Video: Okolona Wounded Warrior

[bitsontherun nKwRqAt4]

OKOLONA, Miss. (WCBI) –The U. S. role in Afghanistan may end in December 2014, but the ultimate outcome of war there is very much in doubt. In the meantime an army veteran continues his support for active duty soldiers, marines, and airmen overseas.

A former Army National Guard soldier and avid golfer, Michael Stafford just back from Afghanistan is still on his mission of supporting wounded warriors.

“We flew around the country talked to a lot of generals that was in the area. Talked to the general that’s over Afghanistan Forces and explained a lot to us that the Afghan Forces are doing their job like we’ve trained them to do,” said Michael Stafford, U. S. Army Retired.

The troops being supported are with the 133rd Engineer Battalion of the Army National Guard. It includes men and women of the 858th Horizontal Company. They are in the middle of their tour of duty in Afghanistan right now.

You may remember Stafford who spearheaded a golf tournament to raise funds to help injured men and women in uniform. Another plan was hatched at the Okolona Country Club.

“It just got talked up one day about what we could do. We thought about raising money to send some care packages and we found out that some calling cards would be better,” said Stafford.

“The 858th, some of the soldiers in that unit that received those calling cards are in our battalion. And they are a lot of our friends,” said SSGT Kyle James, Army National Guard.

There are about 154 troops in Afghanistan with that unit. That meant two cards per soldier totaling about 100 minutes each.

“This was a great opportunity for us just giving. And we got more out of it than I believe the troops will because it was just everyone giving 100% to make sure this happened,” said Stafford.

Stafford personally visited Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan to deliver those cards.

Stafford who has served his country well, loosing a limb in Iraq is now helping others who have sacrificed so much in the name of freedom.