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Deployed troops vote
Camp Leatherneck Afghanistan- Soldiers assigned to the 393rd Combat Sustaintment Support Battalion, US Army Reserve-Puerto Rico, exercised their right to vote at their duty station in Afghanistan, Oct 21, 2012, through the implementation of the Federal Voting Assistance Program.
The troops initiated the process of requesting their absentee ballots through the www.fvap.gov , then the election officials at the state level approved the request and finally the ballots were sent to the soldiers’ location. The FVAP website has a link to the Puerto Rico Elections Commission.
Despite the distance, the troops have been actively following the local election environment.
“They are very alert to the poll results, but of course, always in a good professional way that does not interfere with the daily tasks,” said 1st Lt. Kathy Estrella, Voting Assistance Officer.
The FVAP’s mission is to ensure that Uniformed Services personnel, their voting-age dependents, and overseas civilians successfully exercise their right to vote and to have that vote counted. FVAP strives to achieve this mission through advocacy on behalf of, and assistance to voters and election officials.
As the largest Army Command in the Caribbean, the US Army Reserve Puerto Rico has been very proactive encouraging its troops and family members to participate in the democratic process.
The command has approximately 5,000 troops assigned and an estimated 5,000 military family members eligible to vote, for a total of approximately 10,000 potential voters.
“As soldiers we defend freedom and democracy with great sacrifice. We must make sure our troops and their family members exercise their right to vote as a way to influence how the issues that are important to them are decided,” said Brig. Gen. Fernando Fernandez, senior US Army Reserve Officer in the Caribbean.
The troops initiated the process of requesting their absentee ballots through the www.fvap.gov , then the election officials at the state level approved the request and finally the ballots were sent to the soldiers’ location. The FVAP website has a link to the Puerto Rico Elections Commission.
Despite the distance, the troops have been actively following the local election environment.
“They are very alert to the poll results, but of course, always in a good professional way that does not interfere with the daily tasks,” said 1st Lt. Kathy Estrella, Voting Assistance Officer.
The FVAP’s mission is to ensure that Uniformed Services personnel, their voting-age dependents, and overseas civilians successfully exercise their right to vote and to have that vote counted. FVAP strives to achieve this mission through advocacy on behalf of, and assistance to voters and election officials.
As the largest Army Command in the Caribbean, the US Army Reserve Puerto Rico has been very proactive encouraging its troops and family members to participate in the democratic process.
The command has approximately 5,000 troops assigned and an estimated 5,000 military family members eligible to vote, for a total of approximately 10,000 potential voters.
“As soldiers we defend freedom and democracy with great sacrifice. We must make sure our troops and their family members exercise their right to vote as a way to influence how the issues that are important to them are decided,” said Brig. Gen. Fernando Fernandez, senior US Army Reserve Officer in the Caribbean.
- TAGS:
- vote,
- assistance,
- troops,
- afghanistan,
- election,
- voting,
- program,
- federal,
- politics
- GROUPS:
- Morning Express,
- HLNtv,
- Military
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