thedrifter
05-14-08, 07:59 AM
May 14, 2008
Montville sending laptops to troops
Marine from Towaco among those who'll be able to keep in touch with loved ones
By Tehani Schneider
Daily Record
MONTVILLE -- In a few weeks, Marine Staff Sgt. Mark Peer will head back to Iraq for his second tour of duty with an instrument designed for a dual purpose.
Peer's new laptop computer -- donated by a Montville resident and refurbished by a Newark company -- will assist with his job duties and keep the Towaco resident in touch with his loved ones.
"It will come in real handy ... because being a platoon sergeant, you're constantly making different rosters, documents, lists, stuff like that," said Peer, 34, adding he also plans to e-mail his family, girlfriend and friends more frequently.
"I believe there's a couple of ranks and grades above me that get computers issued to them. I haven't had one issued, so this works out great," he said.
The restored Dell Pentium 4 computer was presented to Peer at Tuesday night's township committee meeting, where Peer and seven other local members of the military who are headed back to Iraq were honored by municipal officials and members of the community.
More laptops coming
All the military personnel, the majority of whom are Marines stationed at Picatinny Arsenal with Peer, will receive refurbished laptops prior to deployment later this month and in June, township officials said.
Marines Richard Tichenor III, Kyle Witty, Steve Albert, Robert Koetzner, and Ryan Lind; Army Private Shea Ehntholt and Army Staff Sgt. Robert Peer -- Mark Peer's brother -- will be presented with computers at a later date, officials said.
The computers were donated by township residents during an electronics recycling event held last month by Urban Renewal Corporation, or URC, of Newark.
The nonprofit organization, which collects and refurbishes computers and other electronics, conducted its statewide recycling program in Montville for the second consecutive year.
URC aids the homeless by providing the needy education and training in the restoring of computers and electronics.
Giving back to American military members serving overseas, by providing them with recycled computers, is an inaugural program for the company, said URC President Lane Jacobs.
URC began serving two battalions in Iraq last year through New Jersey soldiers from Hillside and Livingston, and a different soldier each month received a restored computer, he said.
'They're poor'
"These guys are poor over there. They don't have a lot of money and they're absolutely thrilled" to get their own laptops, Jacobs said.
"A lot of them have to wait in long lines to use the computers. With our computers, they can plug right in and e-mail directly to their family. ...We try to give them the best (computers) available," he added.
Honoring Montville's soldiers with the laptops was a task that the entire community participated in, said Michele Caron, chairwoman of the township environmental commission.
Members of Montville High School's Key Club and the township's Women's Club participated in last month's recycling event, which resulted in two truckloads of donated electronics from local residents, Caron said.
From the haul of electronic waste, approximately 16 laptops were collected with several specifically plucked to be restored for the soldiers and Marines, she said.
Active in the community
Many of the soldiers and Marines who will receive laptops are also active in the local community, volunteering for the Montville, Towaco or Pine Brook fire departments, she said. Mark Peer is currently chief of Towaco's Fire Department, as well as the leader of a Marine platoon.
"It's a full circle -- environmentally, economically, socially," Caron said. "You have this group of guys that are always giving to the community and the community wants to give back and let them know they're cared for."
Peer said the donation of the restored computers is greatly appreciated.
"It's definitely a great thing what they're doing, supporting the military," he said.
"I'm sure the guys -- I know, even myself -- appreciate it more than we can say or even describe. It's a really great thing."
Ellie
Montville sending laptops to troops
Marine from Towaco among those who'll be able to keep in touch with loved ones
By Tehani Schneider
Daily Record
MONTVILLE -- In a few weeks, Marine Staff Sgt. Mark Peer will head back to Iraq for his second tour of duty with an instrument designed for a dual purpose.
Peer's new laptop computer -- donated by a Montville resident and refurbished by a Newark company -- will assist with his job duties and keep the Towaco resident in touch with his loved ones.
"It will come in real handy ... because being a platoon sergeant, you're constantly making different rosters, documents, lists, stuff like that," said Peer, 34, adding he also plans to e-mail his family, girlfriend and friends more frequently.
"I believe there's a couple of ranks and grades above me that get computers issued to them. I haven't had one issued, so this works out great," he said.
The restored Dell Pentium 4 computer was presented to Peer at Tuesday night's township committee meeting, where Peer and seven other local members of the military who are headed back to Iraq were honored by municipal officials and members of the community.
More laptops coming
All the military personnel, the majority of whom are Marines stationed at Picatinny Arsenal with Peer, will receive refurbished laptops prior to deployment later this month and in June, township officials said.
Marines Richard Tichenor III, Kyle Witty, Steve Albert, Robert Koetzner, and Ryan Lind; Army Private Shea Ehntholt and Army Staff Sgt. Robert Peer -- Mark Peer's brother -- will be presented with computers at a later date, officials said.
The computers were donated by township residents during an electronics recycling event held last month by Urban Renewal Corporation, or URC, of Newark.
The nonprofit organization, which collects and refurbishes computers and other electronics, conducted its statewide recycling program in Montville for the second consecutive year.
URC aids the homeless by providing the needy education and training in the restoring of computers and electronics.
Giving back to American military members serving overseas, by providing them with recycled computers, is an inaugural program for the company, said URC President Lane Jacobs.
URC began serving two battalions in Iraq last year through New Jersey soldiers from Hillside and Livingston, and a different soldier each month received a restored computer, he said.
'They're poor'
"These guys are poor over there. They don't have a lot of money and they're absolutely thrilled" to get their own laptops, Jacobs said.
"A lot of them have to wait in long lines to use the computers. With our computers, they can plug right in and e-mail directly to their family. ...We try to give them the best (computers) available," he added.
Honoring Montville's soldiers with the laptops was a task that the entire community participated in, said Michele Caron, chairwoman of the township environmental commission.
Members of Montville High School's Key Club and the township's Women's Club participated in last month's recycling event, which resulted in two truckloads of donated electronics from local residents, Caron said.
From the haul of electronic waste, approximately 16 laptops were collected with several specifically plucked to be restored for the soldiers and Marines, she said.
Active in the community
Many of the soldiers and Marines who will receive laptops are also active in the local community, volunteering for the Montville, Towaco or Pine Brook fire departments, she said. Mark Peer is currently chief of Towaco's Fire Department, as well as the leader of a Marine platoon.
"It's a full circle -- environmentally, economically, socially," Caron said. "You have this group of guys that are always giving to the community and the community wants to give back and let them know they're cared for."
Peer said the donation of the restored computers is greatly appreciated.
"It's definitely a great thing what they're doing, supporting the military," he said.
"I'm sure the guys -- I know, even myself -- appreciate it more than we can say or even describe. It's a really great thing."
Ellie