Sleep for Soldiers

“Meredith Read sent her husband a bed set after he came back from patrols to find other Soldiers sleeping in his bed.  So she decided to set up other Soldiers with the same level of comfort,” said Sgt. Timothy Stocking, Task Force 34 Retention Noncommissioned Officer. 

Sleep for Soldiers is a non-profit company based in North Carolina started by a North Carolina National Guardsman’s wife while deployed to Afghanistan.

When other units showed interest in her special care packages she decided to start a charity and took donations. 

“I read a human interest story about it and sent her an e-mail,” Sgt. Stocking said.  “The next thing I knew I had 10 boxes waiting for me.”

Sgt. Stocking put the word out about the packages and Task Force 34 Soldiers were happy to receive the contents.

“It is a lot more comfortable then when I was here in 2003 sleeping in a truck,” said Spc. Damon Downing, A Co., 834 Aviation Support Battalion (ASB) Transportation Specialist.  “We get a lot more sleep and wake up in a better mood.” 

The Task Force 34 Force Protection received several boxes for their sleeping area where Soldiers sleep when on call.  Prior to receiving the packages they had cots and whatever else they could scrounge up to sleep on. 

“It makes us more comfortable and is a little closer to a real mattress,” said Spc. Israel Aguero, A Co., 834 ASB. 

Overall the Soldiers of Task Force 34 were very grateful for the donation. 

Spc. Blia Lor, A Co., 834 ASB, said, “it raises morale knowing that people back home are thinking about us over here.”    

By Spc. Richard Brown
834th ASB Unit Public Affairs Representative
14 Dec., 2008