Schofield Soldiers Give Supplies To Webling Elementary

By Sgt. Jon Henrich

Soldiers from the 8th Special Troops Battalion (STB) at Schofield Barracks joined their command team May 14 in delivering school supplies to Gustav H. Webling Elementary School in Aiea.

Lt. Col. Mark E. Parsons, 8th STB commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. James A. Shuman led the group of volunteers, who brought more than $1,000 worth of supplies, including printing paper, writing paper, pens, pencils, erasers, markers, crayons, headsets and other items.

The battalion typically donates about once a year to its partnership school, but is planning another delivery at the end of this school year to be used for the beginning of the next school year.

“This is the second year in row that the 8th STB has provided the muchneeded school supplies,” Shuman said. “The Army’s School Partnership Program provides an opportunity for the Army community to support our local schools.”

The battalion also supports Webling Elementary, which has more than 600 students, by volunteering in weekly physical education training every Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

“The (8th) STB has helped prepare students for the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, where eight students received this prestigious award,” Shuman said.

Students can earn the Presidential Physical Fitness Award by scoring at or above 85 percent in five categories: Curl-ups/partial curl-ups, shuttle run, v-sit reach/sit and reach, onemile run and pullups/right angle pushups.

Additionally, soldiers in the battalion have helped with emergency drills at the school by providing enough bottled water for emergency stocks to accommodate the entire campus.

Shuman also said the battalion helped the school by transporting and unloading goods for fundraisers, area beautification, Halloween Haunted House and planting a garden.

“Developing good partnerships helps develop good relations in the community,” Shuman said. “It sheds a positive light on the military as a whole for these children.

“In the future, some of these children may choose to serve because of some of those positive impressions. But, even for those who choose not to serve, it helps to better develop children just by giving.”