SACO (AP) – Jennifer Stegeman hasn’t seen her husband for a year while he’s been serving in Iraq. Stegeman decided something special had to be done for the troops once their families realized they wouldn’t be home for Christmas.

So the Dayton resident, with the help of local business group Saco Spirit, organized the collection of donations to be sent to the 94th Military Police Company, which has a platoon based in Saco.

Volunteers wrapped hundreds of Christmas presents at the U.S. Army Reserve Center during the weekend. They are to be shipped out Tuesday.

“It’s warmed my heart,” said Stegeman. Her husband Rick, 34, a military police officer and senior medic with the 94th, is among the hundreds of reservists and members of the National Guard from 25 units around the state who have been deployed to Iraq for much of the past year.

With the mobilization of the 133rd Engineering Battalion in Gardiner, more than 900 of Maine’s 2,200 National Guard troops have been deployed, spokesman Maj. Peter Rogers said.

This is the second Christmas in a row that the soldiers will be away from home. They were deployed to the Middle East last November, and their assignment was recently extended for another seven months.

“We’re supporting our troops, and a good way of doing that is writing to them and sending them things for Christmas,” said Mike Chabot of Wells. He and his wife Debie’s two sons, Bryan, 24, and Kevin, 23, are reservists in Iraq.

Family members are hoping the gifts boost their spirits. The soldiers will be getting a variety of gifts, including CDs, calling cards, games and cookies.

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On the Net:

U.S. Defense Department: www.defenselink.mil/faq/

Operation USO Care Package: www.usocares.org

AP-ES-11-23-03 1315EST