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MHS Mustangs Support the Military

By Ellen Baik, Memorial High School, School Buzz Reporter | May 19, 2022

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Helen Rieke and Charlotte Chang at the last MMSC meeting of the 2022 school year. (Photo courtesy of Riley McCloskey)

According to the America’s Promise Alliance, there are 1,417,370 active-duty members in the U.S. Military. To support those who sacrifice their lives to protect our everyday freedom, Memorial High School junior Abigail Tomaski founded the Mustang Military Support Club.

MMSC holds monthly meetings which typically include an educational presentation and an activity that directly supports our troops. One of the most common activities is letter writing. Handwritten letters are sent to active soldiers to bring them a sense of normalcy and to let them know they are greatly appreciated.

Another popular activity is paracord bracelet making. In partnership with Operation Gratitude, these survival bracelets are sent in care packages to our military. Operation Gratitude’s website outlines the many practical ways in which paracord bracelets can be utilized in emergency situations, some of which include:

Hanging an IV bag from a tree
Creating a harness to extract an injured person from a bad location
Fishing line
Emergency sutures to close a wound
Securing camouflage nets to trees or vehicles

Senior Giana Vlahakos writing a letter to support U.S. troops. (Photo courtesy of Riley McCloskey)

Regarding her personal growth as Founder and President of MMSC, Abigail says, “I have learned that even the smallest tokens of appreciation and support (such as sending letters and small gifts) means so much to our troops that are stationed away from their family and friends.”

The Mustang Military Support Club has no political affiliation and rather focuses on showing well-deserved respect to those who fight for our country.

Memorial students interested in joining the club and effort to support our military can find more information about the Mustang Military Support Club on Instagram: @Mustang.Military.Support.

We are forever indebted and grateful for the sacrifice and bravery of our U.S. military and veterans. Thank you for your service!