Patricia Hagins helps her son Wesley Hagins with a piece of artwork Saturday at the Statesboro National Guard Armory.

      Six-year-old Wesley is a student at Portal Elementary and he and his mother were at the Armory to pick up free school supplies courtesy of Dollar Tree stores and Operation Home Front for military families.

      Patricia Hagins' husband Randy Hagins is a member of the Statesboro-based 48th Brigade Special Troops Battalion that deployed to Afghanistan in June. Randy Hagins and the unit are expected to return in April 2010.

      Saturday's event was open only to the approximately 500 military famiies in the surrounding area.