Photo Information

Brian Gallagher and Pfc. Matthew Pommerville, both volunteers with the Operation Caregiver Program, prepare hygiene items for troops in Afghanistan during an Operation Caregiver event at 4th Tank Bn., here May 1. The program sends care packages to deployed service members two to three times a year. Each Care package contains items such as baby wipes, toothpaste and razors. This event sent more than 1,300 packages to the 7th Marine Regiment in Afghanistan.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Alexandra M. Harris

Operation Caregiver supports troops

6 May 2010 | Lance Cpl. Alexandra M. Harris Marine Corps Air Station Miramar-EMS

Although a package of baby wipes doesn’t always seem like a gift, to the Marines who deploy to an austere environment, the wipes are significant to their comfort during a time when keeping clean is difficult.

More than 60 volunteers from local San Diego organizations and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar helped put together care packages here May 1 for more than 1,300 Marines with the 7th Marine Regiment in Afghanistan.

The event was part of a program called “Operation Caregiver,” which sends care packages to different military units two to four times a year.

“It began with my friend who was deployed,” said Michael LaMar, the Operation Caregiver administrator who began the program in 2004. “It was basically just me asking a buddy ‘How can I make the deployment better?’”

Each care package contains supplies such as cookies, powdered drink mix, candy, body powder, shaving gel, razors, toothpaste, toothbrush, dental floss picks, sunblock, chapstick, antibiotic ointment, insect repellent and baby wipes.

They also have entertainment items such as magazines, books, cards or games and letters of encouragement.

Along with the care packages, the volunteers sent more than 4,050 pairs of boot socks in all different sizes.

“OC provides for basic hygiene along with a few items of comfort to combat troops deployed to the remotest locations in the Global War on Terror … those warriors ‘at the tip of the spear,’” according to the Operation Caregiver Web site.

In addition to sending out the supplies, the program also gets feedback from troops who return from deployment to discuss what was efficient and what was not.

One example of a change was the program originally sent containers of floss. After speaking to the service members returning from deployment, the volunteers decided to send the floss picks instead.

“The packages will be put to good use. The things we are sending are practical, but not things that they have just laying around,” said Elaine Gillum, the coordinator of the care package letters. “For the men and women over there, it’s just a small way of saying thank you.”

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