Spirit of America is a wonderful charity that helps provide equipment—or whatever else is needed—to help American soldiers complete their mission in Afghanistan. We last wrote about their successful campaign to raise money to get cleft palate surgery for two Afghan children, and WEEKLY STANDARD readers promptly pitched in to help fund their efforts. Well, here's the latest dispatch from an Army Captain in Afghanistan who explains how Spirit of America Field Rep Isaac Eagan, a former US Army Sergeant who served in Iraq, has helped his Brigade:

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Name removed for confidentiality Date: Fri, Aug 24, 2012 at 6:23 AM UNCLASSIFIED Spirit of America, My name is [confidential] and I am currently deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Throughout our deployment, one of the Brigade's main efforts has been the building of the capacity and capability of our Afghan partners. Specifically, the development of the Afghan Local Police whom are responsible for local security in villages through the Zharay District. The Afghan Local Police are one of, if not the most, critical security forces in Zharay because they are men who are from the area and have a commitment to increasing security that cannot be taught to someone outside of the area. These local police endure a challenging 2-week basic training course before being assigned to a Police Garrison, but few things can compare to the natural desire to secure one's own home. The biggest limiting factor for these men dedicated to removing the insurgency from their village was not willingness, it was not training and it was not leadership. All those variables exist, but those variables alone cannot defeat the very high, dangerous threats that exist in their District. That statement alone is essentially why I cannot overstate the importance of the donations your organization has made. From the day I met Isaac Eagan, he has been the definition of a committed team player. Throughout our time spent together, he has had a keen understanding of the threat facing Zharay, the Commander's Intent and the necessary measures that need to be taken to assist our partners as security transitions to entirely Afghan led. Simply put, Isaac is the perfect representative to operate in Afghanistan and alongside our Paratroopers. Spirit of America has the unique ability to quickly provide essential equipment to our partners and through the relationships Isaac rapidly established, we were able to outfit our Police with radios, search mirrors and metal detectors, just to name a few. The Afghan Local Police patrol every day, side by side, with the American heroes serving in Afghanistan. As the equipment arrived in to country and the Police capability increased, the security surrounding our American forces simultaneously increased. Your organization's contributions directly impacted the fight and protected our Paratroopers. One letter is not enough to accurately portray our appreciation for your efforts, but on behalf of Combined Task Force Fury, I want to extend our deepest thanks. Sincerely, [confidential] ---------- End of Forwarded message ----------

Right now, Spirit of America is asking for donations and has many projects worth funding. Gifts are tax-dedcuctible, of course.