The TSAC Mission

The TSAC Mission:

The Troop Support Action Committee (TSAC) is dedicated to championing American military units stationed abroad and their families by providing comfort items and morale boosting to active soldiers and assisting with their stateside return.

Goal 1 Adopt one or more active military units stationed abroad and collect and send comfort items to these units at least every two months.

• Action 1 Champion at least one active military unit.
• Action 2 Identify comfort items needed by the adopted military unit(s).
• Action 3 Garner support from the community by utilizing means such as the Pinecam and 285Bound websites, drop boxes, and advertising.
• Action 4 Ship collected comfort items to the adopted military unit(s).

Goal 2 Help boost the morale of the adopted military unit(s) by insuring the soldiers receive contact letters from our community.

• Action 1 Obtain a list of soldiers in the adopted military unit(s) who are not receiving personal mail.
• Action 2 Assist in arranging penpal relationships between soldiers in the adopted unit(s) and community members.

Goal 3 Supply limited stateside transition assistance to adopted military unit(s) and their families, if the returning locale is within our cooperating presence.

• Action 1 Learn when the adopted military unit(s) are to return stateside.
• Action 2 Contact the families of these soldiers to identify any transition assistance that community members may be able to provide.
• Action 3 Implement the transition support items identified.

Since not everyone here can see the history over on Pinecam.....

Can you provide us with the history of TSAC? I think everyone here would be interested in how long you have been around, and how much you have shipped, how often you ship, bake, etc. Also do you have any details on Goal 3? What kind of stateside transition help have you done in the past? I've not ever heard of any, maybe I missed something somewhere.

Thanks

Excellent questions!

You know...I'm gonna need a little help answering, so I'll have to get back to you on some of that.

Different members are in charge of different aspects of TSAC, so I'll await their replies so that I can provide the most accurate information.

Stuff I do know:

We bake at least twice a year, sometimes more often if requested. We ALWAYS make sure we get Christmas cookies baked in early November for arrival in time for the holiday season. Our Bake-A-Thons of late have been held at the Shawnee VFW (they have an awesome kitchen they let us use after they finish up their monthly breakfast). Everyone is always welcome to come help; you need not be an official member of TSAC to help at any event. We each bring whatever tools/implements we have (measuring cups/spoons, mixers, spatulas, cooling racks, and the like).

We also conduct Sew-A-Thons, where we create these incredible "neck-chiller" things that can be soaked in water for about 10 minutes; then they expand and are very cool to the touch. We try to make enough so that each soldier in the unit(s) we support have a pair - one to keep their neck cool, and one to wear under their helmet. You don't even have to know a darned thing about sewing to help make these; there are cutting and filling duties, too (filling them with crystals that expand when exposed to water). The fabric is often donated, as well as the thread/bobbins, and we all pitch in for the rest and bring our own sewing machines & scissors. We've held these events at the Shawnee VFW and A QUILT TOP SHOP (Pine Jct).

How often we ship is generally determined by any or all of the following: A needs request from a unit, enough items have been donated to dictate a sorting/packing party, or the holiday season is upon us. Sometimes, we'll pack and ship every other month - it all depends on the donations received and the unit's needs/wants.

I can never remember the exact pounds/tons of what we have shipped to date, so I'm checking for the official number on that one for you.

Packing Parties: Again, as needed - sometimes every other month, sometimes twice a month. We've held these events in the parking lot of our storage locker (in good weather), and we park our butts down on the gravel and sort stuff and get it packed. Here lately, though, a local business owner has offered his shop to us that has a really nice long table we can use - and stay out of the weather (Thanks, Topper!).

It is the plan here on 285Bound to make sure all events get posted here, so that if anyone wants to see what we're all about, or just chip in for a day (packing, baking, sewing, etc.) - they'll have the details they need to make it happen.

Whew! That should hold ya for a day or so. tongue:

Thanks, hopefully that will help for those who don't know the history of all that TSAC has done in the past.

Any update?

I know she is working on it but the oldtimers (not really old) are on vacation and such so we might have to give them time to return.

pacamom wrote: Any update?

I was going to post the little I know about the early days, but then I remembered that it was you that told it to me,

neptunechimney wrote:

pacamom wrote: Any update?

I was going to post the little I know about the early days, but then I remembered that it was you that told it to me,

That would be why I asked the questions here. I remember when TSAC first started as an 'entity', but can't remember who all was at the first meeting. It would be interesting to see all the questions answered. I know the amounts sent have been really incredible and it would be nice to see what other activities have been occuring and I thought others may be interested also.

I do know that one of the most heartwarming things I did as a member was to attend the homecoming at Ft. Carson of the unit we were supporting at the time. We then invited them, and they attended the PC picnic that year. That was one of the best picnics.

I had hoped to get all the details from the old timers last Sunday, but everyone was REALLY BUSY!

I did manage to bend the ear of CosmicCowboy55, and he told me about the very start of TSAC. Here's the story as I remember it:

One day, not long after September 11, 2001 - when troops had been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, Cos saw something in the shoutbox from LionsHead. LionsHead stated he sure was homesick. At first, Cos assumed that this was a young private recently deployed, missing home.

After a longer discussion, he learned that this individual was brass in the armed forces, and they got to talking - along with two other individuals. LionsHead, as we now know as Colonel Duffy, began talking with the three of them and they all got together and started collecting things to send over. Their "collection boxes" were at places such as the Little Log Store near TinyTown, the Mercantile in Pine Grove, and the Harris Park store. The boxes were simple milk crates, and each of the 3 people (I didn't jot down their names, sorry! Maybe they'll come to me after another cup of coffee) made their rounds on a weekly basis to get the goodies to ship. Cos took the longest to make his "rounds", and nobody could figure out why. It was discovered that he was stopping to fish along the way.

And TSAC was born.

I do hope to get a chronological story from start to finish - and everything in between - written up someday for everyone to read. I'll continue bending ears and taking notes - and share what I learn.