N.J. club will adopt
unit of slain isle soldier

Mahlenbrock, 20, was killed when a roadside bomb detonated while he was clearing a route in the city of Kirkuk. He was a combat engineer with the 65th Engineer Battalion, assigned to the 25th Infantry Division, and had been in Iraq since last January.

Henry Gosik, president of the Maple Shade club, wants other Rotarians in District 7500 to help in collecting items to package and send to soldiers in Mahlenbrock's unit.

"We are adopting David's battalion," Gosik told the newspaper. "Some guys don't get anything and that's the worst when others are getting packages."

Needed items include Zip-Loc bags, bug repellent, foot powder, lip balm, wet wipes, AA batteries, beef jerky, stationery, dry drink mix, pretzels and crackers. The soldiers also need sunscreen, laundry detergent, granola bars and peanut butter, he said.

In addition to these items, the Rotarians want to send videos of sporting events and newspapers to the soldiers.

"We thought we could send some football games and things like that," Gosik said. "We want to give them some of what they are missing from home. We are grateful for what they are doing for us."

The U.S. and Indian armies will hold joint exercises over the next two years. The agreement continues Exercise Yudh Abayas, which is held annually in India and the United States. This year, the platoon-level exercise was held in both India and Hawaii. Next year, a portion of the exercise will be held in Alaska as well as India.

Maj. Gen. Eric T. Olson, 25th Infantry Division commander who now heads Combined Joint Task Force 76 in Afghanistan, gave two Schofield Barracks soldiers a Christmas gift last week.

Olson left his headquarters at Bagram Airfield to relieve two soldiers -- Spc. Freddy Barahona, 22, and Spc. Michael Hanes, 21, assigned to Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment -- of their daily duties for 24 hours, while the soldiers flew to Bagram to enjoy some of the comforts they generally don't receive.

"Waza Khwa is one of the more remote and less-developed fire bases," Olson said in an Army news release. "I thought if there were any soldiers who could use a good break by switching with me for a day in Bagram, Waza Khwa was a good place to find them."

"Burger King was our first stop when we arrived," said Barahona, a native of Antioch, Calif. "It was great to be able to spend Christmas relaxing, watching some football, picking up a few items at the PX and being able to eat something that reminds us of home."

Olson spent his Christmas holiday accompanying several Company C soldiers on a patrol to two nearby villages following Christmas dinner and a brief tour of the base.