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At least twice a month, the military personnel from the Wyoming Air National Guard are sent to Iraq as support personnel. The Salvation Army is the only non-governmental agency to provide a service to the military personnel prior to their leaving.
Under the direction of advisory board member Rod Phillips, the Army provides food, snacks, water, reading material and emotional and spiritual support to those troops who are leaving for Iraq. Usually, the deployments happen at 2 a.m. Even at this early hour, Rod and his wife Arlene, corps soldier Elva Trimmer, and Major Wes Sundin, corps officer, are there to bring cheer to the departing troops and to their despondent families. Often, they are called on to pray with the troops.
This effort was recently recognized by Wyoming Governor Bill Freudenthal at one of the 2 a.m. deployments. In appreciation of The Salvation Army’s support, the governor presented Phillips with a large picture of a C-130 transport aircraft with the Rocky Mountains in the background. Across the top bold red letters read, “To The Salvation Army: Thanks for your continued, outstanding support.”
The Salvation Army will continue to encourage our troops as long as needed, thanks to dedicated advisory board members and soldiers in Cheyenne, Wyoming.