Lenski Families, please join us on Monday, November 11 for our Veteran's Day Assemblies and throughout that week for PTO's Thanking Our Troops Campaign. At the assemblies on Monday, SGT Jonathan LeCount and SPC Peter Beachy will share information about working in the military and the troops that are being supported by Lenski's efforts. SGT LeCount is a soldier in the Colorado Army National Guard and has two kids at Lenski, Henry and Ellie. SPC Beachy is part of the General Support Aviation Battalion based out of Buckley AFB and deploying to Kosovo next month, and the care package will be sent to his unit in early January.
SPC Peter Beachy:
I was born in Ohio in 1985 and moved to Ireland with my family when I was 5 years old. I was an outdoorsy kid until I discovered a love of books around the age of 10 and have been an avid reader ever since. A severe recession in Ireland led me to move back to America in 2013 for better job prospects. I joined the Colorado Army National Guard in 2016 at the age of 30 to be trained as an aircraft structural repairer. An injury during Basic Training set me back a few months but the Army's physical therapy program got me back on my feet and stronger than ever. As soon as I started my Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in Fort Eustis, Virginia, I knew that I was going to love my new job. I now work full-time with the National Guard, fixing Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters. Colorado Springs has been my home for 6 years, and I have become enamored with the mountains and the climate (Colorado seems gets as much sunshine as Ireland gets rain!). This has rekindled my love of the outdoors and now I can usually be found hiking on my days off. Serving in the Colorado National Guard gives me a sense that I am contributing to the safety and security of both the state and the country as a whole.
Suggested care package items:
- Letters, postcards and photos from Colorado!
- Socks, underwear, boot insoles (gel insoles are great)
- Hand warmers
- Wet wipes
- Toiletries such as: lip balm, toothpaste, deodorant (not aerosol), soap, travel-size hand sanitizer
- Headache/pain medicine (Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Acetaminophen), Cough Drops, IcyHot, Gold Bond powder
- Pretzels, chips, salsa, cookies, candy, nuts, dried fruit, beef jerky, chewing gum, trail mix, powdered drink mixes (cocoa, coffee, gatorade, propel, crystal light, etc.)
- Playing cards, travel games, paperback puzzle books (crossword, sudoku), AA batteries, notebooks, sharpies, books, magazines, hacky sacks
- iTunes gift cards
Below are some photos of myself and some from my unit (Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment) during our annual training in Michigan this summer.
1st Lt. Justin Hawkins:
1st Lt. Justin Hawkins was in 2nd grade when the country was attacked on September 11, 2001. He decided that day that he was going to protect America. Not only was he going to become a solider, he was going to become a leader. Justin applied himself and with a lot of hard work he was accepted to the United States Military Academy West Point . 18 years after the horrific tragedies of 9/11, Justin is honoring his words of his 8 year old self, and is a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Army.
1LT Hawkins is stationed out of Ft. Hood, Tx Infantry Division specializing in Tanks. His unit is currently deployed in South Korea. Although his misses his family in Colorado, he is honored to be serving his country. Thanks to his very generous wife, he recently received his ski gear and will be skiing the Olympic slopes of Pyeongchang. All hard work eventually gets rewarded. 1LT Hawkins will be retuning to America in late winter, without his unit unfortunately, to attend The Maneuver Captains Career Course at Ft. Benning, Georgia. 1LT Hawkins did not request anything for himself but ask only for his men to receive letters and well wishes.
SPC Danny Kovitz is 30 years old and he grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He was an audi technician for nine years in Wyoming and South Dakota. In 2015, he moved to Peoria, Arizona and in 2017 he joined the army. He joined the army to serve his country. He is currently deployed overseas in Sinai, Egypt as a Blackhawk crew chief.
