At an Army Concussion Care Center in Afghanistan, SPC Williams holds a Kindle Keyboard donated by a supporter of E-Books for Troops and an e-Luminator Touch Booklight given by our partner M-Edge Accessories. Here are some more action photos of unit members with their Kindles:
SSG Ledoux, PV2 Marrero, and SPC Swedberg
SPC Leguizamon
PFC Choate
PFC Riendeau
SPC Heldenfels
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During 2012, we distributed 282 Kindles to U.S. military units deployed overseas, mostly in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our goal for 2013 is to increase the number of Kindles distributed during the year to 300.
Last year slightly more than half of the Kindles that we shipped were used Kindles donated by supporters of E-Books for Troops through our Kindles for Troops (K4T) program. The rest were new Kindles that we bought from Amazon using funds donated to E-Books for Troops. We also use donated money to purchase USB cables and power plugs as needed, as well as a $10 gift card for each Kindle. Our fantastic partner M-Edge Accessories donates a brand new protective case and e-Luminator Touch BookLight for each Kindle that we ship, new or used.
Your donations of used Kindles help us increase the number of Kindles that we can distribute, given the constraints of our budget. Reading offers our Service Members a great form of recreation and renewal during downtime. In the past, Soldiers were limited to carrying one or two paperbacks, and 
often they would get passed around the Unit to be read and re-read. Now, with the Kindle’s ability to carry thousands of books, a Soldier can have all his or her favorite authors and titles in one convenient device.
In the K4T donation form, you will see a field labeled “Personalize Your Kindle.” Any text that you enter there will be included in the “E-Books for Troops Greeting” PDF that I will load onto your Kindle. I love reading the messages that donors leave for the Soldiers who will receive their Kindles. It makes this project personal and inspiring.
So if Santa or a loved one gave you a new Kindle last month, I hope you will consider donating your old one to us for shipment to a military unit. I have noticed a big increase in K4T donations during the holiday season, and I hope it continues well into the new year.
We appreciate your support, and I know we are all grateful for the bravery and service of the men and women who receive these Kindles through E-Books for Troops. We wish them godspeed and a safe return home.
Len Edgerly, co-founder
Denver
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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.
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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!
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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!
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