A LITTLE HOLIDAY CHEER NEEDED GUARDSMEN'S KIDS GETTING PARTY.

Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Youngsters whose fathers are with the California National Guard in Iraq and are away from their families for the second consecutive Christmas will get a Christmas party.

Santa will give out the presents at the Dec. 18 party at the Palmdale National Guard Armory with help from community donations.

``It's really important for us to support the families that are here back home when those troops are overseas in Iraq,'' said Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, whose Lancaster office is helping collect gifts.

The 30 children, ranging in age from preschoolers to teenagers, have fathers in Palmdale-based Company B of the 185th Armor Regiment's 1st Battalion - in Army talk, Bravo Company of the 1/185th Armor.

The 65 men were called to active duty last November and went to Iraq in March. No one is sure when they will return.

The separation is hard on families, said Tammi Bennett, whose husband, Anthony, 35, has been in the Army and National Guard for more than 17 years and is a sergeant first class.

Her two daughters, Kelsey, 8, and Emily, 6, have struggled with their father's absence.

``They miss him and they worry a lot,'' said Bennett, a co-coordinator of Bravo Company's Family Support Group that is organizing the party and provides other help to guardsmen's families. ``We try not to watch the news.''

The men's families hope they will finish their duty in Iraq early next year, but with other units being kept longer nothing is sure.

``We're hoping sometime in the spring but a lot of troops are getting extended so we're not getting our hopes up that will be a reality,'' Bennett said

Families of other military personnel serving in Iraq are also welcome to attend the 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 18 party and to attend other meetings of Bravo Company's Family Support Group. For more information, call the armory at [phone].

People can drop off new, unwrapped presents at the Palmdale National Guard Armory, 38315 30th St. E., or at Runner's Lancaster office, 747 W. Lancaster Blvd.

People can also make monetary donations. Checks should made out to B Company 1/185th Armor FSG Fund and mailed to the armory address.

Bravo Company families are also collecting items for the guardsmen overseas, including blankets, snacks like beef jerky, and coffee grinders. Starbucks' Palmdale coffee shop has donated bags of coffee beans for the troops.

People can also donate gifts for the guardsmen's wives, such as a day- spa session or manicure, Runner said.

Charles F. Bostwick, [phone]

chuck.bostwick(at)dailynews.com