Evansville, Indiana (February 19, 2009) – For the past year, Maj. Jason Burley has been thousands of miles away, battling the intense heat and enemy combatants on the arid plains of Iraq. His main mission is to ensure that soldiers get the air transport they need to keep them safe. His other mission is to raise funds for a homeless veteran through a Deployed for Habitat build that Habitat for Humanity of Evansville launched this week.

“It was troubling to me that we had young people that were involved with probably the greatest endeavor of their lifetime and were coming home to nothing,” Burley said in an email he sent to Habitat from his base in Balad, Iraq. “It is a big issue, and if I could somehow meld veteran’s homelessness and Habitat… what a great way to serve.”

Burley, 38, serves as the Chief of Current Operations for the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade in Balad. He and his team of 26 other soldiers and airmen provide aviation support to help move personnel and equipment throughout Iraq.

A native of Minnesota, Burley is employed by Cargill, Inc. and worked in Evansville as regional sales manager for the Southern Indiana Business. He has been in the military in some capacity for 18 years and is married to the “greatest woman on the planet,” Jan.

Burley first became involved with Habitat for Humanity of Evansville in 2005 after attending a dinner recognizing donors. He attended as a guest, but he was immediately bitten by the “Habitat bug,” as he describes it. His employer sponsored a house in 2008. Now he wants his fellow comrades and the global community to support his call from Iraq.

“I want a veteran who was willing to sacrifice the whole of him or herself to have the opportunity to become a homeowner and continue to be an active and productive member of our community,” Burley said in his email. “Homeownership is the basis, the cornerstone, of community, personal, spiritual and economic development. It is where we find security to accomplish the things we want. It is the place in which families establish themselves, values are instilled and children are raised.”

Anyone wishing to donate to the Deployed for Habitat build may do so by clicking here . Simply follow directions on the form that appears and select Deployed for Habitat in the drop-down menu.

Habitat will post on its web site regular updates from Burley on his experiences in Iraq and abroad until his return to the states sometime in 2009. Below is his first installment.

"To say that Iraq and the US are worlds apart is an understatement. Iraq is a uniquely beautiful place if you can imagine that. From a geographical perspective Iraq is an arid plain that is divided by two magnificent river systems, the Tigris and the Euphrates. We are located in the valley between these two rivers which during the winter months is green with vegetation.

"The summer months and the heat are remarkable! As we move into spring, temperatures here are in the mid 70s, and we will work our way to 120 plus through the months of July, August and September.

"Militarily, things have changed dramatically in the last 18 months and violence has dropped dramatically over the last year. That being said, Iraq is a dangerous place. We are still involved on a daily basis with a tough and determined enemy. This enemy while not as robust as it once was is still determined to kill. We don’t experience this on a daily basis, but it is a present consideration for us.

"The people of Iraq are remarkable. Resilient, determined and committed. I find them fascinating in their perseverance and courage."