News | Operation Military Blessings

Saint Alphonsus Adopt-A-Base Program

sinclaircreative — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 17:38:42 +0000

Saint Alphonsus President Travis Leach Approves Funding for Operation Military Blessings’ Adopt-A-Base Program.

Mr. Travis Leach, President of Saint Alphonsus Hospital, has officially approved funding for Operation Military Blessings’ (OMB) Adopt-A-Base program, specifically designated to support military families stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base.

Through this generous commitment, Saint Alphonsus will provide:

• Defense Agency Commissary Food Gift Cards

• Medical Device Assistance

• Special Educational and Remedial Grants for disadvantaged and disabled children

• Infant care resources through OMB’s Babies, Bottles & Diapers initiative

In addition to this support, Mr. Leach has accepted a position on the OMB Executive Advisory Board. A former U.S. Army Reserve and Idaho National Guard veteran, and a seasoned leader in hospital administration, Mr. Leach brings both professional insight and personal commitment to serving military families.

Operation Military Blessings proudly welcomes Mr. Leach to the OMB Team.

Mission Driven. Mission Focused

Operation: Babies, Bottles & Diapers

sinclaircreative — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 00:41:52 +0000

Operation Military Blessings (OMB), in partnership with Tommy Ahlquist of Ahlquist Development in Meridian, Idaho, supports our military with OPERATION: BABIES, BOTTLES & DIAPERS — a nationwide initiative to support young military families with infants and toddlers.

This program provides essential baby care items, including: diapers, baby wipes, infant formula, and clothing.

In times of financial hardship of the lowest 4 military ranks, OMB steps in with a variety of programs to ensure that they can meet basic family needs —offering comfort, dignity, and relief during the earliest and most vulnerable stages of parenting. Service members and their families make tremendous sacrifices to protect our country, and the lowest military ranks often need extra help.

FOR INSTANCE:

• 1 out of 8 Junior Grade Military Families are on food stamps

• 31% of lower enlisted Mi

litary Families are food insecure

These military families deserve our full support, especially as they navigate the challenges of early parenthood. Access to basic baby essentials can offer immediate peace of mind, helping lighten the load for those who give so much.

Through the OMB ADOPT-A-BASE program, we deliver these baby essentials and other support to:

• Military Family & Readiness Centers

• Family Program Centers

• Military Thrift Stores and other support programs on Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Guard installations worldwide.

For over 30 years Operation Military Blessings has stood by military families—providing food gift cards through the Defense Commissary Agency, emergency relief grants after natural disasters, and now direct support for parents of infants and toddlers.

A Program like OPERATION: BABIES, BOTTLES & DIAPERS ensures that military families don’t have to go without essentials.

Mountain Home Air Force Base Gunfighters

sinclaircreative — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 23:12:46 +0000

Mountain Home Air Force Base Gunfighters

June 9 at 1:00 PM

Yesterday, our Military & Family Readiness Center hosted a cookout at Julia Davis Park followed by a private evening at Zoo Boise for Exceptional Family Member Program and deployed-affected families. It was a joy to see so many smiles, shared moments, and families coming together!

A huge thank you to Operation Military Blessings for generously donating all the food—we couldn’t have done it without you!

#gunfighterfamily

by SrA Alexandria Byrd

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Fox News Night Interview

sinclaircreative — Thu, 29 May 2025 18:40:39 +0000

Congress needs to pay military families more money, urges Tom Westall

Panelists Tom Westall and Alison Spann discuss the struggles facing military families and how Congress could help on ‘Fox News @ Night.’

Click on image to view!

A Salute To Services | 2025 National Memorial Day Concert

sinclaircreative — Tue, 27 May 2025 16:31:13 +0000

Maestro Jack Everly leads the National Symphony Orchestra in a performance of the patriotic “Armed Forces Medley.” Gary SiniseEsai Morales #MemDayPBS #MemorialDay#NSO #ArmedForcesMedley

OMB Expands Mission to Support 101st Airborne Families

sinclaircreative — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 18:01:18 +0000

OMB Expands Mission to Support 101st Airborne Families Another Mission Impact for Operation Military Blessing!

We are proud to announce a new Family Support Initiative for military families stationed with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Recognizing the challenges faced by young service members, OMB will provide emergency financial assistance to lower-ranking families (E-1 to E-4) experiencing financial hardship.

This vital, compassionate support will help ease burdens and provide stability during times of crisis. Our military families give so much—now it’s our turn to give back.

Join us in making a difference. Your support matters. Together, we can stand with our heroes and their families.

Operation Military Blessings Brings Holiday Cheer

sinclaircreative — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 16:55:25 +0000

Operation Military Blessings Brings Holiday Cheer to Military Families at the Idaho National Guard base at Boise, Idaho.

Thomas Westall, President & CEO of Operation Military Blessings, Inc., and Board of Directors members Brigadier General Dick Turner and OMB Executive Vice President Ike Sweesy delivered toys to disadvantaged and disabled children and the children of deployed military parents . Operation Military Blessings, Inc., is a nonprofit organization under OMB Worldwide, headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The organization is dedicated to supporting military families, serving 16 bases across the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, and Japan.

Holiday Cheer

sinclaircreative — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 21:34:21 +0000

Operation Military Blessings Brings Holiday Cheer to Military Families at Mountain Home AFB

Thomas Westall, President & CEO of Operation Military Blessings, Inc., in partnership with employees of Idaho Central Credit Union, delivered toys to disadvantaged children and children of deployed military parents at the Military Family & Readiness Center at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

Operation Military Blessings, Inc., a nonprofit organization under OMB Worldwide, is headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The organization is dedicated to supporting military families, serving 16 bases across the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

Adopt-A-Base Program

sinclaircreative — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 22:28:01 +0000

As President of OMB Worldwide, I am honored to announce a new partnership program between OMB and Blue Cross of Idaho that will make a meaningful impact on the lives of National Guard families.

Together, through the OMB Endowment Fund for Health and Wellness and the support of Blue Cross of Idaho, we are launching a cooperative program aimed at addressing the unique challenges faced by disadvantaged and disabled children within the Idaho National Guard community.

Our Adopt-a-Base Program has been designed to go beyond the traditional support systems to meet a wide range of critical needs. The program will provide grants directly to these children and their families to ensure medical, psychological, and physical requirements are fully met, including assistance in areas where insurance coverage may fall short.

In addition to this support, our program will work hand-in-hand with OMB’s Operation Military Blessings initiatives, which include ongoing emergency subsistence food cards for families and our annual Share-a-Toy drive each December. Our goal is to offer a comprehensive layer of care, ensuring that Idaho National Guard children facing special needs or financial hardships are well-supported.

We are excited to bring this cooperative program between OMB Endowment Fund for Health and Wellness and Blue Cross of Idaho to life, creating a support network that prioritizes the well-being of our Guard families and demonstrates our deep gratitude for their service. We look forward to working closely with you to identify eligible recipients and ensure a smooth implementation of these services across your community.

Thank you for your commitment to Idaho’s National Guard families and for considering this partnership opportunity. Together, we can make a tangible difference in the lives of those who sacrifice so much for our country.

Warm regards,

Thomas G. Westall

President/CEO
OMB Worldwide

DONWLOAD PDF FOR MORE ABOUT the Endowment Fund

Qualified Charitable Donation

sinclaircreative — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 22:06:37 +0000

Operation Military Blessings, Inc. is eligible for financial Qualified Charitable Donation contributions.

How do qualified charitable distributions work?

Understanding qualified charitable distributions begins with understanding required minimum distributions. People who hold Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are required to take RMDs each year beginning at age 73—even if they don’t need or want the funds. That same required minimum distribution increases the IRA holder’s total taxable income.

This income increase could potentially push the taxpayer into a higher income tax bracket. It can also trigger phaseouts, which limit or eliminate some kinds of tax deductions, such as personal exemption and itemized deductions, and sometimes trigger high taxes on Social Security income.

How QCDs Work: QCDs are also called IRA charitable distributions or IRA charitable rollovers. They enable individuals to fulfill their required minimum distribution by a direct transfer of up to $105,000 to charity. They can also be used support multiple charities, as long as the sum of the distributions is within the $105,000 limit. But because QCDs don’t increase taxable income, both higher tax rates and phaseouts can be avoided.

In addition, because QCDs reduce the balance of the IRA, they may reduce required minimum distributions in future years. QCDs are also not counted toward the maximum amounts deductible for those who itemize their giving on their taxes—the $105,000 can be above and beyond those limits. For these reasons, a QCD can potentially enable a donor to give a bigger charitable gift than they could if they just donated cash or other assets. Learn more about charitable tax strategies.

How QCDs are made: Qualified charitable distributions are made directly to the eligible charity from a traditional IRA, inherited IRA, inactive Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plan and inactive Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE) IRAs. (Inactive SEP and SIMPLE IRAs are accounts that no longer receive employer contributions.)

The money is a direct transfer to the charity that never passes through the hands of the IRA holder. Instead, the IRA custodian can either send an electronic transfer of funds or a check directly to the charity.

For a QCD to count toward your minimum annual IRA distribution, it must be made by the same deadline as a normal distribution, which is usually Dec. 31 of the tax year in question.

Who can make a qualified charitable distribution?

An individual donor can contribute up to $105,000 per year in QCDs, as long as that individual is 70½ years old or older. For married couples, each spouse can make QCDs up to the $105,000 limit for a potential total of $210,000.

The $105,000 per person limit applies to the sum of all QCDs taken from all IRAs in a year. A donor can make one large contribution or several smaller contributions over the course of the calendar year. Remember that QCDs can be made from any or more than one of the IRA types (traditional, inherited, inactive SEP and inactive SIMPLE IRAs) noted above.

Please consult your financial advisor. QCDs are tax deductible reducing your tax liability and assistance military families in crisis. OCDs is a win-win for the donor as well as Operation Military Blessings, Inc.