Operation Shield of Strength

"There is a Shield of Strength in the Oval Office...and, aside from the official insignias they wear, it is the emblem most often carried by members of the military in Afghanistan and Iraq." — Stephen Mansfield, Author, Faith of the American Soldier

"[T]he soldier's heart, the soldier's spirit, the soldier's soul are everything. Unless the soldier's soul sustains him, he cannot be relied upon and will fail himself, his commander, and his country in the end." — General of the Army George C. Marshall

It is not "official issue," but thousands of military personnel are now wearing a "Shield of Strength" dog-tag bearing a Scriptural passage on one side (Joshua 1:9 "I will be strong and courageous. I will not be terrified, or discouraged; for the Lord my God is with me wherever I go.") and the words "United States of America - One Nation Under God" on the other.

Army Ranger Capt. Russell Rippetoe, murdered at a checkpoint by a homicide bomber, was the first casualty in Operation Iraqi Freedom to be interred at Arlington National Cemetery. His father, retired Lt. Col. Joe Rippetoe (disabled after two tours of duty in Vietnam), reports, "All the men who served with my son wear the shield around their necks, as do many of the elite 75th Rangers."

Army Command Sgt. Maj. J. Clay writes from Iraq, "I cannot even begin to count how many soldiers are wearing them. It also has a spiritual camaraderie impact — for example, when you meet another Christian or military member and they have the shield on their ID tags ... it bonds you, even though you may not know them."

Beaumont, Texas native Kenny Vaughan started the campaign to distribute Shields of Strength to military personnel, and we are partnering with Kenny to help identify Patriots with the means to purchase bulk quantities of the SoS tags for distribution to military units of your choosing (or we will identify a unit for you).

More than 1,000,000 Shields have already been distributed. We currently have sponsors for thousands of additional Shield of Strength tags, and are shipping those tags to military personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan and other military fronts. But there are many military units that do not yet have sponsors.

How you can participate in Operation Shield of Strength

The cost of the shields, chains and silencers is about $2.50 per unit, including postage. We have a matching program — for every tag you purchase in a bulk order designated for a military unit, we will match that order. The minimum bulk order is 250 ($625) so the tags shipped to military units will total 500. If you can't sponsor a bulk order, any amount you send for this effort will help. Click here for information on how to purchase a small number of Shields for yourself.

Online

Support the distribution of OpSOS tags with a secure online donation through our non-profit, The Patriot Foundation Trust, by clicking here.

By Mail

To support OpSOS by mail, please send your check to the following address:

(For bulk orders of 250 (500), please include mailing instructions. If you want them sent to a particular unit or service branch, please designate that branch with an address if applicable. We can also choose a military unit for you.)

The Shields will be shipped within two weeks of receipt of your check. (For additional questions, e-mail [email protected].)

(NOTE: 100% of donor proceeds are applied to sponsor orders for military units. The Patriot Post is not compensated in any way for Operation Shield of Strength. We are donating our services and personnel to match our reader-sponsors and military units. We will continue to provide this service for as long as sponsors continue to support Operation Shield of Strength.)