Funds raised at Operation Heartlift's September 10th "Honor our Troops" event this year were used to purchase Survival Bracelets to send along with homemade cookies, Christmas teas, pocket copies of the U.S. Constitution, cards and more to our troops this Christmas. 

This year's care packages went to an entire Battalion of Special Forces Troops in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Thanks to my radio interview with Commander Rusty Bradley on his new book, "The Lions of Kandahar," he was able to give us a point of contact so that our care packages could go to and be passed out directly to the troops.  

Major Bradley has been deployed to Afghanistan four times, as the Commander of a Special Forces A-Team. After hearing his stories of the job these soldiers are doing, in some of the toughest terrain and under some of the most dangerous circumstances, we were thrilled to be able to bless them this Christmas. If interested, you can hear my interview with the commander in our broadcast archives online at http://www.listen.changingworldviews.com/ (see Nov. 9, 2011).

The Survival Bracelets, made of extremely strong paracord, can literally save a soldier's life. They can be unraveled and used as a tourniquet, for tying splints, small strands in the middle can be used to sew up a wound and many other things. Those who contributed to Mission: Christmas Care this year did so knowing that for every $10.00 they donated meant that a soldier's life could be saved.  

We had piles of cookies, lovingly made by a wonderful team of volunteer bakers, including one pastor who baked until 3am the night before to make sure we had enough for each soldier, and we ended up with exactly what we needed!  

The 400 gift packages were packed by members of our Operation Heartlft team as well as by volunteers from the North Bay Patriots, Sonoma County Eagle Forum, MOMS (Mothers of Military Service Members) members of Pastor Ray McClendon's Church of Christ in Petaluma and other volunteers from both Marin and Sonoma counties. 

While the bracelets are practical (and very cool looking), I bet the homemade cookies, and cards from church groups, children, OHL team members and all those who participated, will be what will touch our Troops hearts the most. Don't you? 

Commander Bradley said that hearing from back home is crucial to the morale of his men, and Christmas will be merrier for these Troops because of receiving a little bit of home, while they are far away this Christmas.  

If you would like to donate to help cover the cost of shipping this year's packages you can send a check to Changing Worldviews/Operation Heartlift, PO Box 750624, Petaluma, CA 94975-0624.

Sharon Hughes is a talk-radio host heard on KDIA AM1640 at 4:30 pm, and founder of The Center for Changing Worldviews, which includes WOMANTalk, Operation Heartlift to support our Troops, and Operation ARC and outreach to at-risk-children. She has been a guest on FOX News and many national radio talk shows. Her column has appeared on numerous recognized news sites such as David Horowitz's FrontPageMagazine, and NewsBusters, a division of the Media Research Center. Website: www.changingworldviews.com Contact: sharon@changingworldviews.com