About the Package Brigade
For many U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s the everyday things they miss the most.
The smell of burgers on the grill. The sound of children’s voices throughout a house. Watching a championship game with friends.
Though she couldn’t send hamburgers or championships, First Command employee Vicky Rollins wanted to send some comforts of home to her brother, Lt. Col. Bill Greer, who was in Iraq near the start of the war.
Rollins, who works at First Command’s corporate office in Fort Worth, Texas, told a few coworkers about her plan. Soon the Package Brigade was born. From its humble beginnings in 2003–six packages were mailed for the first shipment–the Package Brigade has truly become a movement.
"As time has progressed, several of our Financial Advisors have been reactivated and deployed, so they were added to our list, as were friends and family of First Command employees," Rollins says. "We consider it a great honor and privilege to be able to do this small thing to thank these soldiers."
In the first half of 2008 alone, more than 500 packages were sent to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, filled with snacks, candy, toys, puzzles, games and practical items like hand sanitizer and baby wipes. During the summer, the Package Brigade stuffed, sewed and sent more than 500 "cool ties"–fabric tubes filled with cooling polymers–to help troops keep cool in triple-digit heat.
Organized and led by Rollins, more than 60 volunteers–most of them First Command employees–shop, sort, pack and ship care packages seven times per year, usually around holidays.
"The process of assembling and sending the packages to our troops is not hard, but it can be very time-consuming," Rollins says. "But these men and women face life and death situations every day while we go about our daily routine. We want them to know that what they’re doing is appreciated and that they are not forgotten."
The Package Brigade gathers names and addresses of troops through its volunteers and other First Command employees. Because of the company’s long-standing history of serving military men and women, the list of names is always changing.
Sgt. Charles Little, a member of the National Guard and a First Command employee, was on the receiving end of the Package Brigade’s efforts when he was deployed to Iraq in 2007. He says the packages mean more than just snacks and toys.
"It meant that I remained in the minds of everyone," Little says. "The Package Brigade made sure I was taken care of and that was exciting."
The Package Brigade aims to overload soldiers on the mailing list, often sending them more than six or eight packages each to encourage sharing with other members of their units, who may not receive mail often.
"When I shared my packages with my soldiers, it improved morale and helped in building rapport that is so important in combat operations," Little says.
Rollins continuously receives notes and letters from grateful soldiers touched by her generosity, most of whom she’s never met.
"We received a picture from a very young soldier – the son of a First Command employee," she recalls. "It was a photo of his entire unit, and each of them had signed it. It was wonderful to see the faces of these young soldiers – to know that they were the ones sharing the packages we sent."
Vicky Rollins, her husband Tom and First Command were honored earlier this year with the Patriotic Employer award, given to companies and individuals who support employee participation in the National Guard and Reserve. Little was responsible for their nomination.
"I wanted to ensure those involved were publicly recognized," Little says. "We ran combat missions daily and didn’t lose any soldiers, and I attribute much of our success to their contributions."
As the Package Brigade has grown, so have its contributors. Several schools near First Command’s corporate office in Fort Worth have donated items and letters for troops. Students from the Laredo, Texas, school district have contributed to the effort, providing truckloads of goodies and dozens of heartfelt notes.
"It is important to me for our children to grow up appreciating the wonderful freedom we enjoy," Rollins says. "Many packages have contained notes and drawings from school children. With little handprints, paintings, banners and notes of encouragement to our soldiers, children are making a difference."
After receiving requests from soldiers for items to give to children in Iraq, the Package Brigade now sends school supplies and children’s toys in many shipments. Little says these gifts helped develop relationships with Iraqis.
"These are children who live in a war zone," he says. "I was able to give them a small toy and see their faces light up and smile. And more than a few times, we were able to gather valuable, life-saving intelligence because we had developed a rapport with the community through the packages."
Since the Package Brigade sent its first shipment, Rollins says she has prayed for its success and for guidance on its future.
"We would love it if there were no need to send packages," she says. "But as long as there is, we will do our best to reach as many soldiers as possible."