Posted on 06/24/2004 6:52:28 PM PDT by Libloather
OPERATION AC
A non-profit Delaware company operating on donations only, sends 110v single phase ice machines to our troops in Iraq as well as various basic items the soldiers request and desperately need.
"It is my hope that we make their existence in Iraq during their deployment as safe and as easy on them as possible given the job they are there to do. Rested Soldiers are more alert and able to perform their duty SAFELY!"
Frankie Mayo / OperationAC
Important Notice
YOU CAN STILL CALL THE GLASGOW HOME DEPOT TO BUY ACs TO DONATE TO THE MISSISSIPPI NATIONAL GUARD UNIT 278TH ACR (ABOUT 4,200 SOLDIERS)! MY GOAL IS TO SEND 200 OF THEM BY TRUCK TO CAMP SHELBY IN MISSISSIPPI.
DONATE PORTABLE ICE MACHINES DIRECTLY BY CALLING THE HOME DEPOT IN DELAWARE
Please call 302-838-6818 and tell the Home Depot operator that you are calling for Operation AC. The Ice Machines are $199.00
WE ARE NOW SENDING PORTABLE ICE MACHINES AS OF 15 JUNE 2004. THIS IS THE MOST URGENT NEED ALONG WITH THE BOOTS.
You can use your credit card safely and the ICE MACHINES are already there and there is NO SHIPPING CHARGE to you! It is also easier for us because we don't have to take delivery at our storage location of ice machines that are shipped.
HOW TO DONATE
We do not accept used items. We buy new ice machines(all the exact same model) and we ship these units directly to the soldiers in Iraq for Afghanistan. These units are 110 single phase and if the soldier is on local power (220) we send a transformer which is used so that the Ice Machine unit is able to be run on the 220 power.
If you have a soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan, please sign them up on our webforms.
It is beginning to heat up in Iraq and the soldiers are emailing us asking for help to cool down.
We are sending boots with much thicker soles than the boots the military provides for our troops. The boots that are sent are the very best desert boots and they come from Altama Footwear, a supplier to the US Military and DoD vendor. We pay $61.95 for each pair and they retail for soldiers at $99.95 per pair. I buy them several hundred at at time. Please do not contact Altama to buy boots for your soldier. We have to buy them and ship them for right now, but I am working out with Altama that you can go to their site and buy your adopted soldier a pair of boots and they will ship the boots to the APO address you were given by us. You just go to www.altama.com and click on the Altama Desert Ripple Sole Boot and choose your soldier's boot size and fill in the shipping form. I do not have our special pricing on this yet, so you will have to pay the retail price until I can get this worked out with Altama. If you want to send us the money for your soldier, send a check and the soldier's name in the mail to us and mark the envelope: "Operation AC Boots for my Soldier" and Peggy will get them ordered. Hopefully we will work this issue out with Altama Footwear's website shortly.
The ice machines we will be sending are: Part number PIM15W the SKU is 246-956 and the cost is $199.00
SHIPPING UPDATE
The 74 ACs we sent landed in Iraq on 30 April 2004. The picture below is a soldier in front of the truck where the 20 ACs were received for the 67th Combat Support Hospital in Tikrit. There was a big mess of red tape about the mail center accepting them, but I've gotten it ironed out (Thank God). It has taken many weeks to get this done and now we are good to go. I've gotten confirmation that everything is in place to receive our ACs at the mail center in Baghdad. There is more good news. We can ship ACs by air to Bagram in Afghanistan. So those with soldiers in Operation Enduring Freedom - please sign them up for an AC and let us know what else they might need.
We have just about 400 ACs waiting to leave at our Glasgow, Delaware Home Depot. We will be sending 175 of those to soldiers whos names were given when you bought their ACs. All of the ACs with soldier's names on them will go in the next shipment. I also have 175 ACs for a general donation for the US Marines in Iraq. I also need to purchase 220 step down transformers for them. This cost is about $3,000 for the transformers and it will cost another $24,000 to ship them by DHL. I've made contact with Army and Marine units in Afghanistan who would like to benefit from Operation Air Conditioner so I am asking for you help in raising money for the shipping costs. Once we ship out this big shipment we can again focus on just buying the Air Conditioners. I've tried to get donations from big corporations and I don't fit into any categories they have so I've been denied. It isn't their fault I guess, it is just the way their charities are set up. So I guess if we want to help our troops, it is we the Americans who have to do it.
All donations are tax-deductable...
Ms Mayo,
I have adopted 2 soldiers from your GREAT program!
One wanted GOLFING equip??? (I sent)
The Other wanted a bicycle (I sent)
Will send all I can give, contact me anytime at mms1163@bellsouth.net
bump
ping.
Thanks for the info...we'll be making a donation. I also emailed all my family so they have the opportunity to do the same.
bttt Making donation too.
Nice thought - REALITY CHECK!
Who gets all this crap? NOT the soldier/Marine on the line who could really use them - Hell no !
The brass and "office pogues" in the rear with the mess halls and showers and "other bennies" will be the only ones who benefit from this excess of P.C. "feel good cause I have a guilty concience" action.
You want to something good for the troops who will really appreciate you? Send them those "cool gel" head bands/sweat bands, kool-aid is always good! Things that are small, useful, enjoyable - things that would remind you of home! REALITY!
What the hell do we pay taxes for?
From the website -
WHAT WE DO
After we get the rest of the Air Conditioners sent out this month, we will have sent 3,009 air conditioners to our troops in Iraq. Sending the Air Conditioners is too costly to continue and with the Army and Marines providing this for our troops we will be sending our final shipment of these items. HOWEVER this does NOT mean we are stopping our support for our troops in Iraq or Afghanistan. We will continue sending Altama Ripple sole combat boots and we have identified a new special product to help the troops keep cool. The new product is a PORTABLE ICE CUBE MAKER. It uses bottled water and makes up to 33 pounds of ice in a 24 hour period. I will put the info up on the HOW TO DONATE page, you can still call Home Depot and buy the ice machines for the troops. This really helps them because with ice you can use it to drink or put on your body to cool you down, it is more mobile and easy to carry around. There are a number of other items that our troops need to stay cool, one such item is called a Camelbak Hydration System. Look for new items on the "needed items" page and where you can get them. We operate on donations only and are a non-profit Delaware company.
We also send get well cards to our wounded soldiers Please consider a gift of just writing out a get well card and mailing it to us. We'll get it to a soldier or marine who could really use it.
Rested Soldiers are more alert and able to perform their duty SAFELY!
We need to buy and send many items to help these soldiers. They are doing VERY dangerous jobs. They need us! Please donate!!!
We send soldiers anything they email us and ask for. Our soldiers and marines are humble people and they only ask for what they need like water and food. I have never received a request for a "luxury" item. I do send them snake repellent, insect repellent, sticky traps for the scorpions and flea powder also. It is my hope that we make their existence in Iraq and Afghanistan during their deployment as safe and as easy on them as possible given the job they are there to do.
I have found that the 2 pairs of boots they are given for their deployment are just about falling off their feet and they are worn out. Getting new supplies of these types of items is difficult to get to our troops. You will see by the letters our troops mail to Operation AC that the boots are a really big thing for them. Just imagine wearing the same boots in hot sandy conditions following with cold, wet and muddy conditions for nearly a year. Plus you are on your feet about 15 hours a day on average. Anyone who was in the military will tell you - soldiers must take care of their feet. That does not change from Valley Forge with General Washington to now in Iraq.
I just ran across your post. I have been in Iraq for seven months on the same pair of boots. I have been trying desperately the entire time to get another pair from my supply chain. I have two other new pair, but neither of them fit me. It was all I could get from Ft. Lewis when we deployed. They are a 12 1/2XW and 13W. I wonder if we could work out a trade? They are just the standard issue boots, but they have never been worn. I need a 12 1/2W. As far as the A/C units, we here in Mosul are doing ok and getting by. We just got approved to get another unit installed in our building and the battalion just got a whole mess of new units. I'm not sure about the southern camps. Last time I was down to any of them it was in February and they were already suffering. Anyway, thanks for all you do. I check in every other day or so, so drop me a line. My dad is graybeard58, and my brother is ironman73. Thanks again Steve
Why all the negativity. These people are trying to do something nice for us. Yes US, I am currently in Iraq, and have been blessed with many things from members of FR. Check out The Hobbit hole sometime. These people have provided my squad with portable radios, knives, EMT shears, and tons of snack foods for the last seven months. THey have offered to send many other things too. All of which the Army should readily supply, but doesnt. Lighten up on these people and let them continue their good work. There are some of us that do appreciate it.
Steve, Mosul, Iraq
Steve, Mosul, Iraq
I'm passing along this info since it was mentioned on the Rush Limbaugh radio show. I've only begun to get involved with this organization so my opinion probably doesn't matter a whole lot.
As far as your boots, I did see a manufacturer listed on the OperationAC website. The website mentions - We have struck a deal with the Altama Boot Company in Georgia. We can buy soldiers the Ripple Sole Desert Boots they need for a fraction of the cost that the soldiers have to pay for them. Try this -> http://www.altama.com.
Also, while on the radio show, Frankie Mayo (the one who started OperationAC) said that the temps are hitting the 110° range - and its only spring time! Temps will eventually top out at 140°! Good grief! If nothing else, take care of yourself in that kind of heat!
Steve, the country is truly grateful for all you and your brothers in arms do...
I am confused now. I posted that to steplock to leave you good people alone. Did you think that was directed at you? If so I apologize, I just hate to see such negativity when there are so many good people on FR. Thanks again.
Bttt
I am still confused. How can I get a pair of boots sent to me? Thanks
I just contacted my company (won't name them but should) about sending packages to support our troops. Someone from Corporate HQ just set up a 15 minutes telecon with me to say "no". I expected "no" because I knew they didn't want anything in writing.
The short answer was "no solicitations."
So I asked about United Way and the brood drive. She had ready excuses.
So I told her next year I would not be contributing because I plan to use that money to support the troops instead. I also plan to wage a campaign about their policies for contributions to my friends and co-workers.
I also got my "adopted soldier" from Operation AC. I need to get another one and this was a great reminder.
(((ping)))
Dang. I forgot to tell my accountant about that $20 I sent to Frankie last year.
Try the link above...
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