Deployed Servicemembers Receive Holiday Boxes from Teledyne Troop Supporters
Teledyne’s Troop Supporter organization recently sent holiday boxes loaded with home-made Christmas goodies, Christmas cards, and personal letters in addition to other much-needed and requested items. The Troop Supporter List is comprised of Servicemembers serving overseas who are employees or family members or friends of employees or contractors supporting the effort.
The effort is overseen by TBE employee Aris Tanone, who coordinates the purchase and packing effort on Redstone Arsenal. He is assisted by Brian Little, Jennifer Whitworth, and other volunteer Troop Supporter members from NASA and other contractors at MSFC.
Servicemen and women benefit from the many useful and much-appreciated items sent to them and usually share the items with their buddies or other members of their unit. Employees are encouraged to contact one of the Troop Supporters (listed at bottom of article) to sign up their family member or friend to receive boxes while overseas or to volunteer in the effort.
MAJ Richards is shown sitting
at the Al Faw Palace near
Baghdad.
Eight soldiers serving overseas are currently on the Troop Supporter list: Barry Askins, stepson of TBE’s Brenda Askins; MAJ Jim Richards (TSI employee), stationed at Victory Base Complex in Baghdad, serves as chemical officer with the 44th Medical Command based out of Fort Bragg, NC; US Army Reserve Staff Sergeant Jeff Willis (TBE employee), activated with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Team in November; was deployed to Baghdad in December 2008; SSG John Samuelson, son of a friend of Aris Tanone, US Army, deployed to Iraq in November for his third tour of duty, due back November 2010; Spc Adam Henderson, son of Troop Supporter Robin Henderson. Also adding to the list was TBE employee and Navy Senior Chief Joe Krypel, Ground Segment Integration Test Manager offsite, who recently had three of his citizen Sailors activated overseas for 18 to 24 months serving as combat photographers and media specialists with Navy Public Affairs. They are: Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Paul Dillard, US Navy, serving in Afghanistan with Combat Camera; Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Robert Whelan, US Navy, in Iraq with Combat Camera; and Mass Communication Specialist First Class Richard Wolff, US Navy, stationed at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba doing PAO work as well as prisoner escort duties.
The organization was started in 2003 by TBE employee Byron Bonds, who worked at MSFC in Payload Operations Integration at the time. He has since moved to Aerospace Systems Business Development at the main facility, but continues to support the organization. Since its inception, dozens of people have had a hand in financing the operation and shipping boxes to our deployed troops, and 41 deployed Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen have been the recipients of the boxes.
If you are interested in joining this very worthwhile effort or would like to add friend or family member's name to the recipient list, simply contact Byron Bonds, (byron.bonds@tbe.com), Jennifer Whitworth, (jennifer.whitworth@tbe.com), Brian Little, (brian.little@tbe.com) or Aris Tanone (aris.tanone@tbe.com). Monetary donations for purchasing items or to help pay shipping costs are also needed.
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