After being stationed in Iraq for the past eight months, Allie Capozza lives for the day when she receives a letter or package from home.

Capozza, a 1999 Cooperstown graduate and six-year cross country runner, is a member of the 3rd Brigade's 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) stationed just northwest of Baghdad.

Frank Capozza, Allie's father, said he and his wife Ann get an e-mail from Allie about twice a week.

"She always says that there's nothing like a letter from home," Frank Capozza said. "The eighth grade class at Cooperstown all sent her letters and at Christmas, the school sent her four or five boxes of miscellaneous items."

Allie can expect another package in the near future.

Members of Girls on the Run-Otsego County, a local chapter of the national organization Girls On The Run, have prepared a care package of shampoo, soap, hand lotion and other items, as well as a poster wishing Allie luck and a safe return home.

Girls on the Run seeks to educate and prepare girls ages 8-12 for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living, said Maureen Micek, whose daughter, Sarah, is a member.

"One of our missions is community service, and Allie is perfect because she's not only a great role model but was a runner as well," Micek said.

After graduating from Cooperstown in 1999, Capozza attended Siena College near Albany and ran Division One cross country.

"Many of the girls were involved in ROTC, and that's how she became involved," Frank Capozza said. "After graduation, she almost immediately began Air Assault Training (repelling from helicopters) and went to Iraq in September."

Capozza said Allie's e-mails about her time in Iraq run the gamut from boredom to life-threatening missions.

"Many times, she's on communication detail, and as long as everything is running smoothly she doesn't have much to do," Frank Capozza said. "But she also goes on convoys into Baghdad on radio relay sightings. She only tells us when she gets home from those missions, she doesn't tell us when she's leaving."

Capozza said he and his wife are constantly worried for their daughter's safety.

"I don't know how to describe it other than we don't breathe," he said. "Seeing pictures of Allie with machine guns or assault rifles is almost more than my wife can take."

Frank Capozza said Allie recently was engaged to another serviceman, but the horrors of war quickly dimmed their joy when their planned best man was killed in action.

"You watch the news and you hear a couple of soldiers were killed, but to Allie it's personal," Frank Capozza said. "It's Joe or Keith that were in their unit and they trained with, not some anonymous people."

Allie's cross country coach at Cooperstown, Jessie Ravage, said she was a small but tough competitor.

"Allie was only about 5'2", but she had a lot of spunk," Ravage said. "Her first year as a runner was my second year as a coach, and she helped save the girls cross country program by recruiting other runners when our numbers were very low. Cross country owes a debt to her.

"Allie's someone I think of and worry about a lot," she continued. "She was a talented runner, and she was always looking out for the other runners on the team."

Frank Capozza said Allie and Renee Welch, a 1996 CCS graduate, are stationed together in Iraq and run together frequently on the base they are stationed on.

"Allie's scheduled to come home this September," Frank Capozza said. "We can't wait to have her back here."