Girl Scout badge earned with help of Army captain

Beautiful snow-capped mountains, daytime temperatures over 100 degrees, and local merchants selling handcrafted items...sounds a lot like summer in Sisters. But it's not. Not by a long shot.

The mountains completely surround the Army air base and are great cover for terrorists; the temperatures swell to over 120 degrees; and only a few trusted merchants are allowed on base to peddle their goods. Everyone here packs a loaded weapon.

This is Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

Jalalabad has connections to Sisters. Captain Brenda Rivera, a commander and part of the 101st Airborne Division, is the little sister of Katie Braman. Dr. Brad Braman and his wife, Katie, are the owners and operators of Braman Dentistry on West Adams Avenue.

Peyton Griffin is Co-Troop Leader with Miki McFadden, of Jr. Girl Scout Troop 50752. Sitting in the dental office, Griffin and Katie Braman struck up a conversation. Braman, who is very close to her younger sister, told Griffin all about Captain Rivera.

Peyton immediately started thinking of her girls.

"I thought it would be interesting and informative for the girls to meet someone who is a strong female leader, someone who is courageous, and has forged her own way in a career path where there are not many females in leadership positions," she said. "Girl Scouting is all about nurturing tomorrow's leaders. I thought this would be eye opening for us all."

What came next was a series of letters back and forth between Afghanistan and Sisters. Care packages have been sent loaded with holiday cards, snowflake crafts, nuts from the Girl Scout's fall sale and, of course, those delicious Girl Scout Cookies.

Care packages have been received too, with an American flag that was flown on a combat mission in the skies over Afghanistan aboard an AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter.

The flag was accompanied by an 8-by-10 photo of the airship in flight with the flag seen through a window of the helicopter and a certificate of authenticity.

Also included in the packages were some large onyx, lapis, and jade stones from the surrounding mountains that a local merchant sold Captain Rivera. The rocks have been given to the Sisters Elementary School library so that other classes who study rocks can have an up-close look at these stones from another country.

"I tried to send items back that would encourage the girls to learn more about Afghanistan," said Captain Rivera.

The dialogue between Captain Rivera and the Girl Scout troop here in Sisters was loaded with information on what this band of third graders was learning in school, a very personal look into the geography of Jalalabad, and an offer to help with their earning their "Citizen of the World" badge.

The girls of Troop 50752 leaned about different geographical areas in Afghanistan, temperature differences there, history, local commerce, what are nomads, and how a man can come to be called a Haji. All 15 girls in the troop now proudly have their badge.

"My sister has always wanted to be in the military," said Braman. "She's a real mama bear with her soldiers, she carries a big load knowing some of her soldiers don't get letters and packages from home."

Captain Rivera wrote telling the troop that her "soldiers are sad and they miss their families but you put a smile on their faces and made their day so much better when they read all your wonderful cards."

Captain Rivera is a unique woman. She is a Quartermaster serving her country and fellow soldiers. During her first deployment she earned a Bronze Star for "exceptional meritorious service" in 31 round-trip convoys. She was a fuel-and-water platoon leader then. They supported five battalions in 3 BCT (3rd Brigade Combat Team called the Rakkasans) in the area of operations around Tikrit, Iraq.

The battalion support in an intense combat area was done with no incidents at all. Captain Rivera attributes this to her strong NCOs (Non Commissioned Officers) that worked hard and did their job well. Those Rakkasans patrolled the roads every day and, according to a grateful Captain Rivera, "are the best infantry BCT in the Army."

On April 5, Captain Rivera became the first female commander in the history of the 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

When Captain Rivera comes home from this deployment in December she will meet up with her husband, Captain Pedro Rivera, in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. They have a soon-to-be two-year-old son, Alex. Pedro, the Executive Officer at the Ft. Campbell Air Assault School, will deploy shortly after Captain Brenda Rivera's return home.

Brenda will be separating from the Army upon her return and plans on pursuing her nursing degree at Central Oregon Community College.