MORE GREAT LOCAL COVERAGE.

Unorthodox requests from Iraq keep arriving here by e-mail.

First came a request for a sewing machine. Then for 100 pounds of spaghetti and canned tomatoes and clams. The latest is yeast for homemade Italian tomato pie.

The requests come pouring in from Capt. Michael CiarroccaCQ of Cherry Hill, commander of the only New Jersey Army National Guard unit in Iraq, to his armory back in Cape May Court House.

The family support group of the unit - the 253rd Transportation Company - has been busy granting the commander's wishes for his troops and trying to fulfill family needs at home.

In an e-mail to the Courier-Post, Ciarrocca wrote that he is eagerly awaiting the ingredients for the spaghetti dinner, which he will prepare for his troops.

"I experimented making gnocchi (a pasta and potato dumpling) last week and it worked out fine . . . 100 boxes (of spaghetti) would be perfect for my next dinner party," wrote Ciarrocca, who is Italian and loves to cook.

His wife, Evelin, said that sounds just like her husband.

"He wants to do for them all - not just the officers. He would rather cook than do things like play cards," said Evelin, who regularly relays e-mail messages from him to soldier families.

The article mentions "family support groups". We have those here as well, but these days they are called Family Readiness Groups or FRGs.

And it is really neat to see how folks can pull together to support the unit from way back here.

Read the whole story here.