South Bend woman adopts a platoon of soldiers

SOUTH BEND -- When Pam Brunette was looking for ways to help America after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, she happened across the AdoptaPlatoon Web site devoted to providing support for troops overseas.\nFew have probably taken its message to heart as deeply as the South Bend woman. Not only did she sign up to be a surrogate "mom" for several individual military members, she went on to adopt several platoons and, recently, an entire Marine company.\nThe AdoptaPlatoon organization was founded in 1998 by Ida Haag of San Benito, Texas. Looking for ways to boost the spirits of members of her son's Army platoon, then deployed in Bosnia, she began sending letters and packages to soldiers in the unit who had been receiving little mail.\nThe effort was so well received by the military that Haag began recruiting friends to take part. It eventually grew to a national, nonprofit program with some 22,000 members supporting about 96,000 troops deployed overseas.\nFor Brunette, whose father served in the Navy, becoming a surrogate military mom was a natural fit.\n"The day after 9-11, like most, I was shocked at the attack against our country and its citizens on our soil," she said. "I wanted to do something to help, to make a difference."\nThat night, an ad for AdoptaPlatoon popped up on her computer.\n"I never read ads on the computer, but this one caught my eye," she said. "I checked it out, and right then and there they had me hooked."\nPeople agree to support individual soldiers, squads of 10 to 15 soldiers, or platoons of 25 to 40. They can adopt a soldier, which requires sending weekly letters and monthly care packages, or be military pen pals, which requires weekly letters and occasional packages.\nBrunette signed up to adopt a whole platoon. "They were absolutely great. We had great communication and established great camaraderie," she said. "I always refer to my soldiers as my 'kids.'"\nKnowing she collects teddy bears, members of the platoon surprised her with a pair of new ones for her collection and one of the specially minted unit coins.\n"I was so honored, it brought tears to my eyes," Brunette said.\nThe AdoptaPlatoon program allows individuals, schools and other organizations to support members of the military or military units in all branches of the service.\n"Our mission is to ensure that U.S. service members around the world are not forgotten and to promote patriotism in our schools and communities," she said.\nBrunette is using her computer skills to help maintain the group's national database. She is one of some 20 volunteer senior staff members with the nonprofit group.\n"It's a big operation, but it's also a labor of love. Many of us work full time and devote our spare time to our AdoptaPlatoon duties," she said. Brunette estimates she spends about four hours each weeknight and 10 to 15 hours on weekends helping link military members with stateside supporters.\n"We know that mail call is the highlight of their day. We try to bring a bit of home to our soldiers stationed overseas," Brunette said.\nBrunette recently adopted Company B of the Marine Corps reserves 6th Engineer Battalion, based in South Bend. The company now is deployed to Kuwait to help with the war against Iraq.\n"Fortunately, I got to see them before they left," she said.\nGrateful letters from soldiers overseas and their families here at home show the members know how valuable their work is, Brunette said.\nShe urged anyone interested in signing up for the program to visit the AdoptaPlatoon Web site. "No matter what people's feelings are on the war in Iraq, I urge them to support our soldiers, marines, and sailors," Brunette said.