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About:
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, “Operation: Provide Classroom Comfort” (OPCC) was initiated by CPT Mark Sherkey’s Field Artillery battery (C/1-377 th FA) in Mosul, Iraq (2003-2004). His unit, like many others, utilized the elements of soft power to create humanitarian connections between the Iraqis and the Americans.
This initiative involved three phases:
- Rebuilding the schools
- Transforming classrooms into learning environments
- Providing teachers and students with tools to facilitate learning
Within a seven-month period, over 2,000 Iraqi children were provided with over 2,500 pound of school supplies from over 26 states. Within this same period, three villages (Karmless, Badosh, and Hulaylah) received over $60,000 in captured Saddam funds for the renovation of three primary schools, one secondary school, and one pre-school playground. While the infrastructure of the school buildings was being repaired, the Virginia Tech Middle Tennessee Alumni Chapter sponsored Mark’s unit by sending approximately a hundred boxes filled with toiletry items for the soldiers and boxes of school supplies for the children. Through the aid of the internet, outreach poured into Mark’s unit from all over the country to include Hawaii with care packages for the Iraqi children.
With this assistance and outreach to these local villages, valuable information was passed to his unit. Moreover, a joint partnership between the local villages and Mark’s unit was formed. By reaching out to local schools, an umbrella of protection was formed around his unit’s base camp.
OPCC was reborn after the 2004 VT Alumni Chapter President’s dinner and a number of meetings between Sue Magliaro, Director of the VT School of Education and Mark. Sue saw the potential to help Iraqi children and immediately sought the approval from Virginia Tech and the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences to revive this program.
On April 28, 2005 the Virginia Tech Iraqi Outreach Committee was formed and began planning this extremely worthwhile effort. Committee members include:
Debbie Day, Associate VP for Alumni Relations
Patty Gaudreau, School of Education
Dr. Sue Magliaro, Director, School of Education
Tasha Messenger, Executive Officer, VTCC
Allan Miller, University Relations
Colonel Rock Roszak, USAF/VTCC Alumni Relations
Major Mark Sherkey, Liaison officer to Spirit of America
Gus Teller, School of Education
Kellie Trail, CLAHS Alumni Relations
Jeremy Wells, Department of Athletics