Missouri National Guard member visits local school

A member of Missouri National Guard's Agri-Business Development Team IV, Spc. James Dylan Havelka, of Vienna, Mo., recently visited students at Franklin County RII School, in New Haven, Mo., during his visit home.

By Staff Sgt. April Bachler
ngmo.pao@us.army.mil

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A member of Missouri National Guard's Agri-Business Development Team IV, Spc. James Dylan Havelka, of Vienna, recently visited students at Franklin County RII School, in New Haven, during his visit home.

As part of a writing assignment, sixth grade students began writing letters to Havelka while he was deployed to Afghanistan. In turn, Havelka wrote each student back. Eventually, this pen pal relationship became a school project with both sides benefiting.

After students expressed their desire to meet Havelka in person, he made special arrangements to visit the school during an all-school assembly to thank them for their letters and tell them how much their support helped him and fellow Guard members during their separation from home.

Havelka educated the students on Afghanistan and the Afghan way of life, as well as the ongoing mission of the Missouri National Guard in Afghanistan. He explained that the skills he has acquired and currently using will help him in the job market when he returns from deployment.

"Dylan is very dedicated and comes from a family with a strong military background," said Kati Roberson, mother of Havelka. "He's great at relating to kids and firing them up."

As a parting gift and a token of his appreciation of their support, the school and its students were presented a certificate and a flag that was flown over Forward Operating Base Finley-Shields in Afghanistan.

Havelka is the son of Katie Roberson, of Vienna, and Steve Havelka, of Owensville. His stepfather, Jim Roberson, served with the Missouri National Guard.

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please visit www.moguard.com and our social media sites:
www.facebook.com/Missouri.National.Guard; www.twitter.com/Missouri_NG; www.youtube.com/MoNationalGuard; www.myspace.com/missouri_ng; www.flickr.com/photos/missouriguard; www.blog.moguard.com

Spc. James Dylan Havelka, a member of Missouri National Guard's Agri-Business Development Team IV, explains to students how Afghans use a root to clean their teeth.