TBILISI, Republic of Georgia -- Georgia Sustainment and Stability Operations Program U.S. task force members donated time and personal funds to improve the Waldorf Free School in the Republic of Georgia’s capitol city Tbilisi, Nov. 5.
To provide a better learning environment for the children, outreach program volunteers from the Marine Corps, Navy, Army and Air Force worked side-by-side with students, teachers, parents and community members on a number of projects around the kindergarten through 11th grade school grounds.
“I thought it was a good thing going out there and helping the community as ambassadors for the U.S.,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Kenneth R. Paliwodzinski, 28, the GSSOP computer network administrator and native of Buffalo, N.Y.
The U.S. task force of approximately 50 members is in Georgia training the 22nd Light Infantry Battalion that will aid coalition forces in Iraq after completing their training.
The GSSOP task force was called in to help the Georgian military to be more capable of securing their borders, against terrorist traffic.
Working and living with the Georgians for a number of months, has helped to foster a deep affection for the local people, said Capt. Jason P. Richter, 37, the GSSOP operations officer and native of Rochester, Mich.
These strong ties have fueled servicemembers’ desire to do more for the Georgian people by helping their children.
Part of the task force’s renovations for the school included planting hedges between the school’s play yard and the street to prevent children from running into traffic and clearing a 50-foot section of sidewalk covered by dirt and debris from a small mudslide.
The team also planted flowers to beautify the schools recently re-claimed yard, which during the difficult decade following the collapse of the Soviet Union, had deteriorated into a dumping ground for local residents. Additionally, wood was chopped for use as a heat source in preparation for upcoming winter weather.
An oak tree was also planted to symbolize the friendship and learning between the children and the Americans, explained 1st Lt. Andrew R. Howard, a 24-year-old GSSOP U.S. Task Force member and native of Bonita, Calif., who labored with pick and shovel to break up the tough ground to dig a hole for the tree.
Gunnery Sgt. Tommy R. Zeno, 36, the GSSOP first sergeant and a native of Beaumont, Texas, named the oak “The Learning Tree” and had a dedication plaque made for the occasion.
The plaque’s final statement, intended to teach the children something about the United States, was the national motto, “In God We Trust.”
All together the outreach program involved more than L2,000 (Georgian Lari) or approximately $1,100. The sum may not appear to be very high to American eyes, but it made a significant impact in a community where the average biology teacher’s monthly salary is L50.
When the day’s work concluded the task force members were invited into the school to experience a slice of Georgian culture to include a meal of local cuisine. Following the meal, the day’s climactic point came when everyone involved packed into the school cafeteria for a concert of ancient Georgian songs performed by the high school students.
Melodies and choruses of highlander songs from the Caucus Mountains washed over the crowd awe struck by the power that emanated from such a seemingly humble group of adolescents. A group of musicians also played to include a flute player who used two flutes simultaneously while the rest played stringed instruments with blinding speed.
By the day’s end the volunteers of GSSOP U.S. Task Force were thoroughly impressed and had made a lasting imprint in the minds of impressionable young Georgians. The service members’ example taught a lesson about the spirit of volunteerism and community involvement to children raised in a culture still trying to shake the grip of a decaying Soviet mind set which only acts when orders from the government are issued, according to Gia Ivanishvili, the head interpreter for GSSOP and proud father of two Waldorf students.