Aurora Methodists ship books to soldiers in Kuwait
Campton Hills resident Steven Lockwald is among Army soldiers stationed in Kuwait who are reading books provided by Wesley United Methodist Church in Aurora.
Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Lockwald, 41, graduated from St. Charles High School and College of DuPage. He is a nutrition care specialist with the 452nd Combat Support Hospital at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait.
Lockwald's unit received about 200 books from Wesley UMC members and friends in the church's initial "Operation Paperback" shipment in October.
Jenny Pawlowski, Lockwald's sister and church administrative coordinator, collects and ships books monthly. Pawlowski sweetened the November shipment of books with Halloween candy.
In July, the U.S. Army Reserve's 452nd Combat Support Hospital hosted a farewell ceremony for Lockwald and nearly 200 soldiers who were deployed for a nine-month rotation to the Central Command area of responsibility in support of Operation Spartan Shield. The ceremony was held at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee.
The 452nd Combat Support Hospital has three missions while it is mobilized to the Central Command area of responsibility. Those missions include: providing theater hospitalization (Role II E/Role III), area medical support (Role II) to camps within Kuwait and medical support to other locations within the operational area as well as to provide forward deployable battle damage teams with a capability for immediate damage control surgery.
The unit is comprised of Army Reserve soldiers from primarily Wisconsin and Minnesota, and various other states.
Operation Paperback is a national, nonprofit whose volunteers collect gently used books and send them to American troops overseas and veterans and military families here at home.
Rev. John Bell, WUMC pastor, said the public is invited to contribute books to continue the ministry. Donations may be left in the church office at 14 N. May St. in Aurora.
Popular books requested are best-sellers, action and spy thrillers, murder mysteries, fantasy and science fiction.
Additionally, requests are also received for classics, history (especially military history) and current event-oriented nonfiction. Romance novels or children's and young adult books are not accepted.
Rev. Bell said, "Our service members and their families make sacrifices every day for our country. It takes so little to let them know that they are appreciated.
"When you donate to Operation Paperback, you will let America's military community know that you appreciate their service and their sacrifices."
Call (630) 896-1033 for more information.