Deployed Space Command Airmen get care packages from GSA Published April 30, 2018 By Richard Stebbins General Services Administration Rocky Mountain Region Public Affairs PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Members of the Air Force Space Command currently deployed to Kuwait will receive a special surprise in the mail courtesy of the General Services Administration (GSA) Rocky Mountain Region.Mark Redpath, an Information Technology Management and Program Analyst for GSA, championed an initiative to build care packages for service members who don’t have access to everyday goods because there are stationed in such remote areas. “All of our selected recipients are stationed at very remote, confidential locations with little access to outside communication and everyday goods,” Redpath said. “The officers that will receive the goods will disperse the contents to their subordinates.”Redpath is a member of a team of eight federal and state government employees participating in the Office of Personnel Management Colorado Leadership Development Program (CLDP). One of the graduation requirements for the program is to advocate a project that has an impact to a particular community. Since the CLDP team has a mix of representatives from civilian and military agencies, they collectively decided on care packages for deployed service members because of their impact and level of appreciation. “My CLDP team considered a lot of community oriented and charity projects,” said Redpath. “But we decided on supporting deployed service members because of its impact and appreciation by a group that is often thanked but doesn’t get a lot of attention.”To help him, Redpath marshalled a team of Rocky Mountain Region veterans to develop a list of items, muster donations from the headquarters in Denver and assist in putting the care packages together. The team of GSA veterans is comprised of Holly Bernabei, James Foster and James Richards who all have previous deployment experience. Donation boxes were stationed in the region’s Denver Federal Center Building 41 during the first two weeks of April to collect sundry items, non-perishable snacks and small comfort items to make life a little easier in an austere environment. The comfort items include reading materials, batteries and even socks, items that can bring a sense of normalcy when you can’t just run out to the store.The CLDP is a one-year program with a focus on a “whole person” concept comprised of four dimensions: intellectual, emotional, physical and behavioral. Redpath will graduate from the program in September 2018.All donations were voluntary and the donated items will be mailed to the service members in late April.The Airmen are scheduled to return from deployment in October 2018