Tinker Air Force Base and Fort Sill make up the two active duty installations in the state of Oklahoma. The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) is the retailer in U.S. Army and Air Force installations worldwide and a popular place for active duty families to shop for essentials. In December 2022, Soldier's Wish worked with both AAFES locations on Tinker AFB and Fort Sill to pay off all of their military families' layaways. Across both locations, we covered 32 Christmas layaways....

Lina Knowles, a proud Puerto Rican American, was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and now lives in Oklahoma and serves her country in the United States Army.  Lina's husband is also on active duty and is currently overseas deployed to Poland. While taking care of her six children, Lina also is a caregiver to her mother while she battles cancer.  Soldier's Wish helped cover holiday expenses making the Knowles children's Christmas wishes come true....

Mike Walker's wife nominated Mike for a new HVAC system. Mike suffers from COPD connected to his time in the Air Force. Soldier's Wish in partnership with community partners Eagle Ops and Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association granted Mike his wish and helped improve his health! Mike told us, "I have COPD and our furnace went out in February of this year and all we had was a small heater. I would have died if Soldier’s Wish had not stepped in. I’m so humbled!"...

Marcus was nominated by our community partner Eagle Ops. Marcus served as a Corporal in the United States Army and deployed in support of the Global War on Terror. Marcus bravely admits to struggling with his mental health andreached out for help this past summer.   In order to grant Marcus's wish, we teamed up with past wish recipients and fellow veteran Stephen Starbuck. Stephen was able to rescue a capable and lovable lab named Dax. Marcus explains, "Since I got Dax back in June I have been stable in my mental health. Anytime I'm feeling down, all I have to do is look at him and he comes running over to me and makes me feel better!"...

Soldier’s Wish is on the move again in Staten Island, NY. Ambassador Diane Gerber granted a Wish to Vito Giobbie. Vito is a retired Army and served in Vietnam with the Big Red One. Vito was nominated by his wife Lucy for his scooter. Vito served in Vietnam until he was injured. As years passed he suffered through many surgeries all due to his exposure to Agent Orange. Due to continuous falls and major neck surgery, his wife turned to Soldiers Wish for help in getting his scooter. It was a total surprise to Vito which made the Wish even more fun. We couldn’t do the Wish outside because the weather was too cold! Vito, thank you for your service to our great nation and Welcome Home....

Soldier’s Wish had the honor to support PVT Mykaliah Miller who was finishing up Basic Training “Boot Camp” at Fort Jackson, SC. PVT Miller wanted her parents to attend her Basic Training graduation. Celeste and John, Mykaliah’s parents, too wanted to attend. After working out their jobs to get time off, they had a major water leak in their home that needed to be repaired. The repairs used up all their funding for the plane ticket. A dear friend, Katie, stepped up and nominated them for a Wish. The Wish was to help her friend Celeste and John with airfare to attend family day and graduation. Graduation day from Basic Training is a very proud moment for the service member and especially the parents. Not having someone there for the graduation is a definite morale killer. It’s nice to have family and friends around for such a special occasion because you only graduate once. After receiving the nomination and with extremely short notice, Soldier's Wish jumped into action and was able to help Celeste and John to attend the family day and graduation. Congratulations to PVT Miller. Soldier’s Wish hopes the best for you as you serve our great nation in the United States Army. You gotta love the picture with her Drill Sergeants. Hooah!!...

Soldier’s Wish is on the move again. Soldier’s Wish received a benevolent request from the United States Special Operations Command Care Coalition located at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. This request was on behalf of SFC (R) Stephen Loehr. Stephen is a wounded Special Operations Veteran who was medically retired from the Army due to wounds received in combat. Loehr’s last injury he received was severe enough that he had to be medically retired. As a result of his wounds, he had to have half of his right hand removed. Due to the nerve damage and sensitivity in his hand and arm, the bike was set-up so he could rest his forearms on the bike and not have to steer with his hands. Loehr is a competitor and does not give up. He knew he had to stay in shape to help with his injuries. He now competes in triathlons and desperately needed a road bike for competition. Soldier’s Wish stepped in to assist this Hero with his request from the Care Coalition. On 10 Jan 2019, Soldier’s Wish, with the help of the “Names Family Foundation” and in conjunction with the “Bikes and Moore” bicycle shop in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, a High Speed-Low Drag bike was Wished to SFC (R) Loehr. The bike looked like it was going 60 miles an hour standing still. Steve, thank you for your service to our great nation and along with the “Names Family Foundation,” we hope the best for you in your competitions. Special thanks to Tim Moore, Owner, Bennie J., Jimmy L., and the many others in the shop and to a great friend of mine for attending, CW4 (R) Chuck G. and his wife Darlene. L-R. Stephen, Tim Moore (Owner), Chuck, Mark, Jimmy, Bennie. Darlene took the pictures. ...

silsbeebee.com | By Sue Woodard   In October 2016, Subway restaurants in Southeast Texas partnered with Soldier’s Wish to support our nation’s troops and military families. The plan was dependent on the generosity of Subway customers, who added their chosen dollar amount to their purchase price whenever they bought at Subway. The residents of Southeast Texas did not disappoint. On Tues., March 7, Subway store owner, Robert Peters, and Soldier’s Wish granted the wish of Kountze resident Sterling Keith, who gave more than 30 years of his life to serving his country and his family.  ...

Kevin Jensen is a U.S. Army veteran, and he is also a Purple Heart recipient. He and his family live in Hempstead, Texas. During the floods of 2016, Jensen’s home was destroyed when water came in through the roof.  When insurance came to check for damages, they ripped the home apart even further. Then the family was left to put it all back together again. Soldier’s Wish, with the help of Subway, presented this brave soldier with a $5,000 gift card to Lowes to help rebuild the family’s home. Now they can afford to make some much needed repairs and will be able to return to their lives faster than they would if they were left to rebuild on their own. We thank Jensen for his dedication to his country, and we are proud to help in his family’s time of need  ...

Nephi Escobar currently serves in the Kansas Army National Guard. He is also a psychology major at Wichita State University. He has endured many hardships over the past year, including a death in the family.  When his schoolwork computer stopped working, replacing it was not an option. His family had no extra money to help due to the fact that they have a child whose disabilities drain their bank accounts.  Soldier’s Wish and Subway stepped in to help this soldier with his burden. We replaced his computer with a new one so that he can continue his studies. This hardworking soldier deserves a fair shot at his education, and we are glad that we could provide it.  ...

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