December 20, 2024
Local News | Bureau County Republican
Local News

Deployed to Kuwait, chief showered with gifts

Ladd community shows its support with care packages

By Craig Sterrett
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Ladd police chief Bill Gaefcke, who is deployed to Kuwait, posted photos on his Facebook page in gratitude to area residents for donations for troops. "Thank you everyone for all the presents for my little tree. After getting some sleep, I am looking forward to opening a few. Thank you Braxton, Rose, Alyana, Smith family, Bryce, Dillon, Addison, Addi, and all the unnamed gifts from the Illinois Valley," he wrote. Gaefcke is scheduled to return home in May. (Photo contributed)

LADD — Should old acquaintance be forgot, the Ladd police chief has boxes and boxes full of reminders that people in and around town are thinking about him.

Maj. William Gaefcke is in the middle of a military deployment to the Middle East and won’t return until May. Just before Christmas, he received several care packages from groups and individuals throughout Ladd.

“I am very blessed,” Gaefcke said in a recent interview. “I’ve had great support from the community — from mail, care packages and simple chat messages.

“Most of the care packages came from people in the community I’ve made the most impact with through policing. I’ve gotten everything from drink mixes, candy, mixes nuts, baked goods, homemade art work and what kids want for Christmas.”

Also receiving items from the care packages was Spc. Travis Camp, a 2017 graduate of LaSalle-Peru Township High School. He is serving in the same unit on deployment with Gaefcke, but Camp has a different command officer. Camp works as an information technology specialist, in the expeditionary unit based out of Fort Des Moines, Iowa.

Gaefcke and fellow soldiers give some of the candy and toys and goods to children they meet. And Gaefcke made sure his buddies received some of the items from Ladd residents and groups.

“I did share most of everything with my troops. Including three little Christmas trees we kept in our operations center to keep the holiday spirit,” Gaefcke said.

Gaefcke is a major with the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, 103 Expeditionary Command in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

“My team provides logistical support to 12 counties in the CENTCOM area of operations. I work in the G3 shop, which is operations,” Gaefcke said.

A photo of Gaefcke giving a thumbs-up while in tan camouflage comes from a competition.

“I was selected to sponsor a German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge event — four days of soldier skills testing with 460 registered participants with 153 graduated,” he said in a Facebook chat with Shaw Media. “I was a participant last cycle and earned the silver badge. Rankings are bronze, silver, then gold.”