"Team Trail Blazers" Supports Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan

Written by Deborah F.G. MacSwain, Special to RedCross.org

Sept. 17, 2002 — They call themselves “Team Trail Blazers” and on July 25, 2002, they were the first from the American Red Cross to set up and operate an office on the U.S. military base in Bagram, Afghanistan. Given the conditions, Vera Kellar, Tyrone Whitaker and George Blackwell did not have an easy task.

"Team Trail Blazers" George Blackwell (l), Tyrone Whitaker and Vera Kellar (rt) hold a flag signed by staff from the Finance Department at Red Cross National Headquarters and from the General Supply Division.

It is dirty, hot and dangerous. Except for the towering, rocky mountains that loom in the distance, the area is fairly flat and dotted by bombed out, crumbling concrete buildings surrounded by, a sea of musty, tan tents. In this arid part of the world, everything is blanketed in a brown layer of dust. The military personnel stationed here must stand in lines for showers and meals and there is little, if any, electricity. Sleeping in 120 degree tents is next to impossible. Yet, with all the discomfort, the “Team Trail Blazers” is enthusiastic and proud to serve with the United States armed forces supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Kellar, a retired Army military police officer, is the team leader and on temporary duty from her home station in Bahrain. She and her two colleagues are responsible for preparing the Red Cross office to handle emergency communications from the family members of the armed forces. They also needed to secure tent space for their living quarters.

The troops also appreciate one of the most valuable items provided by the Red Cross team — a large refrigerator filled with cold water and sodas. The drinks are premium and here, as Kellar says, “cold is gold.”

Tents covered with dust provide sleeping quarters for military personnel at Bagram.

Another “Team Trail Blazer,” George Blackwell is on temporary duty from Ft. Carson, Colorado. A retired Marine, he is the only Red Cross volunteer to have served in both Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. At Bagram, Blackwell works the mid-shift from 5:00 p.m. until midnight. He says that the temperatures are cooler now, around 100 degrees during the day dropping to 60 degrees in the evenings. The days are also getting shorter, which helps reduce the heat. According to Blackwell, the only time a person feels clean is when he or she is in the shower tent. Once they walk out of the shower, they are again covered in a film of dust.

Blackwell is quick to say that the military at Bagram appreciate the Red Cross presence, not just for bringing some much-needed comfort to a harsh living environment, but because of their constant contact with the United States. Most of the Red Cross team’s time is devoted to delivering emergency messages such as a death of a parent, serious illness of a spouse or birth of a child. “The U.S military need a lot of support and the Red Cross is there helping to provide that support,” Blackwell said.

Tyrone Whitaker, the third member of the team, is on temporary duty from Quantico, Va. He retired out of the 101st A B, his last duty station in the Army. He is excited about being on this Red Cross assignment. “This is a real world event, not a training exercise,” Whitaker said. “Each day brings something different or unusual. These are hard living conditions with no conveniences.”

Like many other Red Cross volunteers and staff who have visited the sick and wounded at military hospitals ,Tyrone visits patients at the Combat Support Hospital in Bagram. While there, he spent a lot of time with a little girl named Lally.

The hallway that leads to the Red Cross office is a makeshift canteen housing stacks of boxes of comfort items for the troops and other U.S. civilians.

Lally was brought to the hospital with other injured civilians innocently caught in the crossfire of conflict. Just 18 months old, Lally suffered from severe malnutrition and was in critical condition when she arrived. During his routine hospital visits, Whitaker became enchanted by the little girl. He built her a playpen and came to see her often. Shy and unhappy, the little one eventually gave way to smiles and allowed Whitaker to hold her. Despite undergoing several procedures to make her well, Lally was not strong enough to survive. The sorrow following her death was felt by everyone who worked at the hospital and by the Red Cross — especially Whitaker.

Lally and other personal memories will always be with the members of “Team Trail Blazers,” who are scheduled to leave Bagram soon. They are mobile Red Cross staff who serve on three to six month deployments to military operations and exercises and then return to their current duty station. They all share one mission — to provide emergency communications and to add something to the quality of life for the men and women of the Armed Forces whom they support.

“The Red Cross is one light in a very dark place,” Kellar said. “It is not the easiest place to be — but it is the right place for us to be.”

To find out more about contributing items for our troops overseas, please contact your local Red Cross chapter.