BELL COUNTY, TX — Every day brave men and women step up to risk their serve their county and risk their lives, so others don’t have to, and that sense of duty doesn’t end when the uniform comes off.
That is why Colorado National Guard Veteran Seth Hirshag couldn't sit back and watch as Russia invaded Ukraine.
"I knew that there was something thing that I needed to do and I immediately, a couple of days later, applied for my passport and was putting my feelers out there to find out where I was going to go, what I was going to do, and how I was going to do it," said Hirshag.
That is when he connected with Phantom Support Ukraine, a program with Killeen based nonprofit Operation Phantom Support, that is working to build a medical pipeline to transport supplies from Romania to the frontlines in Ukraine.
"To lead the charge in this logistic pipeline in the sense of, being the ones that figure out a lot of these problems and be the ones who establish these pipelines to be able to offer to other organizations,” said Caleb Blair, director of Phantom Support Ukraine.
While much of the work is happening on the ground in Ukraine, Hirchag is gathering up as many supplies as he can before heading overseas.
The bags heading out the door are carrying medical supplies critical to saving lives on the battlefield.
"They’re tourniquets, they’re quick clots, they’re Israeli bandages, IV starter kits, NPA’s, our Nasal Pharyngeal Airways. In addition to that, chest needle decompression kits, chest seals for collapsed lounges, and gaping chest wounds,” said Blair.
Hirchag will be making his way to the east coast with a U-Haul truck, gathering more supplies along the way before leaving for Ukraine.
That is where they need the community's help right now.
"We’re looking to gather $4,000 to fund the trip. That will get him from Montana, all the way, kind of hopping all around the U.S., all the way to where the rest of our team is on the east coast,” said Blair.
Operation Phantom Support and Phantom Support Ukraine is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping heroes in uniform past and present and with their operations here and abroad, they need all the help they can get.
To donate funds or supplies, go to Phantomsupport.org or Phantomsupportukraine.org.
