JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
Military events such as balls and banquets, afford service members the opportunity to spend time with fellow military families, but they can sometimes be expensive.
For those that want to experience the comradery of such events with less cost, Operation Deploy Your Dress has a solution.
Operation Deploy Your Dress, is a non-profit organization led by military spouses that provides free, gently-used or new formal attire for military families to help reduce the cost of attending formal military events.
It all began in December 2015, when four military spouses at Fort Bliss, Texas wanted to make attending formal military events more affordable for spouses of junior soldiers.
“In the military, many military families are on a tight budget and we want people to be able to come out to those military balls and experience it,” said Yvonne Coombes, ODYD branch coordinator. “Military balls are all about tradition and comradery. If you’ve never experienced one, it’s hard to even describe the amount of pride that you will see.”
Due to great support and numerous donations, ODYD now has permanent boutiques at multiple locations for spouses of all ranks and military branches.
Along with Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, ODYD also has locations at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and Fort Bliss, Texas.
Throughout the year, ODYD provides more than 2,000 clothing and accessories, such as dresses, suits, shoes and jewelry, to military members and their spouses.
In conjunction with giving out attire and accessories, ODYD also accepts donations for both male and female gently-used or new formal attire.
The shop is open most Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.at the spouses club. A schedule is also posted to their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/operationdeployyourdress/?hc_ref=SEARCH, at the beginning of every month.
For more information, call 707-893-7377 or follow the Operation Deploy Your Dress Facebook page.