This article was republished with permission from 草莓传媒’s news partners at .聽Sign up for today.
This article was written 草莓传媒鈥檚 news partners at聽聽and republished with permission.聽Sign up for聽听迟辞诲补测.
A flag with a red border and blue star is hung proudly at the entrance of the state Senate building in Annapolis.
While the flag is usually displayed in front of a home when a family member is serving in the Armed Forces, this, perhaps, is the best way to symbolize the camaraderie of the Maryland General Assembly as one of their own is deployed overseas.
Since Sen. William C. Smith Jr. (D-Montgomery) was deployed to Afghanistan in March, his colleagues have put together several care packages with Maryland-themed items and souvenirs from their respective counties and districts, so he has a piece of home while he is away.
In a bipartisan effort, spearheaded by Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters (D-Prince George鈥檚), regions of the state will send out boxes with individualized items, such as Baltimore Ravens and Orioles gear or crab products from the Eastern Shore, along with personal notes once a month until Smith鈥檚 expected return around the end of the year.
Senators from the Washington, D.C., region, which includes Montgomery and Prince George鈥檚 counties, sent packages first, featuring two boxes with Washington Redskins and Nationals merchandise in mid-April. Another box was sent in mid-to-late May and the next box, from Howard County, is scheduled for mid-June.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something we should be doing,鈥� Peters said of the legislators鈥� support for their colleague. 鈥淚n the beginning when you first get sent off, there鈥檚鈥arties and good luck and all that kind of good stuff. And then when you come back, there鈥檚 this huge welcome. But in between there is a lot of, a lot of lonely time.鈥�
Peters said his own experiences motivated him to organize these care packages. He served in Saudi Arabia as an Army Reservist during Operation Desert Storm in 1990-91. 鈥淚 was almost in the exact same position as well鈥etting a letter, getting a package was just so uplifting or me.鈥�
Smith, an officer of the U.S. Navy Reserve and the Senate chair of the legislative Veterans Caucus, is serving in Operation Resolute Support. Peters, who held the position before Smith, will chair the caucus in his absence.
Smith鈥檚 wife, Camille Fesche, a lobbyist in Annapolis, said the care packages are 鈥渁n incredibly thoughtful idea and incredibly meaningful to me and the senator.鈥�
She also said that not only is Smith 鈥渁bsolutely delighted鈥� by the packages, the efforts have been beneficial to her as well, as she navigates being a single parent to their one-year-old daughter, Jacqueline.
鈥淚鈥檝e been really inspired by the support that I鈥檝e personally received and I鈥檝e really appreciated senators and other people in the political sphere reaching out to me,鈥� Fesche said. 鈥淚 really feel supported and I really feel that the community is rallying around well while he is serving his country.鈥�
In Smith鈥檚 absence, his staff has continued to help constituents and monitor legislative developments and community affairs.
Constituent service remains the number one priority, said Luke Pinton, Smith鈥檚 chief of staff. He, along with legislative aide Janai Woodhouse, are 鈥渇ielding calls from constituents, dealing with issues and trying to be as helpful as we possibly can.鈥�
Smith鈥檚 deployment to Afghanistan is reminiscent of now-U.S. Rep. Anthony G. Brown鈥檚 deployment to Iraq in 2004, as an Army reservist. He was a member of the House of Delegates then, serving as vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
When Brown returned to Maryland in 2005, at the age of 43, he was a hot political commodity, and dozens of top-flight political leaders flocked to a community block party in his honor when he returned from Iraq. As Brown pondered a range of political options, he was selected to be Martin G. O鈥橫alley鈥檚 running mate a few months later, and was elected lieutenant governor in 2006.
Smith, who is 37, did not respond to an email requesting an interview.
Smith鈥檚 political team is planning a community fundraising event 鈥� tentatively scheduled for September in downtown Silver Spring 鈥� to support Smith during his deployment and his 2022 campaign for reelection, according to Stephanie Binetti of Binetti Political Strategies.
Binetti said the purpose of the event, which is still in its early stages of planning, is to show that 鈥渨e鈥檙e still here serving his constituents and his community.鈥�
鈥淲e want to make sure that Sen. Smith stays visible,鈥� Binetti said.
