Brad Blauser

Brad Blauser, a civilian contractor also based at Marez, asked what he could do."It would sure be great if we could get these kids some wheelchairs," he told Blauser.

"That's all it took, just me thinking out loud," Brown recalls."Brad just has a pure heart for helping people."

Blauser wrote home to all of the 300 people on his email distribution list.His friends wrote to their friends.

"E-mail is a pretty small world," says Blauser.
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"The wheelchairs are built for the third world; they feature thick bicycle tires, but they're not plastic garden chairs on a cheap frame," says Blauser, 40, from Fort Worth, Texas.

"This is just the beginning," he says.

Brad Blauser - Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids

Today I was reading a post and saw B.Blauser, an Aggie, get slammed on an Aggie message board in an extremely classless politically-motivated attack that made my blood boil... and then read his patient, supportive and "christ-like" response. It was very impressive. Anyway Blauser has been posting on the Aggies board for several years about some of the humanitarian endeavors he is helping out in Iraq and I can't believe I haven't posted any of this on FIU before.

Brad Blauser (on the right in the above pic) was working in Iraq as a contractor and got involved with 'Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids'. They ask for donations in order to provide wheelchairs to Iraqi kids in need. He posts updates and pictures (some of which are very graphic) of some of the children they help. 95% of these children have birth defects or are crippled as a result of childhood diseases. He has continued his involvement and now has stopped contracting and is a full-time humanitarian.
...
Brad and his cause deserve to get all of the pub they can.

DALLAS (ABP) -- As a civilian contractor in Iraq, Brad Blauser has seen a lot when it comes to war.He's lost friends in combat and faces the possibility that more will follow.

That knowledge, however, doesn't get him down.Instead, Blauser helps his comrades face the unknown with certainty: He supplies study Bibles to troops at his base, and he can't keep the books on the shelves.

"Right now when they arrive, the Bibles never last more than 10 minutes," Blauser told Associated Baptist Press, via e-mail from Iraq."These guys are hungry for a study Bible that will help them understand how to become a Christian and aid them in their faith, so that when they go out into battle they are sure of their eternity, if they are called to make the ultimate sacrifice."

A member of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, Blauser has worked as a contracting company's safety officer in Iraq for almost two years.In his "real" job, he makes sure all company safety policies meet government standards.In the meantime, he travels between military bases to hand out the Bibles himself.He gave more than 550 Bibles to soldiers last year, and has a goal of distributing at least 6,000 by 2007.

It all started last spring, when Blauser decided he wanted to begin a Bible study for new Christians at the bases.A member of a devout Christian family, he developed a passion for discipling new Christians through stateside school efforts like Evangelism Explosion and Baptist Student Unions.At Fellowship, Blauser led the congregation's ministry to new Christians, and the study Bibles played an important role there in helping new believers understand the faith.

Blauser moved to Iraq in 2004 and quickly sensed that many of the soldiers risking their lives have a need for practical truths.

"So many of these guys are open to hearing the gospel, but because of soldier pride will never seek out the answer on their own," he said."Now that they go outside and face eternity every time they leave base, they're very interested in knowing God.Even those who won't come to chapel are willing to take a study Bible and search its pages for answers to their deepest soul-searching questions."

In order to meet that need, Blauser turned to his friends back at Fellowship.He used an email list of about 40 family members and church friends and asked them to donate Bibles.The request got an enthusiastic response from people who wanted to help but didn't know how, Blauser said.

"By providing the means for them to do something significant for the soldiers, people responded en masse," he said.

Soon after the initial shipment, Blauser took photos of the soldiers with their Bibles and sent the photos with thank-you notes to executives at Zondervan, the publisher of many of the study Bibles Blauser received.

After executives at Zondervan ran a story about Blauser's positive impact on soldiers in Iraq, the concept grew quickly.People on Blauser's initial email list forwarded the letter requesting donations for Bibles to others, and he soon received Bibles from across the United States, Canada and Australia.

"As the study Bibles continue to arrive, I have the privilege of handing them out to Apache, Blackhawk and Chinook [helicopter] crews first-hand," Blauser said."Also, chaplains in Baghdad asked for over 300, and chaplains across the country are now contacting me for more."

Along with the progress, though, comes pain.On Aug. 4, 2005, Blauser lost a good friend, Nils Thompson, who died in action one day after his 19th birthday.
...
Since then, Blauser has commemorated the friendship by creating the Nils G. Thompson Memorial Fund, which uses 100 percent of donations to purchase study Bibles for U.S. troops.

Despite the loss, Blauser said he wouldn't want to be anywhere else than on "the cutting edge" of reaching people who would otherwise have been "considered unreachable back home in the states."

"This is truly where my heart is, in getting God's word into the hands of fighting combat soldiers who face a very real possibility of entering eternity every time they leave base," he said.

» Brad Blauser

Brad Blauser of rocwheels.org is interviewed by Michael.

Civilian contractor Brad Blauser, who graduated from Texas A&M University in 1992, said he couldn't ignore the situation.He created Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids, a nonprofit organization dedicated to distributing pediatric wheelchairs.

Now he's determined to see if the famed Aggie spirit will roll up to help.

Blauser said the funds raised so far have been from individuals and small groups rather than large corporations.The Houston A&M Club, The Woodlands Rotary Club and fans of TexAgs.com have been supportive, and he's banking on the effort snowballing as more Aggies learn of the cause.

A surgeon in the U.S. Army initially confirmed the enormous need to Blauser.

"Providing these families with a pediatric wheelchair is the equivalent of a miracle for them because they would never be able to afford such an expense on their own," Blauser said.

The project still is in its infancy, but 31 wheelchairs were given to children of the northern city of Mosul in late 2005, he said.
...
For each wheelchair donated, a picture of the child who receives the chair and a receipt for the tax-deductible contribution will be provided, Blauser said.The donation link is: www.marsew.net/RocWheels/donate.cfm.People who wish to donate should indicate "Iraq" in the comments section.

"The process has been long and hard but will be well worth it to see these kids get into these chairs," Blauser said.

Civilian contractor Brad Blauser, who graduated from Texas A&M University in 1992, said he couldn't ignore the situation.He created Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids, a nonprofit organization dedicated to distributing pediatric wheelchairs.

Now he's determined to see if the famed Aggie spirit will roll up to help.

Blauser said the funds raised so far have been from individuals and small groups rather than large corporations.The Houston A&M Club, The Woodlands Rotary Club and fans of TexAgs.com have been supportive, and he's banking on the effort snowballing as more Aggies learn of the cause.

A surgeon in the U.S. Army initially confirmed the enormous need to Blauser.

"Providing these families with a pediatric wheelchair is the equivalent of a miracle for them because they would never be able to afford such an expense on their own," Blauser said.

The project still is in its infancy, but 31 wheelchairs were given to children of the northern city of Mosul in late 2005, he said.
...
For each wheelchair donated, a picture of the child who receives the chair and a receipt for the tax-deductible contribution will be provided, Blauser said.The donation link is: www.marsew.net/RocWheels/donate.cfm.People who wish to donate should indicate "Iraq" in the comments section.

"The process has been long and hard but will be well worth it to see these kids get into these chairs," Blauser said.

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Civilian contractor Brad Blauser, who graduated from Texas A&M University in 1992, said he couldn't ignore the situation.He created Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids, a nonprofit organization dedicated to distributing pediatric wheelchairs.

Now he's determined to see if the famed Aggie spirit will roll up to help.

Blauser said the funds raised so far have been from individuals and small groups rather than large corporations.The Houston A&M Club, The Woodlands Rotary Club and fans of TexAgs.com have been supportive, and he's banking on the effort snowballing as more Aggies learn of the cause.

A surgeon in the U.S. Army initially confirmed the enormous need to Blauser.

"Providing these families with a pediatric wheelchair is the equivalent of a miracle for them because they would never be able to afford such an expense on their own," Blauser said.

The project still is in its infancy, but 31 wheelchairs were given to children of the northern city of Mosul in late 2005, he said.
...
For each wheelchair donated, a picture of the child who receives the chair and a receipt for the tax-deductible contribution will be provided, Blauser said.The donation link is: www.marsew.net/RocWheels/donate.cfm.People who wish to donate should indicate "Iraq" in the comments section.

"The process has been long and hard but will be well worth it to see these kids get into these chairs," Blauser said.

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As a civilian contractor in Iraq, Brad Blauser has seen a lot when it comes to war.He has lost friends in combat and faces the possibility that more will follow.

That knowledge, however, doesn't get him down.Instead, Blauser helps his comrades face the unknown with certainty: He supplies study Bibles to troops at his base, and he can't keep the books on the shelves.

"Right now when they arrive, the Bibles never last more than 10 minutes," Blauser told ABP, via e-mail from Iraq.
...
It all started last spring, when Blauser decided he wanted to begin a Bible study for new Christians at the bases.A member of a devout Christian family, he developed a passion for discipling new Christians through stateside school efforts like Evangelism Explosion and Baptist Student Unions.At Fellowship, Blauser led the congregation's ministry to new Christians, and the study Bibles played an important role there in helping new believers understand the faith.

Blauser moved to Iraq in 2004 and quickly sensed that many of the soldiers risking their lives have a need for practical truths.

"So many of these guys are open to hearing the gospel, but because of soldier pride will never seek out the answer on their own," he said."Now that they go outside and face eternity every time they leave base, they're very interested in knowing God.Even those who won't come to chapel are willing to take a study Bible and search its pages for answers to their deepest soul-searching questions."

In order to meet that need, Blauser turned to his friends back at Fellowship.He used an email list of about 40 family members and church friends and asked them to donate Bibles.The request got an enthusiastic response from people who wanted to help but didn't know how, Blauser said.

"By providing the means for them to do something significant for the soldiers, people responded en masse," he said.

Soon after the initial shipment, Blauser took photos of the soldiers with their Bibles and sent the photos with thank-you notes to executives at Zondervan, the publisher of many of the study Bibles Blauser received.

After executives at Zondervan ran a story about Blauser's positive impact on soldiers in Iraq, the concept grew quickly.People on Blauser's initial email list forwarded the letter requesting donations for Bibles to others, and he soon received Bibles from across the United States, Canada and Australia.

"As the study Bibles continue to arrive, I have the privilege of handing them out to Apache, Blackhawk and Chinook [helicopter] crews first-hand," Blauser said."Also, chaplains in Baghdad asked for over 300, and chaplains across the country are now contacting me for more."

Along with the progress, though, comes pain.On Aug. 4, 2005, Blauser lost a good friend, Nils Thompson, who died in action one day after his 19th birthday.
...
Since then, Blauser has commemorated the friendship by creating the Nils G. Thompson Memorial Fund, which uses 100 percent of donations to purchase study Bibles for U.S. troops.

Despite the loss, Blauser said he wouldn't want to be anywhere else than on "the cutting edge" of reaching people who would otherwise have been "considered unreachable back home in the states."

"This is truly where my heart is, in getting God's word into the hands of fighting combat soldiers who face a very real possibility of entering eternity every time they leave base," he said.