European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 27, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday april 27 2007 stars and stripes Page 7 afghan bases bigger better stars and stripes the tvs military is continuing to improve and expand bases in Eastern Afghanistan As More troops pour into the area according to a news re lease issued thursday smaller facilities Are devel Oping briskly in the aftermath of the establishment of a Bri Gad sized footprint in the Northeast in recent months the Mili tary has pushed farther into areas of regional commandest where they previously had not had a Perma nent presence army officials have said the 173rd airborne brigade Likely Wal be stationed in the area after it deploys to Afghanistan one of me main construction a new Aid Sta Tion on Jala Labad Airfield soldiers Wim the 76tfc Engi Neer company and 864th Engineer battalion Are doing most of the construction and improvements including work on the medical facility we Are knocking out Walls creating doorways and building an operating Toom Chi Michael Parker an Engi Neer said of the Aid station we finish it should be a fully functional Field hos Pital the expansions and improvements include Htit Wood housing construction for troops Baba Noel has a following in Iraq Soldier spends spare time handing out donations to kids at Hospital by Helen he stars and stripes Baghdad n he has free time staff sgt Victor settles grabs stuffed Ani Mals crayons puzzles and other donated playthings and piles them into a big buggy he throws in an electric key Board then he strolls Over to certain neighbourhoods in the Green zone familiar faces come out to say hello boys and girls Admire the toys and line up to receive them he plays the keyboard the kids sing into a microphone and be settles 34 a surgical technician at Ibn Sina Hospital in the Green zone has three boys and two girls Back Home in san Anto Nio i miss my kids mis is my closest substitute said settles who is with the 28th combat sup port Hospital if i see them smile Ive accomplished some thing i understand what there going through in a War zone i know about people dying and they do too i can Only wish the Best for them settles or Baba Noel As the iraqi children Call him gets toys through military support organizations and from individuals he tends to get backpacks from sol Diers Angels Beanie babies which iraqi children collect just As kids have done in the states from operation care package and cd players from a soldiers wish list he emails donors photos of kids with the toys to reinforce the feeling that there helping the choicest toys go to the kids who Are patients at Ibn Sina every child seen recently at the Hospital was holding some sort of Goody some donations Are timed just photo Courtesy of Victor settles staff sgt Victor settles a surgical technician at Ibn Sina Hospital in Baghdad Green zone poses with some of the kids to whom he gives donations of toys school supplies and other treats the children Call him Baba Noel one of the Many names for Santa Caius right during one Outing a Back pack that settles used to tote toys caught a girls Eye she put it on and said Doest this look Good on me i said i need it but i Shallah god if i get some More ill get one for you he said that night he got 30 backpacks in the mail maj Renee Alford 49 of King Stree so saw for herself what settles toys can do we had a 6yearold sitting in bed we were trying to play with him but he play settles brought in a pack of toy cars and that did it she said god if toys Arent the Universal Way to reach kids i dont know what is soldiers sometimes go out with settles when he makes his rounds parents Are out there watching and smiling said Al Ford who is attached to the Hospi Tal even in a bad situation peo ple need to feel you Are doing them no harm making his rounds settles has gotten to know some arabic including the words for get in line and one at a time the kids speak English Learned in school the kids dont know a lot of american songs but ask for music by Shakira their cell phones might have an usher tune As a ring tone the Hospital shelves holding settles donations Are full of clothes colouring books hot kaisers Mautern wheels elmos colouring books hair scrunchies and other stuff he has a big email list of do nors and he says he Doest need anything More the toys and donors Are Al most overwhelming he says on Valentines Day he received 200 boxes of chocolates other groups and people Are giving out toys to iraqi children too but settles has a soft spot for child patients at Ibn Sina one of his daughters has had thyroid can cer so he knows what its like for children to be in the Hospital Ive seen a lot of sad things but when i see kids that s the hardest he said email Helen he at Mannheim Ansbach bar Tiberg Grafie Woehr 0044 1638 Wetzelberg 06221432157 main Kastel 06134287955 061 34287960 invoiced based pricing us specs stateside european delivery financing arranged factory extended warranties Toyota
