More items through the Legion's COP Keating relief effort have made their way to the soldiers' hands.
Another batch of items purchased for the soldiers of the U.S. Army's Bravo Troop 3-61 Cavalry arrived in Afghanistan recently. Through its Burn Pit blog, The American Legion - with generous contributions from Target Corp. and Computer Science Corp. - raised more than $100,000 to provide comfort items for the soldiers.
When COP Keating came under attack Oct. 3, members of Bravo Troop 3-61 Cavalry from Fort Carson, Colo., had to call in an air strike on their own position that destroyed their personal possessions. Most of the 56 survivors left the region with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and their weapons. Lost were all their personal items, including computers, cameras, books, video games and other comfort items that brought some respite from the war.
Soon after the attack, one of the soldiers e-mailed The American Legion and expressed concern that no one at home knew what they were doing in Afghanistan, and that no one really cared. The soldier's words were posted on The Burn Pit, and the Legion's COP Keating Relief Fund was born. In less than a week, more than $50,000 poured in. Computer Science Corp. offered laptop computers, Target matched the $50,000 with gift cards and merchandise, and Legionnaires in three cities rallied to the cause.
To read the complete story of the recent shipment of items, go to the Burn Pit.
- Troops