Honoring Our Troops: Lt. Col. Gregory Kolb

Lt. Col. Gregory Kolb has done a good bit of traveling in his 26 years in the Army.

“I’ve been all over theater,” Kolb said. “I’ve been to Iraq, Djibouti, Bharain, Qatar – you name it, I’ve pretty much been there.”

Kolb has also been deployed twice to Kuwait, once in 2002 and again in 2003.

Most recently, Kolb spent nearly 11 months stationed at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Salerno in Afghanistan where he served as the commander of a combat support hospital.  FOB Salerno is located in eastern Afghanistan approximately 10 kilometers from the border with Pakistan.

Kolb said he is glad to be home and hopes people will keep the still deployed troops in their thoughts and prayers.

“Don’t forget them,” he said. “Prayers and cards of support mean a lot.”

Kolb said knowing that people back home care is very helpful to troops stationed overseas. Care packages are also very much appreciated, he said.

Though the needs of hospital units like his differ from those of other units, Kolb said basic items such as protein bars, hand sanitizer, personal wipes, gum and other snacks are welcomed. Additionally, the Salerno combat hospital distributes other supplies to wounded troops such as personal hygiene items, shower gels, soaps, toothbrushes and even clothing for wounded soldiers.

“They come in and we cut all their clothes off them, so they don’t have any clothes,” Kolb said.

The hospital also has a Wii gaming console and a large screen television. Used Wii games and DVDs are appreciated and enjoyed by the patients, Kolb said.

Anyone wishing to send a care package to Salerno Hospital can do so by mailing the items to:

Attn: Col. Peter Gould

Salerno Hospital

FOB Salerno

APO AE 09314

Next Monday, Kolb returns to work at Fort McPherson in East Point where he will serve until he transfers to Fort Bragg, N.C. in August.

Do you have a friend or loved one currently serving in the armed forces? Would you be willing to give Dacula residents a chance to show support for these servicemen and women by telling us their story? Please email kristi.reed@patch.com with your service member's name, photograph and any information you would like to share with our community.