A Community In Need
April 2020
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In spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit at full force. The University of South Carolina went fully virtual, as did most schools in South Carolina. On April 1st of 2020 I volunteered, along with around 20 other 88Ms (Motor Transport Operators), for State Active Duty Orders in order to provide relief to South Carolina. Two weeks later my Battalion, The 1050th Transportation Battalion, was put on Title 32 502 (f) orders, Federal orders, to assist Horry County. Within three days, we were trained and certified on school buses and drove to Myrtle Beach South Carolina to operate out of Socastee High School (Home of the Braves). At the time I was confused as to why we were being trained on school buses. However, I later learned in POLI 374, Public Policy, that the decision to drive school buses was a critical part of the policy decision. Every day, my Battalion would have a formation at the Myrtle Beach armory, load up in LMTVs, and push out to our respective school to pack, load, and deliver meals to the students of Horry county and those impacted by the pandemic. The route I drove went through the Myrtle Beach strip to deliver meals in hotels, apartment complexes, trailer parks, shelters and day cares. We delivered over a hundred meals daily to children, mentally disabled individuals, and women’s shelters. While on these orders, I saw child hunger, poverty, and a community suffering. |
May 2020
This forever changed my perspective on child hunger and poverty.
However, the impact we were able to make by understanding the problem, finding a policy solution, and executing was tremendous. In total, my Battalion was able to deliver over 70 thousand meals through our partnership with Operation BBQ Relief and the Horry County School district. Through donations from libraries, local businesses, and donations from within the unit, we were able to give thousands of dollars worth of books in various languages, toys, and other comfort items while on our routes. Additionally, I built relationships and trust with the community, attached is a video of me "racing" one of the students I delivered food to. It was a rewarding experience, every day we knew we were making a direct impact on lives, people made signs and one mother made “freedom masks” for my bus; masks with the Army logo, tanks and jets for us to wear to help keep us safe. At the end of our orders, Socastee High School created coins, wrote letters and even had an administrator take a picture with us in front of our buses.
While studying at the University of South Carolina the following year I enrolled in a Public Policy class, POLI 374. In class we discussed how public policy, acts, and bills are created, passed, and executed. One of the key focuses of the class was racial and class inequality, who is most likely to be affected and how this inequality impacts our communities. This reminded me of my previous mission and of Horry County. At the end of the semester we were given the opportunity to find a policy solution for a problem that our state is faced with. After talking with my professor about my previous mission, the impact it had on my life, and brainstorming solutions I wrote my Policy Brief , “Minimum Wage and Socioeconomic Disparity” in South Carolina. One of the statistics I learned while in POLI 374 was that over a quarter of children in South Carolina live in poverty. Additionally, I learned the importance of social programs, public policy and how this process, as well as street level bureaucrats, directly impacts and improves the lives of our fellow South Carolinians. Through my Policy Brief I was able to identify a problem, create possible solutions, and then recommend a specific policy response to the problem.
However, the impact we were able to make by understanding the problem, finding a policy solution, and executing was tremendous. In total, my Battalion was able to deliver over 70 thousand meals through our partnership with Operation BBQ Relief and the Horry County School district. Through donations from libraries, local businesses, and donations from within the unit, we were able to give thousands of dollars worth of books in various languages, toys, and other comfort items while on our routes. Additionally, I built relationships and trust with the community, attached is a video of me "racing" one of the students I delivered food to. It was a rewarding experience, every day we knew we were making a direct impact on lives, people made signs and one mother made “freedom masks” for my bus; masks with the Army logo, tanks and jets for us to wear to help keep us safe. At the end of our orders, Socastee High School created coins, wrote letters and even had an administrator take a picture with us in front of our buses.
While studying at the University of South Carolina the following year I enrolled in a Public Policy class, POLI 374. In class we discussed how public policy, acts, and bills are created, passed, and executed. One of the key focuses of the class was racial and class inequality, who is most likely to be affected and how this inequality impacts our communities. This reminded me of my previous mission and of Horry County. At the end of the semester we were given the opportunity to find a policy solution for a problem that our state is faced with. After talking with my professor about my previous mission, the impact it had on my life, and brainstorming solutions I wrote my Policy Brief , “Minimum Wage and Socioeconomic Disparity” in South Carolina. One of the statistics I learned while in POLI 374 was that over a quarter of children in South Carolina live in poverty. Additionally, I learned the importance of social programs, public policy and how this process, as well as street level bureaucrats, directly impacts and improves the lives of our fellow South Carolinians. Through my Policy Brief I was able to identify a problem, create possible solutions, and then recommend a specific policy response to the problem.
Interestingly enough, this is the exact process that led to my Battalion being put on orders. Horry County had an influx of employees testing positive for COVID-19, meal pick up lines were inefficient and a large portion of children were going hungry because their families did not have transportation to the schools to pick up meals (Identified the Problem). The National Guard decided to mobilize and train 88Ms on the school buses so that the children and families would recognize and be comfortable approaching the vehicles (Policy Solution). Finally, my Battalion was selected, conducted the training, and executed the mission on behalf of Horry County (Policy Response). I will never forget the smiling faces, the freedom masks, the impact we had on our community, and thanks to Public Policy, POLI 374, I now fully understand my role in the mission as a street level bureaucrat, the impact we had on our community, and how policies and missions like these come to be in implemented.
Artifacts
COVID-19 Relief Mission: 1050th Transportation Battalion
POLI 374: POLICY BRIEF
Racing To Build Trust (Video)
COVID-19 Relief Mission: 1050th Transportation Battalion
POLI 374: POLICY BRIEF
Racing To Build Trust (Video)
| Covid-19 Relief Mission: 1050th Transportation Battalion |
| POLI 374: POLICY BRIEF |
Racing To Build Trust (Hyper Link)