School Safety Agent Edward Nuñez traded his blue work uniform for Marine fatigues more than two months ago to help the United States bring freedom to the Iraqi people. And although he has been away for a while, he is far from forgotten.

Once his co-workers at the Bronx West Command learned that the young reservist's unit had been activated and was being shipped out, they began collecting things to fill gift packages not only for him, but for the other members of his unit.

Led by Agents Calandra Carter and Shirley Carraso, the members of the School Safety Division managed to gather everything from chap sticks and candy to socks, soap and shampoo. Both school safety members and the faculty, staff and students at Middle School 368 in Riverdale in the Bronx, where Nuñez normally works, joined in gathering gifts for the fighting forces overseas.

A Marine from Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn came to the Bronx in March and picked up the packages for shipment overseas.

School safety staffers know that Nuñez, who handles communications for his unit, was in Kuwait, but they have no knowledge as to where he might be now -- or whether he and his unit have received the thoughtful gifts from friends back home.

Nuñez left his wife, Alejandra, and seven-month-old baby, Isabel, at home while he went off to try to bring freedom to Iraq.