Computers for
Minnesota National Guard Families
Program Synopsis: Some of the computers that are retired from Scott County offices have been refurbished by staff at the County’s Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility and given to the Minnesota National Guard 34th Combat Aviation Brigade (Red Bulls) for distribution to families of deployed soldiers. Usable retired County computer systems have been routinely offered for free to area schools, charitable organizations and residents through the County’s HHW facility for the past two years. This not only saves the County thousands of dollars in disposal costs, but also helps to shrink the community’s collective carbon footprint (reusing ten computers reduces greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing four automobiles from the road for a year, according to www.federalelectronicschallenge.net).
Program Genesis: In 2008, the Scott County Environmental Health Manager, Allen Frechette mentioned to his barber – also known as National Guardsman - Sergeant First Class Larry Lambert (at that time assigned to family support) -- that the County had a number of used computers that were being given away at the HHW facility. Larry noted that a couple of families of deployed soldiers had just mentioned that their computers had died and they were looking for assistance so they could communicate via e-mail or voice/video over the internet (VOIP) with their family members. Gladly embracing Larry’s idea, the HHW staff put together a half-dozen of the used County computer systems (PC, monitor, mouse, keyboard, and cables) and installed a free Ubuntu Linux operating system and software for these families. As Al recounted, “I told Larry that when I was in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, and had been sent to an isolated base in northeast Thailand a month after being married, I lost communications with my wife for a couple of months. There was no phone service and my mail was not being delivered due to a clerical error.” He then discovered a ham radio service on base facilitated largely by then-Senator Barry Goldwater, who operated a powerful system on his ranch and would pay to connect radioing soldiers through the phone system to their family. “Clearly, I can appreciate how important it is for soldiers to maintain communications with their loved ones,” Al added.
Program Evolution: The first batch of computers was well received by the Guard families when they were distributed at their annual Christmas party. Requests were received for more, and the County’s supply was quickly exhausted -- so they contacted their e-waste contractor, Asset Recovery. After discussing the Minnesota National Guard needs, the Asset Recover officials rapidly embraced the program concept and have continued providing restored computer systems to the Red Bulls. The most recent batch contained 10 computer systems, many of which included relatively new PCs with flat screen monitors set up with an Ubuntu Linux operating system and software. The systems were individually boxed (see photo) for easy distribution. Asset Recovery chose to divert financial resources, which they might have used to send out greeting cards to their clients over the Holiday season, to this program instead.
Asset Recovery, a Minnesota corporation, holds the state contract for management of waste electronics systems from state facilities. Scott County contracts with them, largely because they provide the most environmentally responsible management option for waste electronics available, rebuffing more lucrative but environmentally irresponsible electronic disposal options. This new, yet thus far highly successful, computer donation program has provided numerous benefits, including the coordination of resources, talents, and needs with government cost savings and greenhouse gas reduction. However, in the final analysis, the more important (albeit immeasurable) aspect of this program is in the maintenance of communication between our deployed soldiers and their families back home.
Pictured, front row, (L to R): two National Guard family recipients, and Marshall Johnson, Asset Recovery Corporation. Back row: First Sergeant Larry Lambert, Minnesota National Guard 34th Combat Aviation Brigade (Red Bulls), and Allen Frechette, Scott County (photo taken at Minnesota National Guard Armory in St. Paul on December 23, 2009). Boxed computer systems ready for donation are stacked behind them. This program has received three batches of computer systems so far. The first was from Scott County, while the last two came from Asset Recovery Corporation who is Scott County’s e-waste recycling contractor.