Jason Chin and wife, Laura, of North Andover, carry their new computer, donated by Raytheon Corp., from the Wellesley Armory yesterday. Jason ships out with the National Guard to Iraq next week.
Posted on 06/03/2007 1:05:43 PM PDT by pabianice
WELLESLEY, MA - Brian Joseph Parmenter's National Guard unit got called up just months after the Natick resident completed bootcamp and not long after he got married.
Although he will be apart from his wife, Renee, Brian will be able to communicate with her through the Internet, thanks in part to Operation Homelink and Raytheon Co. Yesterday, Renee and 99 others received desktop computers that will keep them in contact with their loved ones stationed in Iraq.
"Right now he is in Mississippi, so he can still call me on his cell phone," Renee said. "When he goes to Iraq he won't be able to do that. As soon as he gets there he is going to get hooked up to e-mail."
Renee's mother, and Brian's mother-in-law, Carol Collette of Hopkinton, said she looks forward to keeping in touch, too.
"Even though he is a million miles away, I will still be griping at him," Collette said, with a wry laugh.
Troops in Iraq can get access to computers, and sometimes they even have Internet cafes set up, said Brig. Gen. Thomas Sellars, who commands the land component of the Massachusetts National Guard.
Sellars knows firsthand how important the link to home can be.
"Having been in Baghdad and Fallujah, having the opportunity to talk with family at home is a huge thing," Sellars said. "It makes a huge difference to be able to know that family is OK."
The ability to write daily or more often will be a great help for both the soldiers and their families, said Ruth Arseneau, who lives in MetroWest.
"During times of stress, during times of uncertainty, even in the middle of the night, it is important to be able to communicate with family," Arseneau said. "We used to rely on letters and phone calls, but I think the Internet has replaced that, especially for guys this age."
Arseneau's son, Jeremy, 21, joined the National Guard two years ago, and his unit, the 181st Infantry, was called up in May.
"He wanted to join since he was 17," Arseneau said. "He feels it's such a great opportunity to serve country. There are so many men and women over there and they need help. He feels it's his responsibility to help."
The computers did not just appear at the National Guard Armory in Wellesley yesterday, Sellars said.
"This is a collaboration between Operation Homelink - the catalyst for the project - Raytheon - which donated the computers - and the Massachusetts National Guard, who benefits from it," Sellars said.
Operation Homelink started about a year after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when Chicago resident Dan Shannon was looking for a way to help the men and women in the armed forces. Connecting the troops with their families became his mission.
Shannon started Operation Homelink in 2002, and a year later he was delivering computers to families of troops. Over the years, Operation Homelink has delivered about 2,400 computers, but most of the time they go to families of enlisted soldiers and Marines.
"This is the first time Operation Homelink has worked with a National Guard unit," Shannon said.
Shannon contacted Raytheon Chairman Bill Swanson earlier this year in hopes of getting a few computers. The company jumped at the chance to help out, said Pam Wickham, vice president for corporate affairs and communication.
"We took a look at Dan's work and at his Web site," Wickham said. "We said, 'Count us in, and we hope we can help many more times to come.' What he does is very special."
Shannon hopes to work with more National Guard units, because they may need the help the most.
"There is more of a need on the Guard side," Shannon said. "They don't have the support of families of active duty troops who live on a base."
Operation Homelink has provided computers to folks around the country, and Shannon said he is always looking for "a few good corporations" to donate to his cause.
For more information about Operation Homelink visit www.operationhomelink.org.
(Charlie Breitrose can be reached at 508-490-7461 or cbreitro@cnc.com.)
Jason Chin and wife, Laura, of North Andover, carry their new computer, donated by Raytheon Corp., from the Wellesley Armory yesterday. Jason ships out with the National Guard to Iraq next week.
Emails to the family are pretty cool. So are pings...
We have come a long way from the days of MARS (Military Affiliated Radio System)........ (Over)..!
Deployd troops use somethig like a Classmate PC (Intel made) for forward deployed locations.
I am still looking for a dealer who will sell a Classmate PC in single units - any FReepers know of any dealers?
"Working... working..."
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