Medic in Iraq gets aid (and Kool-Aid) from stranger

In the middle of a 120-degree Iraqi day, with 40 pounds of armor strapped to his body and most of life's indulgences half a world away, Pfc. Floyd White Jr. finally realized just how sweet grape Kool-Aid can taste.

Part of what made it so sweet was that it came from Central Texas.

The Kool-Aid was sent by an Austin woman, a civilian, the type of person White said he sometimes feels disconnected from as a soldier.

"It is an awesome feeling," he said in an e-mail, "when a soldier has support."

For Jill Nokes, the package was a simple thing. She "adopted" White through one of the increasingly sophisticated support organizations for troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The soldier and the Austin woman now e-mail each other about once a week.

Nokes said she started looking last winter for ways to connect with troops, but found only pass-along-your-donation programs. She said she wanted more direct communication, especially in light of the limited contact many people have with today's all-volunteer military.

"Because we don't have a draft," she said, "it's a small sector of society doing the heavy lifting."

Read the rest at the Statesman