PVCC Puma Press: October 2003

In the hot Iraqi deserts temperatures have reached as high as 145º. However the men and women of the United States armed forces must haul up to 60 lbs. of equipment on their backs, working off of modest sleep and very little food or water. To top it off, at any moment bullets may fly past them and bombs ignite only steps away.

After hearing the horror stories of heat stroke, dehydration and even death due to the extreme temperatures, two Phoenix women, Sue McCormick and Susan Czubek, who have fiancés fighting in the war on terrorism, decided it was time to do something to support U.S. troops. What started as the gift of a Misty Mate (a personal cooling device) to McCormick's fiancé soon ballooned into a nationwide operation called Cool Our Troops, through which Czubek and McCormick have orchestrated the distribution of 35,000 Misty Mates to U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

Misty Mates are small, portable misting systems which do not require batteries or electricity. Filled with water, each unit only weighs 2 lbs. and fits neatly into a pocket or can be clipped onto a belt loop. The mister has an "on" and "off" valve. When in the "on" position, mist flows from a tube on the end of the component as it cools the surrounding temperatures by 20-30 percent. A pump on the side controls the amount of mist that flows form the tube. The more it is pumped, the finer the mist.

Operation Cool our Troops began after McCormick's fiancé received his Misty Mate in Iraq. He immediately called her to say thanks. He told her this system made a huge difference, yet he couldn't use it and watch his fellow marines suffer in heat. This is when Czubek and McCormick decided all of the troops needed misters.

July 3, 2003, the day after McCormick received her fiancé's call, Czubek and McCormick began there mission, phoning news stations, radio shows, restaurants and friends, in search of donations to buy and distribute misters to the troops. The very next day, they had there first TV interview on News Channel 3. This, however, was only the beginning.

Cuzbek explains that support for the project was tremendous all over Arizona and immediately spread across the United States. She soon found herself speaking to individuals, organizations and even political figures that wanted to help out. The women spoke with Misty Mates' manufactures as well as Orbit Irrigation, who makes a similar unit, and found they could get each unit at the discounted price of $6.50. Help came from sources ranging from schools and family members of soldiers to Kinko's and Federal Express. The donations were immeasurable.

Cuzbek tells how one woman, who had broken English, called and said she wanted to donate all the money she had saved in the bank. She said, "I was in a concentration camp and it was your troops who saved me."

Once the money started rolling in, the units were shipped out to Iraq. First, by merely 10 at a time, then soon with access to more money the duo was shipping out thousands a week. The troops receiving the mister were not only thankful for it; they were also grateful to see the support and love Americans were sending. To amplify the message, Czubek and McCormick applied by hand on each system a sticker reading "Cool Our Troops from Americans who care."

"My fiancé sent a letter to thank us for all we have done," explains Cuzbek. "The letter said, ‘The work you have done in a few months has been greater than all I have done for the army in the past 22 years.'"

The women were often called by family members of troops asking for misters to send to their soldiers overseas. However, instead of just sending individuals a mister the women would find out how many men and women were in the specified army unit and they would send misters for all.

Throughout the project, Czubek and McCormick heard inspiring stories.

"Everyday I would hear moving stories or thanks that would fill me with goose bumps of joy," says Czubek. "To see what a difference we were making made it all worthwhile."

Shipping to the Marines, Navy, Army, Coast Guard and Air Force was a huge job that was sometimes difficult. Often the women would try to send out misters on military planes to cut shipping fees, yet they couldn't always get a guaranteed overnight shipment to the military base prior to departures.

Nevertheless, Czubek says that things always ended up working out just in time.

"God is working for us. We took leaps of faith and it always worked out," says Czubek.

With the change in seasons, the operation as well as the heat is now slowing down. Still, Czubek and McCormick continue to support U.S. troops in whatever ways they can. Both the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and well as the American Legion are continuously excepting donations.

"You can make a difference," says Czubek. "What you do affects the people next to you. Positive acts are catching."

Czubek and McCormick are proof that it only takes one or two people to make a difference. They will soon be writing a book called "Goosebumps," which will tell about their positive experience. To learn more about Cool Our Troops or to submit a story of thanks or pride visit the project's website at: www.coolourtroops.com.