My name is CPT Michael Panzera. My mother is a Summit resident & lives in the Senior Citizen Housing on Chesnut Street. Thank you so much for the packages. I received them the other day. It is worth a million dollars to us to receive packages. Why? Several reasons. Yes we do use 99% of the items sent. There are a lot of soldiers here & the PX is small, has a limited selection, is often out of items & certain items are expensive. But the main reason is the support it demonstrates to us. Many of us, especially the National Guard soldiers like myself have made great financial & personal sacrifices to be here. With the training prior to deployment, we have basically given up 1 1/2 years of our life. Being away from home in this environment, probably is equivalent to 3 years of work at home. We are here 24/7. We don't always get any time off, we work long hours, we cannot drink, we share rooms smaller than the smallest room in your homes, we face actual danger sometimes & potential danger always & the lengthy separation often kills relationships. Our loved ones often can't handle this & move on, so we often have no one to come home to. Someone even has to take care of our pets, like my mom. We are not complaining or want pity. It is what it is. Soldiers being soldiers. I am just telling you the facts. We are here for many reasons. Some for college, some for a job, etc...I & many of us are here because we love our country & wanted to help protect it after 9/11. I worked in the World Trade Center from 1978-1981 on the floor where the second plane hit Building Two, so I had to rejoin the military & gear up & come here. Again thank you for the support! When you are having an especially bad day, remember where you are & don't take what you have for granted. It is not that bad. You could be here. Enjoy life for us until we get home...Regards, CPT P
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