Arghandab Cookie Competition - Nov. 20

Event update: A very nice thank you note!

Thank you very much for participating in the Arghandab River Valley Cookie Competition. Competition was fierce and the judges were very nearly overwhelmed by the number of entrants. Unfortunately, the judges ran out of cookies before they could determine a conclusive winner. I’m happy to announce that all entrants will automatically qualify for next year’s cookie competition.

On a more serious note I would like to give my most sincere thanks for the cookies that you sent in. A good day here is generally very much the same as every other day here. Soldiers fall into routines here because they work and that matters here more than anything else. They go out, they come back, they write reports, they eat, they sleep. After nine months it wears thin and the conversations all sound the same. The smallest change makes a huge impact on the soldiers here, especially the younger ones who often have come here straight out of high school and have not had the time or experience to develop strong emotional support structures. Moreover, after eleven years, the war simply is not at the forefront of mainstream culture and it becomes discouraging to young soldiers who often feel that their sacrifices go unnoticed by the general public. The simple act of making cookies and sending them is a strong statement that shows Soldiers that there are people that remember they are still out here in a strange land and that has had an enormous positive effect on them.

Once again, thank you.

Respectfully,

 

John Benson

1LT, U.S. Cavalry

 

********





Arghandab Cookie Competition


This request comes from Kelly Ficker, Transylvania graduate and avid volunteer. Her boyfriend is in the Army and is hosting the Arghandab Cookie Competition with the hopes of lightening the spirits of his fellow friends and troops working abroad. Cookies are due to John by November 20th for judging so if you are baking you would need to send them by the end of October or the beginning of November, 2012.

 

If you are looking for something fun to do that will brighten the spirits of those currently serving abroad, this is your project!

Address:

John Benson

TF Legion 2-2 SBCT

COP DPC-A FOB Walton

APO AE

09367

We are still pending on a few more details about this, such as how many cookies, etc. We will update this post when we learn more details.