Thanks to the management and staff at Steam Whistle Brewery in Toronto, Canadian troops serving in Afghanistan will be able to enjoy a brew this holiday season. Beer is not readily available in the Muslim country, but Canadian troops are allowed to have alcohol on base three times a year: Oktoberfest; an event in November; and Christmas.
Steam Whistle employees donated their weekly beer allotment and it was matched by the company co-founders Cam Heaps and Greg Taylor. The Canadian Armed Forces agreed to accept the shipment of Steam Whistle Pilsner in holiday 12-packs.
The gesture of the Steam Whistle Brewery staff should remind us all that freedom is not free. Politics is politics, but no matter what your feeling is about the fighting in Afghanistan or Iraq the fact is that there are thousands of men and women half way around the world paying the tab for you and me.
While we cannot ship alcohol to our troops, we can show our support and concern through letters and care packages. If you know someone serving overseas, take the time to send them something today. You can also reach out to troops through a number of organizations. One of the best can be found at www.anysoldier.com. You can get a look at photos of the men and women, where they live and what they do on a daily basis. Many also provide a list of things they just cannot get in the field. Until they build a Wal-Mart in the Sunni Triangle, things like tooth paste, snack foods and American magazines are hard to come by and appreciated by those who we count on to defend freedom.
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