Local Girl Scout donates cookies to Deployee Support Group

Middle East District
Published March 29, 2013
During a tour of the Middle East District, John Ballard (left) escorted the Neaverths to the USACE Deployment Center, where Keith Frye explained the purpose of the Deployment Center.

During a tour of the Middle East District, John Ballard (left) escorted the Neaverths to the USACE Deployment Center, where Keith Frye explained the purpose of the Deployment Center.

Sorina (left) and Abby Neaverth donated four cases of Girls Scout Cookies to the Deployee Support Group for the spring care packages. Chairman John Ballard accepted the donation.

Sorina (left) and Abby Neaverth donated four cases of Girls Scout Cookies to the Deployee Support Group for the spring care packages. Chairman John Ballard accepted the donation.

Local Girl Scout Abby Neaverth and her mother and troop leader, Sorina, recently donated four cases of Girl Scout Cookies to the Middle East District Deployee Support Group for use in the spring care packages.

Sorina’s boss, John Wood, CEO of Telos Corporation in Ashburn, Va., purchased 52 boxes of cookies for the deployed individuals.

Abby’s troop, number 40315, donated cookies about two years ago, said Sorina. On that occasion, a flag was flown in honor of the troop in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Along with the flag and a certificate, the girls also received thank you cards and letters, Operation Enduring Freedom patches for their vests, and other gifts from Afghanistan.

“The girls loved the letters,” said Sorina. “I remember one letter was very funny, because all the guy wrote in the card was, ‘I love Thin Mints,’ with five exclamation points.”

John Ballard, DSG chairman and a project manager with the Support for Others Branch, Programs and Project Management Division, accepted the donation and said that each of the eight care packages sent contained four boxes of cookies. “The donation of Girl Scout Cookies really made our DSG spring care packages seem complete,” he said.

Ballard also gave the Neaverths a tour of the USACE Deployment Center, so that they could better understand the deployment process. Deployment Center Manager Keith Frye also spoke with the guests about what the center does to prepare deployees for their trip overseas.

Ballard said there are about 20 boxes of cookies left that will soon be shipped to a K-9 unit and a communications unit in Afghanistan. He has already received several emails from deployed district employees thanking the DSG for the packages and the cookies.

The DSG collects donations from the district’s workforce and the community to send to employees who are serving tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. The DSG is a volunteer group.