Kit4Troops to help public make gifts to troops
Members of the public wishing to make gifts to serving British troops will now be able to donate items specifically requested by soldiers, thanks to Kit4Troops, a unique website created by two UCL students. Kit4Troops.org.uk will go live at 5pm on Thursday 5 August and will be demonstrated and launched later that evening at UCL. Members of the media are welcome to attend. Kit4Troops was created by Masters students Steve McGregor and Inaam Tahir, who met at UCL in 2009. In 2007, Steve was a Captain in the US 101st Airborne and deployed in Iraq, and it was this experience that led him to realise the need for a 'wedding list' style concept to get soldiers the items they most missed, or the additional kit they needed. ?When I was in Iraq we received so much mail. For us it was the number one way people could express their support. Family, friends and complete strangers sent us all kinds of stuff. Great as it was to get gifts, it was even better if you received gifts that meant a lot to you, like your favourite candy bar, or even a bit of kit that you really needed. Though the army had issued us kit that was good enough, we spent hundreds of dollars on gear that was even better. During our daily patrols, my men and I wore-out countless pairs of socks, gloves, protective eye wear, boots, and more. Much of this kit is costly to buy, especially on a soldier's salary. ?When I left the military I kept in touch with the men in my platoon, who are now deploying to Afghanistan. I wanted to help but found myself experiencing the same problems I imagined my parents going through while I was in Iraq. What gear did they need? What size? How many? How much?
