Operation Waypoint

http://www.krgv.com/content/news/story/Winter-Texans-Making-Sure-Soldiers-Never-Get-Lost/eInpEBUcBUm84BFt_ID1vA.cspx

I am mailing a thank you flag to your location. The flag was flown over Basra, Iraq and we would like to thank you very much.
Thank you and Have a great day.

Kristina VonBerge
CPT, AG
S1, 34th DSTB

Hi Elaine and Ed, Our Brigade has been very lucky so far. You may have heard this from others in our battalion 1-151FA, we have logged in over 1 million miles and over 300 missions. I was up just north of Bagdad a couple of days before Christmas through New Year and seems things are calming down a bit. We just got new HMMWV’s 117 to be exact. Trucks don’t last long here. Trucks we replaced averaged 50,000 to 75,000 miles and they were bad. The GPS you guys gave me is much appreciated. I used it mostly establishing supply routes and locations, also maintenance repair facilities. I am going to give this to my son Daniel this summer. I’ll be back home just after Easter, at least I hope. My son Daniel’s unit goes to Afghanistan this fall. Thanks!!! CW4 Paul MillerHHB 1-151FA

Paul Miller from Central Minnesota reports from Kuwait, that his iFINDER GPS is working great and thanks American Legion Auxiliary of Post 621 for their support of the troops.

ADOPTED HEROES

The St. Augusta American Legion Post 621 and Auxiliary have been involved in “Operation Waypoint” since late 2005. In that time they have given out over 200 GPS units with the Middle East chip. These units are very vital in the safety of our soldiers.
Pictured are many of the brave young men and women that have and are serving our country. They need our support and American Legion Post 621 Auxiliary needs your support, to allow us to continue supplying these GPS units, training and tech support.
Please get involved!

Thanks you for such a practical gift. I’m a rifle platoon commander with Fox Co 2nd Battalion 25th Marines, and this GPS system will be very useful to us. We patrol south of the Euphrates River and the unit works great.
2nd Lt Jacobson

Dear Mrs. Toufen and Mr. Meyer,

I want to thank you for your kindness in supplying my Military Transition Team with two personnel Handheld GPS. These items are a great tool to any Marine in combat yielding added assurance to correct personnel location. The items supplied are utilized daily on our patrols, route planning and also training. The GPS were recently utilized in the training of land navigation to the Iraq soldiers that we are embedded with. The course that was taught was long and difficult but the Iraqi soldiers all have a better understanding of plotting, route tracking, azimuths, and grids due to the GPS that you supplied. With these items we were a hit! We gratefully appreciate your generosity and attribute our success here in Iraq to wonderful Americans like yourself.

Respectfully,

GySgt Costa, P.T.

USMC MiTT 51st BDE

Area 51, Basrah, Iraq

Ed,

I do want to thank you for helping to get GPS units to the troops in Iraq. The American Legion Auxiliary in Brainerd, MN. donated a GPS system to a soldier from Camp Ripley. He just recently sent a thank you letter and included an American flag flown over Iraq. The troops are very grateful for these systems. Your work is invaluable. Thanks again.

Shirley (Hennen) Schoonover

This unit is deployed a long way from any civilization in Iraq.

Hey Ed, sorry it took so long, but didn’t forget, took a new one, this was just before we left Jalalabad for a Combat patrol to Naray, Pakistan Border, and again, it was hot, 135 with 85% humidity that day, and yes, 8 hours in the heat and sweat, The GPS performed great!!!! a plus sending out a water resistant GPS! LOL, Dean

Ed, yes I did, and it works great, haven’t had a problem with it yet, instruction were right to the point, the unfortunate part of being an ETT ( Embedded Transition Team) member, is that we get the used equipment while we roll with the ANA, which is truly sad, but when I have to take out our old M1114’s with no Blue force Tracker, the GPS goes with me for sure, anyways, thanks again, Dean