276th Engineers hand out donated sporting goods

Soldiers from the Virginia National Guard’s Richmond-based 276th Engineer Battalion hand out donated sporting goods in early April in Afghanistan. Maj. Chris Doss, the operations officer for the 276th, organized a trip to the villages of Margah and Balay Kalay in the East Paktika province to deliver the 13 large boxes of donated equipment and athletic clothing.

Short Pump Elementary School in Richmond donated the sporting goods. Doss contacted the principal and Parent Teacher Association from Short Pump in late 2008 to let them know about his pending deployment to Afghanistan. The school conducted a similar project in 2004 when Doss was deployed to Iraq, and students donated over 30 boxes of school supplies that were handed out to two schools in Tal Afar, Iraq.

Doss said the school came through again, this time with donations of used sporting goods like soccer balls, soccer and football jerseys, baseballs, footballs, soccer shorts and socks. In addition to this particular project, Doss said the school has always shown great support to deployed Soldiers by sending letters, care packages and pictures. Doss has a daughter who currently attends Short Pump Elementary.