The Troopster Origin Story
Troopster launched Thanksgiving Day in 2015, by U.S. Navy Petty Officer Chelsea Mandello while she was still serving active-duty as a Navy Photojournalist. The site was created to give friends and family of deployed service members a more natural way to send their soldiers care packages, but without facing any of the trouble of actually shopping or packing themselves.
The story began nearly two-years before while Mandello was serving aboard her seventh ship during an 11-month deployment to the Fifth Fleet area-of-operations. Forward-deployed and serving a mission against anti-piracy, Mandello like others rarely received mail.
Care Packages, when delivered, was a unique commodity that increased morale and overall wellbeing. Rather than eating unsatisfying, over-processed foods or standing in line to a convenient store style market, those that received care packages could enjoy rare items such as Folgers coffee, Fragrant Downey laundry detergent, photos and letters from loved ones, healthy foods.
The problem though was that when care packages did arrive, often-times items had gone expired, melted or wasn't needed or useful. Many times care boxes that were received were thrown away, despite the heartache that this caused. Mandello coined care packages such as these 'Heartbreak Boxes.'
Mandello, having experienced her own heartbreak box, realized that there should be a better option for those who wanted to help their deployed troops. While still serving active duty, but with a lot of determination Mandello began working early mornings, nights, lunch-breaks and weekends establishing what would later be Troopster.
