• That was the question that we asked initially and the subsequent reason that TroopsDirect was born. Between chains of command, red tape, defense budgets, government issued (but ineffective) items and the logistics of delivering goods to a combat zone from within the military supply line, many critical items are unavailable, slow to arrive or not issued at all.

How much of my financial contriibution actually goes to supporting the troops?

• Supporting our armed forces on the frontlines is the sole priority of TroopsDirect. We wouldn’t be as effective or as highly regarded if we strayed from that belief. As a result, TroopsDirect has very little overhead and almost no ‘fat’ in our budget in order to always make our financial resources available to those that need it: our heroes on the frontlines.

You talk to the frontlines daily? How do you do that?

• While we cannot go into specific details, TroopsDirect maintains four different methods in which we correspond with commanders at the smaller patrol and forward operating bases. Within these methods, is the ability for them to reach us 24 hours a day from wherever that have communications equipment. These lines of communication are established in our pre-deployment meetings that are held on bases here in the United States between the unit commanders and TroopsDirect before they leave for their deployment overseas.

TroopsDirect often refers to ‘frontline’ support. What does that mean?

• TroopsDirect is there first and foremost for the servicemembers who are based out of smaller or more remote positions where needed supplies are non-existent or not readily available. Commonly, these are the infantrymen who live out of their backpacks or trucks for days or weeks on end. While every deployed member of the armed forces has an important and commendable job in protecting our security and freedom, many units operate out of larger bases where needed items can be readily acquired.
  

I would like to personally donate some of the products that you send to the troops. Can I do that?

• One of our greatest challenges -and what also makes TroopsDirect so effective- is that we are supplying up to 1000 servicemembers in a single shipment. As a result we rely on having an inflow of bulk product that comes from corporate support or from our own purchasing lines. Furthermore, because we communicate with the frontlines daily, what may have been needed last week is not what is called upon today. Additionally, our buying power with a given dollar is much greater than one American can effect on their own. As a result, we ask Americans for their financial support with the confidence that their monetary contribution makes the immediate difference every day. You may want to consider becoming part of our “Dollar A Month Pledge” campaign.

I work for a company that has the ability to support TroopsDirect with bulk items or financial support. What should I do?

• Please contact us as we need Americans like you to be in alignment with us! There is no ‘silly’ idea for supporting TroopsDirect. As an example, when TroopsDirect was founded, we never thought we would need a resource for chalk powder to send to our servicemembers so that they could mark where roadside bombs were emplaced. Nor did we ever believe that we would have to send medical stretchers to the frontlines. Good or bad, we were called upon for such support and we were there for our heroes overseas. This is a testament to the effectiveness of TroopsDirect as our Marines and soldiers know where to go for all types of support.

Do you ship through a middleman or freight forwarder?

• No. We ship directly to the feet of unit commanders on the frontlines via United States Postal Service ‘Priority’. Everything is shipped from our warehouse for quality control and inventory purposes. Additionally, each addressee is notified when a shipment goes out so that they know exactly what is in transit to them.

Why don’t you go to Washington DC to fight for reform on what our servicemembers actually need?

• We are not politicians nor do we want to be. We are TroopsDirect and our job is to get our heroes on the frontlines the items that they urgently need asap. We don’t want to run Washington DC and we wouldn’t want politicians running TroopsDirect!