Emma Garrard/Nevada Appeal Girl Scouts Katie Matuska, 6, Natalie Williams, 7, and Kylie Couste, 8, push a box of Girl Scout Cookies into the Post Office on Roop Street on Thursday. The Girl Scouts are sending 489 boxes of cookies to U.S. troops in Iraq.
The 13 girls of Carson City Brownie Troop 399 came to the aid of the 130 Nevada Army National Guardsmen attached to the 1864th Transportation division Thursday as they sent off 500 boxes of Peanut Butter Patties, Thin Mints and Caramel deLights to the troops.
Decorated with smiley faces, candy-colored hearts and little messages as sweet as a box of Lemon Pastry Cremes, the boxes were packed carefully with hand-written notes, posters and a letter of salute to the troops signed by all the girls, along with a little suggestion:
"If you don't like the ones you got, you can trade with a different soldier."
The cookies were addressed to 9-year-old Rebecca Williams' father, Staff Sgt. Marshall Williams.
The company was deployed in November 2004.
"I hope you come home soon and I love you," said Williams, addressing her father through a local TV station camera. "Enjoy the cookies!"
Williams later revealed that she wouldn't be too opposed to her father getting an extra box, "But everyone's got to share first!"
While she wasn't sure if they had milk in Kuwait, she was positive the soldiers would eat the cookies anyhow.
Asked what they would say if they could talk to the troops directly, the girls were full of practical Brownie thoughtfulness.
"I hope your cookies don't melt before you eat them," giggled Ashly Lyford.
"Thank you for leaving your families and for protecting us," said Sarah Cristl.
Troop leader Kathy Williams was proud of the spirit the girls put into the project, from the beginning of cookie season in February to the final mailing-off of the packages.
She said a lot of people who didn't want to deal with the guilt and temptation of an open box of Thin Mints in the cupboard were more than generous when presented with the idea of sending the cookies to troops stationed overseas.
"It's a taste of home," she said.
The post office estimates the troops will have their cookies in about two weeks.
As for Troop 399, they say they've had enough cookies for the time being, knowing little that this time they've earned the kind of badge that can't be sewn onto a sash.
n Contact reporter Peter Thompson at pthompson@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1215.