Protecting and Serving Those Who Protect and Serve

In 2010, Aaron Negherbon was contacted by a college buddy who was serving as a Marine Corps Captain in Afghanistan. He was told his friend’s unit had been overrun the night before and they were desperately in need of some basic supplies. Negherbon was asked if he could help.  He pulled together the requested supplies, and shipped them out.  Soon, another request came in. And then another. Negherbon also fulfilled these requests and came to learn something few American’s are aware of.

“I always thought our forward-deployed troops had access to all the supplies they could possibly need to do their jobs and stay safe,” he said from his East Bay, California office. “I was shocked, and a little angry, to realize they didn’t. When I heard that bottle caps were being used to mark IED’s I knew something was seriously wrong.”

With a lifelong respect for our troops and first responders Negherbon decided to act. He quit his lucrative real estate career to launch a first-of-its-kind military charity intended to fill the gap between immediate troop supply needs and an often long and complicated requisition process sometimes dictated by spending priorities. The result was TroopsDirect (www.troopsdirect.org), a donor-driven, 501(c)(3), in which forward-deployed troops make supply requests which are then fulfilled by TroopsDirect.  From request to delivery, anywhere in the world, is typically seven days or less. This stands in contrast to the typical supply chain time frame which can take weeks, months or sometimes, never.

Most shocking to Negherbon was the types of supplies being requested. “I anticipated troops needing items like socks and protein powder. I wasn’t anticipating what makes up the bulk of our shipments which are items such as tourniquets, ballistic helmets, rifle slings, communication equipment and special chalk for marking IED’s.”

Since its inception, TroopsDirect has shipped more than 3 million pounds of requested supplies in to the hands of our troops, frequently Special Forces units, and has done so with an extraordinary administrative budget of just 4%. “I didn’t launch TroopsDirect to get rich,” said the married father of two. “The idea of an American donating in support of our troops not having as much of that donation go directly to our mission as possible was a non-starter. I had a job. This is a calling.”

Over the years Negherbon has developed close working relationships with many of the top military suppliers in the nation and began to see the crossover between many of the items used by troops and those by police and first responders. He started calling local police departments and quickly learned that local law enforcement departments throughout the nation were facing similar challenges as our troops. Budget cuts and funding priorities have left many departments, particularly those in smaller towns and rural areas, forced to do more with less. The result is that both officers and citizens are less safe.

“I was surprised to learn that our first responders are often in the same boat as our forward-deployed troops when it comes to supply access,” said Negherbon. “The reality is that we’re facing new threats today and that requires additional training and equipment. Hard spending decisions need to be made. But I don’t think an officer or citizen’s safety should be compromised in the process.” And with that, Negherbon brought his overseas efforts stateside to help serve those who serve us.

CopsDirect (www.copsdirect.org) follows the same successful model as TroopsDirect. Departments make supply requests and CopsDirect delivers.  Also funded by concerned citizen donations, with the same program fulfillment percentage, the recently launched organization is focusing its initial efforts towards the supplies that keep officers and citizens safe such as DOK’s (Downed Officer Kits), body cams, K-9 supplies and protective head gear. The organization hopes to soon include Naloxone, beneficial to those suffering opioid overdose, in to their supply chain.

Despite the current climate and politicization of our law enforcement agencies, Negherbon is quick to point out that CopsDirect is a non-political effort. “Cops don’t ask if someone is a conservative or liberal prior to laying their lives on the line to protect and serve. Just like a victim doesn’t ask a cop when they’re in need. Ours is an American effort that transcends political ideologies. It’s not an “Us vs. Them” situation. It’s about “We.”

Despite just recently launching, CopsDirect has already delivered ballistic helmets and roughly 1,500 Downed Officer Kits to more than 20 Police and Sheriff Departments throughout the nation. As more learn about the organization the requests and donations are rapidly increasing.

While Negherbon wishes there wasn’t a need for CopsDirect or TroopsDirect, and hopes for the day he will be able shutter both organizations because our troops and first-responder needs are being met, until that day comes he’s committed to doing what he feels is his role as an American.