December 2008 - The Bradley Chapter purchased 185 DVD's movies from a local El Paso vendor and sends them to MiTT 10827 stationed at Bagdad, Iraq. Coordinating the effort with former Fort Bliss 11th BDE commander, COL Forrest Smith now part of the team, the Chapter served as the foundation for a movie library for the MiTT team. COL Smith commented that this would serve as a great outlet for the soldiers stationed in the unit. The cost to the Chapter was $500 dollars.
November 2008 - The Bradley Chapter held a corporate member breakfast with live feed from Iraq during the event. Former 11th ADA BDE Commander COL Forrest Smith and COL Rick Bassett, Commander of MiTT 10827th Iraqi Ground Forces were the guest speakers and fielded questions from corporate members during the event. The VTC was held at the conference room of 11th ADA BDE. Corporate members got to get first hand information from soldiers with boots on the ground in Iraq. The event was very well received and will be repeated on a regular basis. The cost to the Chapter was very low but the opportunity for corporate members to participate in a VTC with soldiers in Iraq was a first for the City of El Paso.
September 2008 - The General of the Army Omar Bradley Chapter of AUSA hosted its annual General Membership meeting informing the membership of the state of the Chapter. Chapter President Gus Rodriguez delivered the address to an audience of 886 people. During the event, Mr. Rodriguez shared with the group that the Chapter donated over $250,000 in cash donations and close to $366,000 in in-kind donations to Fort Bliss units and families. He also discussed how it was the Chapter goal to form a new ROTC company at the University of Texas at El Paso and to try and bring in 30 corporate members during the operational year.
May 2008 - The Omar Bradley Chapter of AUSA supported the deployment reception for soldiers and family members of 2-42 ADA Battalion. The Chapter provided breakfast snacks, juice and desserts for soldiers and family members as they awaited their plans for departure. During the departure comments, LTC Kelley Splane, the 2-42 Battalion Commander presented the Chapter with an appreciation award for supporting the unit during the deployment preparation. The cost to the Chapter was $328.00.
December 2007 - On 28 November, the Bradley Chapter's Dee Downey and Gail Darling spent five hours booking 16 flights for Wounded Warriors....spent $6,400.00 and used one Frequent Flyer mile coupon, will move into using as many as we can now....it is difficult to use them, airlines won't combine accounts to give us a bigger total so many donated miles we can't use....several airlines charge us a transfer fee if the person who gets the ticket is not the person on the account....we will use the remaining cash for that if we can't get the donor to pay the transfer fee....the miles usage is a slow process, often we have to have the donor assist us with passwords, etc. Today we will book 4 more flights with FF miles. Getting another $1,000.00 donated from the VFW auxiliary.....will forward when received.
November 2007 - During the Fall of 2006 El Paso and Ft Bliss had the worst flood in over 100 years numerous home and families lost all. The Mayor of El PAso John Cook and a few local musisans produced a CD call "WEST TEXAS TEARS" and the proceeds from the sale of the CD is to go to the flood relief. Wal Mart stepped in with the OMar Bradley Chapter and purchased $10,000 dollars worth of the CD and donated them to Omar Bradley Chapter to send to our Services men and women stationed in harms way to give them a little taste of home. All of the songs were written and produced by local muscians.
November 2006 - The chapter's wounded warrior program has accepted donations of Frequent Flyer Miles. To date we have purchased 7 round trip tickets so some of our wounded Warrior may go home and spend time with their families.
The Omar Bradley Chapter AUSA and Outback Steak house Teamed up and fed 300 Soldiers and family members of the 978th Mp Company. The MP company had just returned on the 27th of Novemebr from a year deployment to Baghdad. The local Outback Steak house manager and his crew cooked 300 Filets , mashed potatoes, Salad and the Chapter furnished the Drinks. The weather turned cold and windy but they came and had a good meal. AUSA and Outback wanted to say thank you for a job well done. This was the 3rd deployment for the Company and each time they returned, we've had a cold snap on the day of the picnic.
March 2006 - Support to the Returning Soldiers from Iraq: Most, if not all, soldiers and units that deploy/redeploy to and from Iraq are processed through the Mobilization and Demobilization Center at Fort Bliss. CSM Joe Consodine, CSM of the 647th ASG, asked the Bradley Chapter of AUSA to support a welcome home BBQ for 200 Soldiers demobilizing over the mid-March weekend. The Welcome Home BBQ was held at the VFW# 812 building. As always, the corporate sponsor from Desert Eagle was part of the program and even provided some "Bud Girls" to assist with the evening program.