Tastes From Home Reach Afghanistan Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee and Fluffernutter

Swampscott care is felt in Afghanistan 
The Daily Item
By Gayla Cawley
Posted: Monday, September 14, 2015

Care packages from Swampscott to Afghanistan Chief Master Sergeant Patrick Burke, left, of Swampscott and Sergeant Stanley Bembo hold posters from Clarke Elementary School students.

SWAMPSCOTT — While Swampscott’s Patrick Burke, a chief master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, is stationed in Afghanistan, he wants to make sure people know how grateful he is for care packages sent from students at Clarke Elementary School this past spring.

Burke put in a call from Afghanistan last Thursday morning to explain how students from the school have been sending him packages over his past deployments — he’s on his fourth tour in Afghanistan — and sent him a huge shipment, weighing hundreds of pounds, this past spring. He said the shipment was part of the school’s “Support the Troops” drive. He said the effort was led by the fourth grade class at the time. 

Burke, whose son attends the school, took a leave of absence from his full-time job at General Electric in Lynn when he was deployed. When he’s not on active duty, he is a reserve Air Force member, and normally works one weekend a month at the Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee.

He is due to end his deployment and return home in November. Burke said the 10 packages included his favorite things, such as Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, peanut butter and Fluff. He said the packages also included letters from students, cookies, candy and essential items, such as soap and toothbrushes.

He was able to distribute the materials between himself and the 50 men and women in his unit. He said the packages “raise morale for everyone.” read more here