By the Rev. Mark Boorsma, Ascension Lutheran Church

More than 2,400 soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team are headed to Kuwait to participate in the final drawdown of United States forces from Iraq. Can these soldiers count on your support for them and their families?

A Yellow Ribbon Committee is active locally in mobilizing community care for soldiers and their families. An important first step is awareness.

So why is this a subject I care about? The eight years my father was part of the 147th Signal Battalion of the Minnesota National Guard happened to be years of peacetime between the Korean conflict and the Vietnam War, and I have not served in the military myself. Consequently I have no firsthand experience of the challenges faced by deployed soldiers and their families. But I had a good wake-up call five years ago when I participated in a soldier reintegration training conducted by the Rev. John Morris. My eyes were opened to the wrenching personal struggles that soldiers experience.

Beyond the Yellow Ribbon is a homegrown Minnesota initiative, born in part from the negative experiences of soldiers who came home from Vietnam to a nation deeply wearied and divided in opinion about United States involvement in that war. One local veteran showed up in church upon his return home. Instead of thanks for his service, he was met only by a pastor’s remark that surely he was “born again” after such a long absence from attendance at local services of worship. Today many Vietnam veterans work tirelessly to promote a warmer welcome home than they themselves received.

May I suggest some practical steps you could take? First, take the time to find out who in your faith community and who in your neighborhood is deployed. Then help their families in practical ways. Maybe you could mow their lawn, fix a broken sink or toilet, change the oil in their car, babysit the children or treat them to meals you have prepared. The key is to keep your eyes and ears open. Stay attentive to needs and don’t wait to be asked for your help. Go ahead and proactively offer whatever skill or task you are willing to do.

At its heart, Beyond the Yellow Ribbon is one of the many ways neighbors reach out to neighbors, so that the community is strengthened for us all. Thanks for your help.