Teams of COMBAT volunteers lend a helping hand around the homes of women whose husbands are deployed overseas.
By LOGAN NEILL
Published October 18, 2004
[Times photo: Daniel Wallace]
Hernando County Sheriff's Deputies Nicole Smith, left, Troy Groves and Deena Groves use chain saws and brawn to clear one of two trees brought down by recent storms at Jennifer Bradley's home in Spring Hill on Saturday. Bradley's husband, Mark, is deployed with the National Guard in Iraq.
[Times photo: Daniel Wallace]
COMBAT volunteers help Sharon Manning-Pinter clean storm debris from her yard in Spring Hill Saturday. The Hernando County Sheriff's Office formed COMBAT to help military wives whose husbands are overseas with chores around the house.
Sharon Manning-Pinter opened her front door Saturday morning to find her home surrounded by Hernando County sheriff's deputies. No, it wasn't an answer to a trouble call. Rather, it was an answer to a prayer.
Armed with shovels, rakes, pruning sheers and saws, the deputies fanned out to perform the kind of chores that Manning-Pinter has been physically unable to tackle since last month's hurricanes left her yard in shambles.
"I'm so grateful for this," she said. "These people are truly our homeland soldiers."
Manning-Pinter was one of several to receive help from the Sheriff's Office's volunteer task force, known as COMBAT (Cops Offering Military Brides Assistance Through Teamwork).
The team, which includes deputies and supervisors from the department's Spring Hill division, helps out families of Hernando County military personnel who don't know where to turn for help around their homes.
"It's very difficult for a person to have to try to keep up a home by themselves," said Deputy Nicole Smith. "If you have kids it's practically impossible to find the time, even for simple things like mowing the grass."
Manning-Pinter, who wears a dog tag belonging to her husband Marine Cpl. Brian K. Pinter around her neck, knows those struggles well. With her spouse stationed in Cuba, it has been her responsibility to fix up the home they purchased in May. Unfortunately, a back injury forced her to give up on a much-needed landscaping project. After Frances and Jeanne roared through, ripping branches from trees and destroying much of the work she'd already done, her frustration mounted.
"I couldn't find anyone willing to help," said Manning-Pinter. "I paid some kids to mow the yard, but as far as the heavy stuff - no way. It's hard for me to afford to hire a landscaping company. They're so expensive."
By Saturday afternoon, her yard was looking better. The COMBAT team, aided by Sheriff Richard Nugent, mowed the yard, trimmed bushes and lugged fallen tree limbs out to the curbside. With a $250 donation from the Fraternal Order of Police, deputies bought edging material and decorative rock needed to finish the flower beds Manning-Pinter had started.
"There's a deep appreciation by people in law enforcement for the job people in the military are doing these days," said Sgt. Cyrus Robinson as he took a break from raking leaves. "Those soldiers are laying their lives on the line for us, so we feel we need to do what we can to take care of their families while they're away."
In addition to help with physical chores, COMBAT team members also try to make sure that area military families are getting assistance in other ways as well. The team recently found a donated nebulizer machine for a child of one of the families and has worked at helping secure monetary donations for other special needs.
"You can't help but to admire the strength that these women have and what they go through every day without their husbands," said Sgt. Melissa Siucci, who helped organize the COMBAT team. "The stress of it, especially if you have kids, is unbelievable. That's why we want to help anyone out there who needs it."
-- The Hernando County Sheriff's Office invites military families that may be in need of help with household tasks to call 688-5000.
