get reel military
Every so often, we receive a letter or e-mail from a U.S. Soldier stationed somewhere around the world, usually overseas, and often in a combat zone like Iraq or Afghanistan. As might be expected, these young men and women crave things that remind them of home and their normal lives, and apparently, fishing is one of the things they desire to recall the most.
We get requests for magazines from these anglers whose fishing time has been interrupted by military service, so they can at least read about their favorite sport, if not participate in it at the moment. We got one such request from Army Staff Sgt. Reggie Kalous (left), who is currently stationed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Kandahar, Afghanistan. “We are a small group with one television and two dinner tables,” Kalous said. “There are four of us from Florida and some from southern states and when we eat, it seems like all we talk about is fishing.”
Sgt. Kalous sent us this photo of himself and a fellow soldier holding the copies of past SWS issues we sent. It’s our honor to support these brave soldiers as they serve far from home, even if it’s only through the minor act of sending them a few magazines. We sincerely hope that Reggie and his other fellow soldiers enjoy the brief respite from active duty that reading about fishing might bring, and that all of them come home safe.
John Brownlee
getreel@saltwatersportsman.com
