SJCA STUDENTS ADOPT ANOTHER GUARDSMAN SERVING IN IRAQ
Moncks Corner, SC – April 29, 2005 – A recently promoted Captain Brian Pipkin of
Jamestown, SC now has one more thing to smile about – he’s the latest of a growing
number of SC National Guardsmen who have been adopted by students at St. John’s
Christian Academy in Moncks Corner, SC.
Pipkin, who pilots an Apache AH64B Attack Helicopter with the SC National Guard’s
151 Aviation Group is currently assigned to Task Force 1 in central Iraq. His mission
since arriving in southwest Asia this past October has been providing air cover
for US military convoys and US dignitaries, as well as serving as a quick reaction
force to insurgent attacks.
Although Pipkin’s duties keep him very busy, the young officer has still found time
to write the 2nd grade students at St. John’s Christian Academy. He has also sent
them a flag he flew on one of his recent missions. The students have them proudly
displayed on a bulletin board between Wanda Fleming and Susan Gilmore’s 2nd grade
classrooms.
Though all of the SJCA 2nd graders seemed proud of their adopted soldier, Pipkin’s
cousin - Hailey Tolson (center of picture) said “I am very proud of him! I love
Brian.”
With the National Guard and Reserves composing approximately 50% of the military
force in the southwest Asia Theater of operations, an ever growing number of Berkeley
County Guardsmen like Pipkin have been called upon to serve in our nation’s Global
War On Terror.
For SJCA teachers like Alicia Tucker (see photo #2) who has had three of her kindergarten
students over the past two years with National Guard fathers serving overseas, she
feels “it is important to my students to pray for them every day. It gives the kids
a tremendous amount of pride to see these daddies visit our school when they come
home.”
Susan Gilmore, a second grade teacher at SJCA whose class has adopted Specialist
Wally Matkovich, a SC National Guard soldier from Moncks Corner believes “adopting
these Guard soldiers is the least our school can do. Besides providing a strong
academic environment with Christian values, our students are also gaining a practical
lesson in patriotism.”
SJCA Middle School teacher Kathy Oliver has also adopted a couple of soldiers and
is currently gathering used shoes to send to Berkeley County Guardsman for them
to give to Iraqi school children. She said “after hearing about the poor conditions
of the kids in Iraq from a Guard soldier who just returned home, I felt compelled
to help.” Oliver’s “Shoes for Iraqi Kids” campaign will end on May 31st. She plans
to mail the used shoes off on the first of June to soldiers like Pipkin “who are
still there trying to make Iraq a better place.”
CPT Brian Pipkin is the son of Roy and Chris Pipkin of Jamestown, SC. He is scheduled
to return home to SC in November of 2006.