ODENTON, Md. — A personal loss is inspiring an effort to bring a little bit of home to American service members stationed thousands of miles away.
Employees at RBR Technologies are packing roughly 15 to 18 care packages filled with snacks, supplies and other comforts for a military unit in Jordan. The effort began after a family member of RBR software architect John George and his wife was killed in action.
George said the fallen service member was like a little sister to the couple.
While attending a private viewing, George and his wife met a soldier who had served with their loved one. During their conversation, the soldier shared more about the unit and the service members still overseas.
That conversation inspired the couple to help.
“We had a recent family event where one of our family members passed away, and my wife and I decided to do some care packages for the unit that our family member was a part of,” George said.
What began as a private gesture quickly grew after George shared the idea with leadership at RBR Technologies.
“I shared what we were working on and they’re like, ‘Hey, we wanna be a part of this,’” George said.
For some of the company’s leaders, the importance of a care package is something they understand firsthand.
RBR Chief Operating Officer Brian Hart served 13 years in the U.S. Army. He said seemingly small items can mean much more when a service member is far from home.
“Something like a small Slim Jim or a crossword puzzle or something that takes your mind off of something — or something that reminds you of home that you just don’t get while you’re overseas,” Hart said.
RBR CEO Kevin Reynolds served 22 years in the Army and deployed several times, including to Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
He still remembers receiving care packages during his deployments — including one containing baseball gloves and baseballs.
“We went outside and we got to throw the baseball, and just the feeling of the ball hitting your hand, it made you feel like you were in America again,” Reynolds said.
Supporting veterans and service members is already deeply rooted in RBR Technologies. More than half of its employees are veterans, according to the company, which also participates in the Department of Defense SkillBridge program to help service members prepare for civilian careers.
George, however, is not a veteran.
For him, the care packages are proof that someone does not have to wear a uniform to find a way to support those who do.
“Those people deserve to be supported in the best way possible, regardless of how small it is,” George said. “So this is just like a small token of something that we can do.”
For the unit receiving the packages, each box will carry snacks and supplies — but also something harder to pack: a reminder that the people they left behind are still thinking about them.
And for the family behind the effort, it is also a way to honor one service member’s life by continuing to support those who served alongside them.
