More than 150 volunteers from Sandia National Laboratories and Kirtland Air Force Base packed more than 10,000 care packages for troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, Saturday, March 7 at Kirtland Air Force Base.
The volunteer event is part of the United Service Organizations' (USO) Operation USO Care Package program, which since 2003 has provided more than 1.5 million care packages to troops. The USO sends approximately 25,000 packages a month to deployed service members.
Each USO care package, sponsored for $25, includes approximately $75 worth of items requested by service members, such as a prepaid international phone card, sunscreen, and travel-size toiletries including shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, lip balm and hand sanitizer. Care packages are delivered to troops deploying to Afghanistan, Iraq and other overseas locations, as well as those arriving and departing on rest and recuperation flights and special send-off celebrations.
The USO provides morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. A nonprofit, charitable organization, the USO relies on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, Booz Allen Hamilton, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Gallery Furniture, S & K Sales Co., TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Xe. Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO.
