitarian spending, things like food and water, not sports, so he’d like to get donated soccer and volleyball equipment to set up players in the local villages. He put out a plea to mothers, wives and folks connected to his squadron to get the word out, collect donated items and send them over. So the Midwest Moms, who’ve been packing boxes with dried soup and toy footballs since the troops were sent to Iraq, now are putting out a call for sporting equipment. They’ll take donations of any kind of volleyball and soccer equipment, and also money for postage. Jordal’s son Steven has been deployed with the 101st Airborne Air Assault unit since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom. Donors who want to items to be forwarded to the troops can get more information and contact the Military Moms via email, at [email protected].
