Operation Homelink and CDW-G Present Computers to 100 Fort Drum Military Families
Donated Computers Help Families Keep in Touch with Soldiers Deployed to Iraq
FORT DRUM, N.Y. - August 23, 2006 - Operation Homelink™, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, in collaboration with CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G), a wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation and leading source of information technology (IT) solutions to governments, today presented 100 refurbished computers to the families of the U.S. Army 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, who will soon deploy to Iraq.
While most soldiers have access to e-mail while deployed at remote outposts, including sites throughout Iraq, the situation is often different for their families back home. Troops rely on correspondence from family members during demanding deployments, but the families of many junior enlisted soldiers 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 soldiers deployed overseas with their families through e-mail communication using computers donated by sponsors such as CDW-G.
Operation Homelink's technology partners provide professional refurbishment services and ensure all existing information is wiped clean from the computers' hard drives. The computers are then tested, reloaded with a new operating system and modem, and shipped in bulk to the selected unit.
"We appreciate CDW-G's continuing support of our efforts to connect military families with their loved ones serving overseas," said Dan Shannon, founder and president of Operation Homelink. "Operation Homelink is Looking for a Few Good Corporations, like CDW-G, to donate their retired computers so that we can bring those serving our country a little bit closer to home."
With the CDW-G donation, Operation Homelink has successfully linked more than 1,500 families with their troops overseas. Spouses or parents of troops within the junior-level pay grades (E1-E5) are eligible to receive the donation. Military support agencies help determine the units that will receive computers. The program has enjoyed great success and has expanded to include donations of laptops to wounded soldiers receiving treatment at military hospitals throughout the United States.
"This invaluable program organized by Operation Homelink is a way to keep our deployed servicemen close to their families while serving their country. Fort Drum is pleased to be part of such a worthy cause," said Col. David Clark, garrison commander at Fort Drum.
Operation Homelink accepts donations of qualified end-of-life computers from corporations. Bulk donations are accepted, and no additional monetary donation is required. Each donation must have at least 100 used desktop or 20 used laptop computers with the following minimum technology specifications: Pentium III laptops with a 500 MHz processor or Pentium III desktops with a 850 MHz processor. All donations are tax-deductible and help reduce the number of computers filling landfills. Moreover, the donating corporation can designate the military base that will receive the computers.
"With these computers, families at Fort Drum will be able to bridge the gap created when an enlisted family member is deployed overseas. Rapid communication via e-mail will not only help families ‘talk' on a daily basis, but also will make it possible to share digital photos and videos with the troops, providing a vital visual link to loved ones back home," said Andy Lausch, CDW-G director of federal sales.
About Operation Homelink
Operation Homelink is an all-volunteer, non-profit 501(C) 3 organization founded in February 2003 with a mission of facilitating e-mail communication between American soldiers deployed overseas and their families back home. Operation Homelink addresses this problem by providing a free, refurbished computer to the spouse or parents of troops within the lowest level pay grades (E1-E5). To date, Operation Homelink has successfully linked more than 1,400 families. Corporations nationwide are encouraged to participate by donating end-of-life computer assets. To learn more about donating used computers, please visit www.operationhomelink.org.
About CDW-G
CDW Government, Inc. (CDW-G), a wholly owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation (NASDAQ: CDWC), a FORTUNE 500 company, is a trusted technology advisor and solutions provider to federal, state and local government agencies, as well as to educational institutions at all levels. CDW-G responds with a sense of urgency to customer technology needs, delivering best-in-class solutions from top-name brands such as Adobe, Apple, Cisco, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Microsoft, Sony, Symantec, and Toshiba. CDW-G focuses on building strong customer relationships with its knowledgeable account managers and technical specialists who provide extensive pre- and post-sales support.
For more information about CDW-G product offerings, procurement options, services and solutions, call 1.800.863.4239, or visit the CDW-G Web site at CDWG.com.
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