About Operation Interdependence
The Beginning of OI®
OI® was founded in December 2001 by Chief Warrant Officer Albert R. Renteria, USMC
(Ret.), a Marine of 26 years. The idea began to formulate during Renteria's tour
of duty in the first Gulf War where he served as a manpower officer. He was charged
with assigning personnel to receive and distribute the thousands of care packages
donated by civilians to troops stationed abroad. He was exposed to the challenges
of dividing and delivering these items without compromising the manpower needed
to achieve the military mission.
Most people are not aware that sending packages to the deployed units can cause
a burden for the military, detract from the mission and possibly bog down in the
system never reaching the troops. During his last 10 years of service Renteria thought
about the best way to deliver goodwill to the troops. He wanted something heavy
with meaning, but light in weight; something easy to deliver anywhere in the world;
something that would warm a soldier's heart without weighing down his backpack.
Renteria's answer? Written expressions of caring from the young and old packed with
a little treat from home – just the thing to warm a foxhole! That was the beginning
of OI.
OI'S Civilian-to-Military Delivery System®
The cornerstone of the OI Civilian-to-Military Delivery System® is the
Civilian
Ration ® (called C-rat ®). Designed for delivery to the frontlines, C-rats
are individual quart-sized baggies that contain a personal note from a caring civilian
at home and a few treats such as snacks, games and personal care products. The most
important part of the C-rat is the letter from a person who has never met that Soldier,
Sailor, Marine or Airman, but takes the time to write his or her expressions of
care and concern.
OI volunteers in 15 distribution centers across the country work with schools, churches,
synagogues, civic groups and corporations in their community to create the C-rats.
Volunteers pack and ship 50 C-rats per 12 inch cube box weighing no more than 30 pounds.
This design accomplishes three key objectives:
- Instead of 100 boxes reaching 100 troops, with the OI system 100 boxes reach 5,000
troops thereby streamlining delivery, conserving resources and opening up the military
mail system to allow needed equipment and letters from families to be a priority
delivery.
- OI boxes easily load on to supply transports including helicopters and Humvees.
- The plastic baggies make distribution in theater as easy as “grab and go.”
Furthermore, all shipments to the frontlines are coordinated through unit commanders
thereby ensuring military resources are not negatively impacted and boxes make it
to their intended destination.
(Security restrictions forbid the general
public sending items or packages to “any” service member.)
And in the spirit of the “no one left behind” creed, enough C-rats are sent
so that at mail
call everyone in that unit gets a package. For many it's the only
communication from home
they receive.
Only those items that meet the strict standards set by the military and OI are sent
to troops on the frontlines.
Support of Military Families and Veterans
OI is also mindful of the needs military families have at home and of veterans who
served before. Approximately 25% of the items OI receives are given to family groups
on military bases, VA hospitals and other veterans organizations.