Operation "Instant Memory"

Friends and family,

As many of you know, I am commanding the 716th Military Police Battalion. My unit is based in western Afghanistan in the city of Shindand. Our primary purpose is to help bring stability to the area and support the government of Afghanistan with security and governing duties. Many of you have inquired about what you can do to help the people of Afghanistan during our tour. We have thought long and hard about this question and how to best win the trust and friendship of the Afghan people.

We discovered during our patrols in the villages, that most of these people have never had their photo taken before. It dawned on us that we are missing an opportunity to capture one piece of the "hearts and mind" puzzle. Hence, "Operation Instant Memory" was born. I believe that if my soldiers had the capability of using Polaroid cameras and film then we could make an immediate impact when we go to villages by actually leaving pictures with families. On one occasion during a village visit, I took several digital photos and two days later I took the prints back to the village and gave them to the family leaders. They literally had tears in their eyes because these were the first pictures the two men had ever had of their sons. These men are now our friends for life because we gave them something they could never get before. Just think if we could multiply those grateful feelings. They absolutely love to have their picture taken and crowd around the little one inch digital camera screen and talk about seeing themselves. But we have no way to leave a lasting memory for them because we have limited resources in our remote region. The attached photo is of a small group of kids who were around an area where my teams and I stopped three days ago. What you do not see is the 10 little finger prints that were left on my camera after they all found themselves in the photo. I believe that you, your friends, your neighbors, your churches, your schools, and your communities could make a huge impact over here in a very quick fashion. To support and sustain "Operation Instant Memory," we would eagerly accept donations of used, but functional Polaroid cameras and any film. This is a project that has no boundaries. There will always be new Afghan families to meet. We shake their hands, take their pictures, and suddenly we are all best friends. Of course, friends do not shoot at each other, so my soldiers will have taken one more step towards making Afghanistan a more stable country. We can reach citizens at all levels with our project, regardless of hot weather, cold weather, rain or dust ... it will not matter. All donations can be sent to my unit care of me at: Ashton Hayes 716th Military Police Battalion APO AE 09354 If you questions or suggestions, please contact me at ashton.hayes@us.army.mil. Feel free to pass this email on to other interested individuals or organizations. Thank you very much for your consideration of my request and many thanks to the support you have given to me, my soldiers and the American military during these times of national crisis.

Sincerely,

Ashton Hayes
Lieutenant Colonel
United States Army