SHOULDER HOLSTERS FOR TROOPS SALE TO HELP OUT DEPUTIES IN IRAQ.

Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Think of them as leather hugs from home.

Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deployed in Iraq will soon get new shoulder holsters, thanks to the efforts of their fellow deputies and some civilian supporters back in the states.

More than 50 deputies serve in military reserves and have been called into active duty in the last few years. Nine of them work out of North County Correctional Facility in Castaic, where deputy Kym Lyznick spends her spare time putting together packages from home to keep morale high.

``We have deputies countywide that are serving, but the largest number is out of North County Correctional,'' she said. ``As police officers, we know how important those holsters are. Now we need to raise some money to buy them and ship them over.''

Lyznick is part of a military support group that tries to bridge the distance between the battlefield and home. When the group heard about the need for shoulder holsters, Lyznick and her counterparts decided to organize what they call ``The Mother of All Garage Sales'' scheduled Sept. 24. Two sales will be held, one at a location to be announced in Santa Clarita and the other at the STAR Center in Whittier.

Lt. Ruth Nelson, who also serves on the committee and is organizing the Whittier sale, said Col. Gregory McCallen had come to her after serving time training Iraqi soldiers in basic police skills. He told her that military-issue belt holsters were cumbersome and often caught on the doors of the combat vehicles.

``When they're wearing their flak vest and seated in the vehicle, it's hard to get to their guns quickly. He told us about these shoulder holsters that would work much better,'' she said.

Nelson said the holsters, which cost about $150 each, are now being issued by the military to new arrivals; her group is providing holsters to deputies already serving.

``It's just a great way for us to contribute,'' she said. ``If there are things their families may not be able to provide them, perhaps a piece of equipment that can make them more safe or comfortable, we can at least try and make a dent.''

Deputies from North County Correctional Facility are deputies Jesus Cabadas (Marines), Mona Chappelle (Army National Guard), Robert Clarke (Marines), Nicholas Hul (Air National Guard), Jonathan Paik (Army), Gene Takashima (Army), Ray Torres (Marines), Dep. Michael Vargas-Machuca (Marines) and Don Surber (Coast Guard).

``We send packages every month, just some things they need like wipes, sunscreen, Chapstick, socks, personal hygiene items, kind of like the care kits we give the inmates,'' Lyznick said. ``We send them department publications. Sometimes I try to make it fun and lighthearted and send toys.

``I got a handwritten letter from one of the guys today. Kind of made me cry.''

Sgt. Steven Snover, an Army reservist who just returned from a base between Baghdad and Fallujah, said that getting Lyznick's packages made service a little more tolerable.

``It's something new and different and a real morale booster,'' he said. ``Especially the papers. We get to see what's happening at home to people we know. If you played in the adult soccer league, you got to see the scores or who did what.''

Deputy Artie Thompson, who served in the Air Force Reserves in Iraq, returned home and was sharing his desert experiences with another deputy at the Santa Clarita station. When he heard that the department was going to sponsor a collection to get air conditioners sent to the troops, he spearheaded an effort that had overwhelming results.

``I was almost in tears after the first weekend,'' Thompson said. ``It was just word-of-mouth. We hadn't even gotten to the papers yet, and there were donations of $3,000 to $4,000. In a month, we collected $15,745. Home Depot was able to sell us the units for $78 each, so we got a lot of cold air for those guys from the community's response.''

For information about the garage sale or to make a contribution to the holster campaign, contact Nelson at the sheriff's major crimes bureau [phone].

Carol Rock, [phone]

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com