News 2009

Donated Laptops Help Military Families Stay in Touch
December 18, 2009, KOMO News - Seattle, WA

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Fort Lewis, Washington– December 18th, 2009 – Some military families are celebrating Christmas early this year with a special gift. One hundred families of soldiers are getting brand new laptop computers equipped with Web cams to help them stay in touch with their loved ones serving overseas.

Robert Keane's wife, Brandy, is serving in Kuwait. The family's computer crashed just as the three Keane children were adjusting to their mother's deployment. Their new laptop will now shorten the distance between them and her. "They can see her again, twice a day," said Keane. "It's important for them. I've got a 3 year old, a 4 year old and a 7 year old, and they miss their mother a lot." The Dell corporation donated the computers and Microsoft donated the software. The laptops are distributed by Operation Homelink, a the civilian nonprofit group founded by Dan Shannon five years ago.

"These computers are not free. They are earned every morning when these soldiers strap on their boots and when these spouses and parents hold down the fort at home," said Shannon. Wartime communications have taken different forms through the ages, from letters that took weeks to reach its destination to instant messages just a click away. It doesn't matter how it happens as long as it does happen

The computers are going to families of junior enlisted soldiers -- the privates and specialists. Marlia Kegler and her three children are trying to cope with Pfc. Brian Kegler's first deployment. The father and husband is in Afghanistan with the 5th Stryker brigade. Marlia Kegler says the laptop will be especially helpful for her daughter. "She pretty much just asks where he is everyday, and lately she's (saying), 'I want my daddy. So this will be a very good chance for her to see him." They can't hug their loved ones, but at least they can stay in touch.

Fort Lewis Troops Get a Link to Home - GIFT: 100 Families Given New Netbook Computers
CHRISTIAN HILL; The Olympian | Published December 25, 2009

A nonprofit organization has made this Christmas a merrier one for families of deployed Fort Lewis soldiers. Operation Homelink of Chicago presented more than 100 new netbook computers donated by computer manufacturer Dell to the families. The computers were distributed at the Army post last week. It was the first time the organization had visited Fort Lewis and the first time it presented computers with webcams.

Dan Shannon, the organization’s founder, said the families have paid for the computers by virtue of their loved ones deploying to serve their country and the families holding down the fort back home. “They’re just a small token of our appreciation,” Shannon said of the computers. He said the event was one of the most emotional the organization has attended, in part because it occurred right before the holidays. The Army post has more than 10,000 soldiers deployed overseas, including all three of its Stryker combat brigades. Technology has allowed families to connect with their deployed loved ones now more than ever. Representatives of

Operation Homelink, founded in 2003, note that can be a different story for the families of junior enlisted soldiers. They often can’t afford computers and must rely on the expensive phones or mailed letters to stay in touch. The organization is working to change that by distributing laptop and netbook computers donated by large companies to these families. Officials estimate that the company has linked 3,200 families to their loved ones overseas. “Having this computer is a huge blessing,” Patricia Owens-Hailey said in a news release.

Her husband, Tycho, is a specialist deployed to Afghanistan with the 402nd Brigade Support Battalion, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. “You take communications for granted until you don’t have it. You just have to wait. Helping our family in this way is just huge.” Corporations nationwide are encouraged to participate by donating end-of-life laptop computers

Families of Deployed Soldiers Receive computers
Donated computers bring deployed Family members Closer to Home- - 0ver 2,950 Military Families Connected to Date

Christmas will be a bit brighter this year for 150 area families with deployed loved ones. Operation Homelink, a Chicago-based nonprofit, presented refurbished desktop computers that will later be equipped with Web cams to 100 Fort Benning families and 50 Georgia National Guard families. “We’re told by the commanders the connection with home is the number one morale builder,” Homelink president and founder Dan Shannon said Saturday. “From the soldier’s perspective, just being able to communicate is important, especially this time of year.”

Volunteer soldiers assist Emylee Sosa and two-year old daughter Heiress in picking up one of 150 computers distributed to families of soldiers stationed at Fort Benning, GA and with the Georgia National Guard on December 12th, 2009. (Photo by Operation Homelink)

Spouses and parents of soldiers stationed at Fort Benning or with the Georgia National Guard received 150 donated computers today at the Kelley Hill Recreation Center, Fort Benning, GA.  The computers were donated by the Raytheon Company and bring to 3,100, the numbers of computers that non-profit Operation Homelink has donated to military families across the U.S. over the last seven years.(Photo by Operation Homelink)

Shannon, who helped distribute the computers at Fort Benning, said his organization receives donated computers from corporations and then gives them to military families all over the country. The goal is to make sure deployed soldiers can stay in contact via e-mail with family members. He said this was the organization’s first trip to Fort Benning, but he hopes to return. The computers presented Saturday were donated by Raytheon, a Massachusetts-based technology company. Shannon said the computers from his organization usually do not have Web cam capabilities, but because several people mentioned wanting to see their solider at Christmas they decided to get Web cams.

The cameras will be mailed out to families next week. “So they will be able to see their solider at Christmas time,” he said. Homelink was started seven years ago and in that time has given 3,100 computers to families. Shannon said it all started when he would see images of those called to serve. “I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be in those shoes,” he said. “I owe a debt to those soldiers and their families that I can never repay.

This is just a small token of affection.” Shannon said he reminds people that these computers are not being given to the families for free. He said they earn them by the sacrifices they make every day. “When someone is deployed, the whole family is deployed,” Shannon said. “We know that can be a stressful time.”

Operation Homelink and Raytheon Provide Computers to 100 Camp LeJeune Families
Donated computers bring deployed Family members Closer to Home- - 0ver 2,950 Military Families Connected to Date

Camp LeJeune, NC – August 8th, 2009 – Operation Homelink™, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, in collaboration with the Raytheon Company presented 100 refurbished computers to the families of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) stationed at Camp LeJeune, NC.

Troops rely on correspondence from family members during demanding deployments, but the families of many junior enlisted members are often not able to afford computers and must rely on conventional mail or expensive phone calls to stay in touch. Operation Homelink strives to link American service members deployed overseas with their families through e-mail communication by re-utilizing refurbished computers donated by sponsors such as Raytheon.

“During the fight, the most important is to be able to communicate with home, said Cpl. Marcus Keyes of the 2nd Maintenance Battalion/2MLG.“By adding a webcam it will mean everything for my two-year old son to be able to see his Daddy’s face”. Sgt. Major C. R. Green of the II Marine Expedition Force added, “this program provides tremendous benefits to our Marines and their families. It means a lot”. “Raytheon has been a tremendously supportive partner in our effort to connect our deserving military families with their loved one serving overseas said Dan Shannon, founder and president of Operation Homelink.

To date, Raytheon has donated over 1,000 computers to Operation Homelink. "We congratulate Operation Homelink for its efforts to help families and deployed soldiers stay connected," said Rebecca Rhoads, vice president and chief information officer, Raytheon Company. "Raytheon shares the commitment to our heroic men and women in uniform and their families. Operation Homelink provides a way for us to combine high tech with high touch for a very worthy cause." Operation Homelink is Looking for a Few Good Corporations, like Raytheon, to donate their retired laptops so that we can bring those serving our country a little bit closer to home. Operation Homelink accepts donations of qualified used laptop computers in minimum amounts 50 with the minimum technology specifications: Pentium III/ 1.4 GHz.