This is a special page set up to follow General Douglas Pritt's deployment to Afghanistan as Commander of the Joint Task Force Phoenix. Doug is a member of the Salem Kiwanis Club. We await the safe return of Doug and his troops.
The following update was received from Doug on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2006: Dear Family and Friends. Susan and I extend our very best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. My experience here in Afghanistan has provided me the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of Christmas and I would like to focus on four aspects of Christmas that I now see with a slightly different perspective. Peace: Living each day with the constant fear for the lives of our Warriors has made me recognize how fragile life is and acknowledge I have often taken Peace for granted. My service here also causes me to appreciate the inner Peace that comes from knowing you are making a contribution to something bigger than yourself and helping create a positive history for a country with a past filled with War, tragedy and despair. Hope: Seeing the Hope we create in the eyes of the Children when we build a school, dig a well or provide them with just the smallest of gifts makes me understand what Hope really means when you have so little. For us Hope means acceptance at a prestigious university, a new job or a promotion. For the Afghan children Hope comes in the form of a full stomach, medicine for their sickness or learning to read and write. Joy: For me this is a Joyous mission because we can make a difference in someone's life. The children we help are filled with Joy because of the kindness the people of the world have shown through their donations of clothing, medicine and toys. In many cases the toys and stuffed animals we give to these children are the only toys they will get in their entire lives. Something as small as a pen or pencil will light up their lives and bring a level of Joy hard to match. We all find great Joy in seeing the happiness on their faces. Love: The Good Lord has blessed Susan and I in so many ways it is impossible to express. The Love, kindness and consideration you have shown, both of us, has been exceptional and provided the strength and motivation for us to see this deployment as an opportunity to provide service to others. It is not a sacrifice or ordeal to be endured, it is an adventure to be enjoyed and savored. This deployment, to the other side of the world, working with people from a different culture in an environment that tests you everyday, really is a blessing because of your Love. Few people ever receive the outpouring of Love you have shown us these past months. You are the best of God's many blessings on us. Thank you for being so very special. You have made this a most memorable Christmas, one we will never forget. Love Doug
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