We’re Always Glad to Hear the Kindles Made it to Their Destination…

by lenedgerly on May 8, 2012 · 0 comments

in EB4T Updates

We were grateful to receive the above photo and the following message confirming the arrival of Kindles that we shipped to a Security Forces Assistance Team at FOB Airborne in Afghanistan:

Just returned back to the Afghan from R&R and to my surprise I had a desk filled with boxes from you. I received the 20 Kindles, 20 power plugs, 20 gift Certificates and 10 Covers. The weather here is getting better and the COL and I are resuming our battlefield circulation. As the COL and I travel to the different locations throughout Afghanistan, we will be sure to share with you and your organization the smiles of happy Soldiers with e-readers in hand. “Take care and thanks again!”

SGM Ellsberry, Roddric E.

3rd IBCT, 1AD

Provincial Advisor Sergeant Major

Logar/Wardak, Afghanistan

As always, these donated Kindles arrived with brand new Latitude jackets and e-Luminator Touch Booklights donated by M-Edge Accessories. We followed up the initial supply of 10 M-Edge jackets with the remaining 10 in a separate shipment.

{ 0 comments }

Send More Kindles!

by lenedgerly on April 5, 2012 · 0 comments

in EB4T Updates

Last week I prepared 26 donated Kindles for shipment to U.S. military units in Afghanistan. As you can see from the photo, the first step is to plug in the Kindles to make sure they each begin the journey from Denver with a full charge. I make sure the wireless connection is turned off and the Kindle is deregistered, so it can be registered by the Soldier who will be using it once it arrives. I also load a PDF document with a greeting from E-Books for Troops, stating who donated the Kindle and, if a personal greeting was entered in the Donation Form, I include that greeting in the PDF as well.

At this point, we have just a few donated Kindles left to ship, so it would be a good time to fill out this form if you have a used Kindle that you would like to contribute. Once we receive the form, I will reply with information on how to send your Kindle to us.  We are not accepting original Kindles, because they are too fragile for the field. But if you have a Kindle 2 or 3 and you’ve got your eye on a Kindle Fire, Kindle 4, or Touch, we would be glad to find your current Kindle a new home! Our partner M-Edge Accessories generously donates a brand-new Latitude Jacket and an e-Luminator Touch Booklight for every Kindle we ship, new and old. Many supporters who donate Kindles also send us the cases for them, and I include them as backups for the new ones provided by M-Edge.

As I work on the Kindles in the safety and comfort of my home here in downtown Denver, I feel grateful for the courage and loyalty of the men and women who will be receiving them, a world away not just in geography or time zones. It is an honor to do this work with Ken Clark on your behalf. Thank you for your service, and please come home safe. If you are a supporter of E-Books for Troops through financial contributions or donated Kindles, thank you for making this endeavor possible!

 

{ 0 comments }

Kindles for Kandahar

by lenedgerly on September 8, 2011 · 3 comments

in Notes from the Field

 

On August 8, 2011, our shipment of 11 previously owned Kindles arrived in Kandahar, Afghanistan, for an Air Force unit working with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s).  These Kindles had been sent to us by supporters taking advantage of our Kindles for Troops(K4T) project, which continues to generate a good supply of Kindles in perfect working condition for Soldiers on deployment.

We received the photo above from MSgt Jody Wray:

Pictured is the recipient of a Kindle, TSgt Cruz (big guy in back), but he is having to wrestle it from an envious SSgt Lopez.

It’s a great photo, which captures the enthusiasm with which Kindles are met in the field. Thanks to all of you who donated your Kindles to make this shipment possible!

{ 3 comments }

Is the Kindle Mightier than the Howitzer?

by lenedgerly on July 18, 2011 · 1 comment

in Notes from the Field

Probably not, but we loved the extra effort taken by members of Alpha Battery, 4-320 Field Artillery Regiment, 4th BCT, 101st Airborne Division, to show their appreciation for the 10 Kindle 2′s that we shipped to them earlier this year in Afghanistan.  Note how well the specially made camo jackets donated by M-Edge Accessories blend into the scene.

We especially appreciated the emails we received from the soldiers of Alpha Battery. SSG Travis Rice:

First off I would like to thank E-Books for Troops and Craig Seanor of League City, Texas, for donating these Kindles to myself and the soldiers. It is refreshing to know that there are people at home that do support what we do. It is very nice to be able to get all the books I love onto this little device and be able to deploy with them. Not having a rucksack full of books really lightens the load! Not to mention I can get them instantly via the internet rather than waiting for them to arrive in the mail. I look forward to having this for my future deployments as well as at home.  Again thank you so much for your generosity and dedication to the Troops.

Note: Craig Seanor is one of the 10 EB4T supporters who sent us a used Kindle 2 that we forwarded to Alpha Battery.  We are still accepting used Kindle 2′s and 3′s for shipment to U.S. Troops stationed overseas. Click here for details.

Here’s another message, from PFC Manuel Gomez:

I am an American soldier who is currently on his first tour to Afghanistan.  I enjoy reading books in my free time, but sometimes have trouble having my books shipped from home due to weather. I’ve always wanted to try out a kindle but didn’t have the opportunity to purchase one out here. The Kindle has really made it easier to acquire the books I want. Some of the features like increasing font size and storing multiple types of reading material make reading easier and more enjoyable. The gift card you guys sent us really helps us get our reading experience started. Thank you for sending us the Kindles we really appreciate them.

And from Cpl Zachrey Jackson:

I would like to thank you for your donation of the Kindles for my unit.  I am an avid reader with quite a few E-books already stored on my computer. I have already started the research on how to move E-books from my computer to the Kindle. I like the fact that the user guide is located on the kindle, it allows the user to learn about the kindle while using the controls of the kindle. When I get back stateside, I plan on visiting the Kindle store the second I get a chance to. I am looking forward to browsing the wide variety of books that are located on the Kindle store. Maybe I just might find my next favorite author there. Thank you again for your donation, this Kindle will provide hours of reading enjoyment for this Soldier to, and from Afghanistan.

SPC O’Dell Douglas wrote:

I am an American soldier currently on my second tour in Afghanistan.  Reading some good books in my free time really helps to pass the time. I had seen the Kindle before but wasn’t for sure if I would like it or be able to figure it out. After receiving my Kindle from some really special folks back home, I really enjoy it and it’s not that hard to operate. The best thing I like about it is it’s compact. We don’t have big rooms so a lot of books tend to clutter your living area. I am able to put quite a few books on it and it takes up no more room than a notebook. Another great feature I like is it reads to me. Some days you’re tired but still want to read so I just pop in my head phones and relax. I really want to thank you for what you do. It’s great folks like yourself back home that really make a deployment that much easier. Thank you again!

SFC Matthew Castaldo was our coordinating officer for the Kindle distribution to his unit, and we’re grateful for his assistance.  Last October he described his unit as follows:  ”Alpha Battery 4-320 Field Artillery Regiment belongs to the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Currahee), 101st Airborne Divsion, Fort Campbell, KY.  Currently our Battery is decentralized in over seven locations across Eastern Afghanistan.  Our mission is to provide close-supporting fires and artillery counter battery as required.  Many of our Soldiers are avid readers and use what little free time they have doing so.  There are few books available, and those that are, are dated or not of ideal subject matter.  The convenience of an e-book would definitely improve the quality of life for some of our Soldiers.”

Our thanks to SFC Castaldo and his team for sending us these memorable images of Kindles reporting for duty in Afghanistan! Click here to see the full gallery on our Facebook page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

{ 1 comment }

The Cougar Team Family Purrs with Appreciation for Kindles

by lenedgerly on April 28, 2011 · 0 comments

in EB4T Updates

On March 2, 2011, we shipped 10 donated Kindle 2′s from Denver to the CJ-4 NATO Weapons Escort Team in Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan. They arrived 15 days later and were distributed a week after that, coordinated by CPT Rachel Kinnas and SGT Jose Gutierrez.

Since then, we’ve received inspiring testimonials from the Soldiers who received the Kindles, including the photo above which came with the following note from the Cougar Team Family: “Thank you so much for your kindness and support of our troops. Your acts of charity will forever stay in our hearts and memory. These Kindles have boosted the moral of our troops immensely.”

Click here to see the full gallery of 11 photos and individual comments we received by e-mail from Camp Phoenix.  For example, SPC Nicholas Guerro wrote, “Thank you for the Kindle. It was hard to keep books in my bag while on mission because they all seem to get ruined but since I got the Kindle I have been able to download my books and take them in the truck.”  SSG Hoover Travis added, “Your generosity is great.  I especially think the ten dollar gift card was a good idea to get us started.  I already have about twenty books on mine.  Thank you very much.”

I’m glad that SSG Travis mentioned the $10 Amazon gift card which we include with each Kindle that we distribute.  E-Books for Troops receives individual donations in all amounts, but you can be sure that even a $10 donation will enable us to get a Soldier going with his or her first book purchased for Kindle reading.

I also received the following e-mail from PFC Steven Logan:

PFC Steven Logan

“Thank you so very much for the Kindles that you have sent to myself and the others in my platoon. For those of us in the platoon that enjoy reading this means so much. As you could imagine finding good literature to read while deployed is not a very easy task. However you have just granted me the opportunity to choose what type of material I want to read at the push of a button. No longer will I have to read books that I may not be interested in simply because someone else says it’s a good read. I truly look forward in being able to use it along our future journeys here in country. It is nice to know that people think about sending things to deployed troops that can further our knowledge in life, outside of the everyday box of snacks. So on behalf of myself and others who are in my platoon thanks again for thinking about us.”

 

Thanks to all of you who sent us your used Kindle 2′s.  This group of 10 included Kindles sent from all over the United States, from Los Angeles to Waltham, Massachusetts.  One of my favorite jobs in preparing shipments of the donated Kindles is sideloading them with personal messages which some of you include when you click on the Donate a Kindle button and fill out the Kindle for Troops Donation Form. Here’s an example of a message from a donor which a Soldier found on the home page of his Kindle: “A thank you (or a Kindle) never seems like enough.  I greatly appreciate your service to our wonderful country.  I cannot tell you enough how thankful I am to you for protecting our country and our future. Thank you for your service! Happy reading.”

As always, these Kindles were shipped with brand new protective Latitude jackets and e-Luminator lights donated by our valued partner, M-Edge Accessories.  The accessories contributed by M-Edge greatly enhance the usability and durability of the Kindles being used far from home or the local coffee shop.  Our sincere thanks go out to Patrick and Devon Mish and to Kira Caban at M-Edge for their support.

{ 0 comments }

Kindles Arrive in the Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan

by lenedgerly April 4, 2011

We recently received great photos from Bravo Company, 1-66 Armor Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, based in Fort Hood TX and deployed to Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan. Click here to see all of them on the Facebook page. Here is how SGT Roger Bratton described this Army unit’s work in his original request: We are away from our [...]

Read the full article →

A Super Sunday for Book Lovers on Active Duty in Iraq

by lenedgerly March 17, 2011

1SG Eric Cooper chose Super Bowl Sunday to distribute our 10 donated Kindle 2s to the soldiers in his Army medical company who began their deployment to Iraq in September. When 1SG Cooper requested the Kindles, he wrote: “These Kindles would be perfect for raising the morale as we begin our year long deployment.  We [...]

Read the full article →

A Letter from Kabul that Speaks for Itself…

by lenedgerly February 15, 2011

Dear E-Books for Troops team, Thank you so much for the thoughtful donation.  I am currently stationed at Kabul, Afghanistan and am away from my Wife and three kids who are home at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX.  I work as a communications specialist and love to read every chance I get.  It is difficult [...]

Read the full article →

From Afghanistan, A Tale of Seven Kindles

by lenedgerly February 10, 2011

USAF Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Corey Ramsby, at far right in photo above, is deployed in Afghanistan with Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435, which is responsible for all U.S. detention operations in Afghanistan.  He and the others in the photo were among seven soldiers who last month received Kindle 2s donated by supporters of E-Books [...]

Read the full article →

Kindles Delivered to the 215th Corps Partner Team

by lenedgerly February 8, 2011

Last summer, when we were laying the organizational groundwork for E-Books for Troops, SSgt Michael F. Garcia was beginning a year-long deployment in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. That’s when he first filled out a Unit Sponsorship Form requesting three Kindles.  He later described his team, which is training the Afghan National Army‘s 215th Corps, as follows: [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries