While cards, candy and cookies are always welcomed by the nation’s service members who are deployed and far from home, one nonprofit is ensuring that deployed troops get the critically needed items they require.
Founder and Executive Director of Troops Direct Aaron Negherbon said the organization supports American military forces anywhere on the globe by supplying them with critically needed items that they require to ensure their safety and mission effectiveness.
“If they need something and they can’t get it for whatever reason, they contact us we will put it anywhere on the globe for them free of charge,” he said.
Negherbon founded the non-profit in 2010 and has never served in the military.
“My grandfather served at Midway in World War II and my other grandfather was in the European theater, but my dad nor I ever served because when we were growing up the call wasn’t there at those times,” he said.
Negherbon’s best friend was a Marine Corps company commander serving in Afghanistan in 2010. Negherbon contacted his friend’s wife and asked about sending him a care package for his birthday.
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He filled the care package with supplies and mailed it off to Helmund Province, Afghanistan. A few weeks later, Negherbon received an email from his friend thanking him for the supplies. The email added that the friend shared the supplies with his Marines because they didn’t have what they needed.
When he learned that, Negherbon pledged to get the service members whatever they needed and Troops Direct was born.
“He wasn’t asking for cartons of cigarettes and Sports Illustrated,” explained Negherbon. Instead, what his friend was asking for was medical supplies for his Corpsmen and things like replacement eye protection.
Negherbon’s friend was soon fielding questions from other commanders asking where he was getting those supplies from. Soon, Negherbon’s email was chiming with supply requests from service members he did not know that he was working to fulfill.
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“Because of government red tape, ever-changing budgets and inefficient logistics, our troops cannot always get what they need when they need it,” he said. “We’re here to provide our troops with the critically needed items that they require for their safety and for mission success.”
Negherbon said donations to the nonprofit are used to purchase items such as helmets, life support equipment, tools to defuse landmines or even a pair of boots. He said Troops Direct can supply requested items in a matter of days as opposed to months.
“Never, in my opinion, is it okay for a service member who raises their hand to serve this nation to have to go without things they need,” he said.
To learn more about Troops Direct visit here. Troops Direct
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.