'A stitch in time...' Sabers sew for wounded warriors Published July 20, 2009 By Tech. Sgt. Tammie Moore 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Sew Much Comfort needs volunteers to help adapt boxer shorts for wounded servicemembers from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 31 at the Airman and Family Readiness Center. "Sew Much Comfort provides adaptive clothing free of charge to support the unique needs of our injured servicemembers from all branches of the military and national guard," according to the organizations Web site, www.sewmuchcomfort.org. "Each week, many wounded military members arrive in the states from Germany for extensive medical treatment for bullet and shrapnel wounds, burns, head and limb injuries and amputations, while tens of thousands are still in the recovery process." Many injured servicemembers have medical conditions requiring prosthetics and casts that are too bulky to fit underneath ordinary clothing or underwear. "Sew Much Comfort is the only organization providing adaptive clothing in large volumes to attempt to meet those special needs," said Mara Wight, Spangdahlem's Sew Much Comfort program coordinator. "Our wing, through the dedication of many volunteers, has been sewing adaptive boxer shorts for our wounded military members at Landstuhl, but the supplies are now completely depleted. "If you can sew in a straight line and are interested in completing one or two seams in a few sets of boxer shorts, your help is needed," she said. "Volunteers don't need to ostay for the whole event - any time they can spare will be appreciated." The AFRC does not have 110-v power so volunteers who plan to bring a 110-v sewing machine should so also bring a transformer. People without sewing skills need not be discouraged from volunteering. "If you don't sew but would still like to help, there are other tasks we need help with like pinning, ironing, measuring and quality checks," Mrs. Wight said. The group is also seeking donations of new 100-percent cotton boxer shorts with straight legs in sizes large through XXL. Shorts should not be white since they easily show stains. New boxer shorts can be donated through the Airman and Family Readiness Center. "The program survives solely on donations," Mrs. Wight said. This event is not a one-time deal here, as members of the Eifel community meet quarterly to sew adaptive clothing for the wounded service members at the Landstuhl Hospital. For more information about the program, go to www.saberspouses.com and select the "Sew Much Comfort" tab.