With military troops serving the Armed Forces in the National Guard capacity, they are often called upon to be deployed to foreign countries, often times for long periods.

Such is the current case with a few local and several other area soldiers of the 1st Battalion 623rd Field Artillery, who are currently serving at least a nine-month stint away from home and family in the country of Jordan.

Most of the destinations where American military personnel are sent, those areas don’t supply even some basic necessities troops need and use on a daily basis, such as the case with the Jordanian mission.

Local residents, however, have the opportunity to supply not only the individual soldiers they know, but all the troops in the battalion by donating items for “care packages” which will be forwarded to the local soldiers serving our country overseas.

The idea to show such support was presented recently at a meeting of Albany City Council by councilwoman Tonya Thrasher, and now a list of items and drop-off locations for those items to be sent to the troops has been announced.

Anyone wishing to support the localized troops now serving overseas can donate the following items (among others) at Albany City Hall or Shearer Drug: baby wipes, lotion, non-perishable food (such as snack crackers, etc.), powder, disposable razors, shaving cream, tooth paste, shampoo or any other type of toiletry items.

Once enough items are collected at a time, they will be shipped in care of a local troop or their unit.

This is one way that local residents can show their continued support for our people in uniform who are serving our country in a foreign land.

The 623rd, which is based from the National Guard Armory in Monticello, was deployed from there on January 5. From there, they traveled to Camp Shelby, Mississippi and later deployed to Jordan.

The nearly 200 soldiers, from areas such as Monticello, Glasgow, Albany, Burkesville and other surrounding communities and towns, were deployed to assume an advise and assist role in the training of Jordanian troops as part of a partner nation alliance in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.