Resident seeks support for Montana soldiers

With the holidays approaching, one local woman is looking to spread the seasonal joy to Montana service men and women in Iraq.

Kim Jones, known locally for her efforts called Adopt-a-Soldier to support her son's U.S. Army company during his deployment, is at it again. Her son, Todd, has been home for nearly a year now, but she's adopted another company, Montana Army National Guard's 639th Quartermaster Co.

"Operation Thank You," her newest campaign, is her first large effort since her son's return. Jones is encouraging locals to mail a postcard, letter or care package to a soldier by Nov. 11, or Veterans Day. This will hopefully get the mail to the company by Thanksgiving, she said.

Jones comes from a military background as her father served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Her desire to support people in the service reaches back to when she was a junior at Bigfork High School and U.S. forces were in Vietnam. She remembers students selling nickel bracelets with names of prisoners of war engraved on them. As soldiers returned, students were able to identify their man as he came off the plane, she said.

"I guess it's always been on my heart," Jones said.

Jones' son was deployed to Iraq in October 2007 with the U.S. Army. When he got his orders, she felt a desire, or calling, to adopt his whole company.

Through an Army Family Readiness Group, which allows loved ones and friends to receive information about a soldier's deployment while he or she is away, Jones was able to get that desire to the members of the company. They were asked to sign up to receive mail with their names and contact information.

She was also able to meet with some members of the company prior to their deployment and even more soldiers signed up.

"I told them we were just going to love on them and support them with letters, cards and care packages," Jones said.

Jones couldn't have anticipated how the community responded to her call for support for this company. After an article ran in November 2007 in the Bigfork Eagle, her phone didn't stop ringing.

"People just came on board, and we did all kinds of projects," Jones said.

These ranged from care boxes at Christmas to Operation Cookie Drop on Valentine's Day to shipments of pillowcases with wild fabric and neck coolers.

At the time, she had information on individual soldiers so that locals could pick up a particular name.

"It was a like a hug from home," Jones said. "Anything they get, even a little postcard, says, 'We are thinking about you.' I get teary just thinking about it."

Her son came home Christmas Eve last year, and she took several months off from Adopt-a-Soldier work. But her desire started stirring again recently.

This was partially spurred by the level of encouragement these shipments brought to soldiers like her son.

"You have no idea how much it means to them," Jones said. "The suicide rate is high. We've lost people because they think no one cares."

Her new adopted company, the Montana 639th, was deployed last January and is stationed near Baghdad in Iraq. The company was originally supposed to be home at Christmas this year, but will now not return until January.

The group's armories are located in Kalispell, Libby and Havre. Jones was able to connect to the armories because of Todd's service, she said, and with the help of a woman from Helena with similar interests.

Jones' efforts have grown so quickly that she hasn't had time to set up a non-profit for the group. That's why she relies on residents to mail out their packages individually.

For Jones, the current efforts are not nearly as much as she'd like to do, but that could quickly become a full-time job. She now wants to also find a group to support in Afghanistan as well.

"I wish I had more time," Jones said. "I wish I could make it bigger."

For the mailing address for "Operation Thank You" and more information, e-mail Jones at bigforkjones@montanasky.net or call 837-1088.