Is this legitimate - or is it an MLM scam parading as a veterans' support organization?

I received the email above from someone who, in the past, has sent me emails about "questionable" multi-level marketing "opportunities". The email goes on to invite me to a local meeting, just like every other MLM opportunity that I've been presented with. I have tried to find legitimate information about either of these organizations listed here and I seem to just keep getting referred back to their blogspot page.

On the blogspot page, there's a video showing Gary Sinise at an event that it would seem they are trying to claim as their own. However, if you watch the video, you can see that he's actually standing in front of a sign that says "Operation Support Our Troops", not "Operation Warrior Support".

I am not accusing these two groups of being scams - but I do want to know if my fellow Freepers can help me figure it out. If they are not and they are legitimately helping our troops, more power to them. If they are just another MLM scam, then I'm sure we'll all have ideas about what should be done to stop them.

SCAM

Odd that nothing of any real substance shows up in a search for “Operation Warrior Support”.

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=%22Operation+Warrior+Support%22&ei=UTF-8&fr=moz35

http://www.braveaid.org/ows.html

MLM scam, IMO.

F’n gutter dwellers.

There’s this site which is apparently related:

http://www.braveaid.org/

Be cautious.

A couple of years ago, I donated a fair amount to one of those ‘laptops for wounded soldiers’ organizations.

I was put on their mailing list.

Some of their mailings were high-dollar and frequent.

If they could afford to send out such expensive mailings, they didn’t need my donation.

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Many of these groups may have begun with good intentions, but they devolve into fundraiser organizations rather than benefactor organizations.

I don’t know. Looks like it might be legit...

http://www.braveaid.org/ows.html

WHO WE ARE

The companies: Brave-Aid, Inc. is a 501-C-3 not-for-profit privately held Corporation, chartered in December 2008. Operation Warrior Support Inc. (OWSI) is a privately held Corporation, chartered in April 2009. Both corporations are headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida.

WHY WE ARE HERE AND WHAT WE DO

The needs of our wounded and disabled veterans are staggering. Our returning veterans face their own challenges. For example, unemployment for our returning veterans has reached 25%, the highest of any group in America. Brave-Aid Inc. is a Wounded Veteran’s Assistance Fund established for the purpose of giving financial assistance to our wounded and disabled veterans. Operation Warrior Support Inc. serves as the primary funding arm of Brave-Aid. Integrating our individual corporate mission statements, what we do can be best defined as follows.

Many traditional fund raising organizations spend very large percentages of their funding on advertising, marketing, professional fund raisers and director salaries. Simply stated, OWSI will use this money to pay our veterans or anyone else that will choose to join our cause to help us spread the news of this program.

HOW WE WILL ACCOMPLISH OUR OBJECTIVE

We have designed a simple yet powerful program that will create a global organization of Fund Raising Donors dedicated to the welfare of our veterans. To fund our program, each donor pledges to give a monthly $20.00 tax deductible donation. And from this donation, $7.50 or 37.5% will be placed directly into the Brave-Aid’s wounded veteran’s assistance fund, and utilizing a controlled grant process, funding will be released to qualified veteran applicants. We can easily anticipate 100,000 Fund Raising Donors within a relatively short period of time, could translate into $750,000.00 in monthly funding, bringing financial relief to our wounded or disabled veterans. Another $9.25 or 46.25% of the $20.00 donation will be used to fund the income opportunity that our returning veterans so desperately need. Their tasks will be to enroll other Fund Raising Donors who will also pledge $20.00 monthly donations, and they will earn a referral reward on those donations. The remaining $3.25 or 16.25% will be used for operational expenses and reserves. In Summation, through “Brave-Aid” and “OWSI” collectively 37.50% - 83.75% of every donation will be used to help our wounded or disabled veterans and will provide an income opportunity to our returning veterans or to anyone else who will join us. * Percentage Fluctuates based on OWSI Veteran Participation Join us now and for each $20.00 monthly donation you pledge to give, you will receive a position in OWSI’s global donor formation matrix. This will allow you to build your own personal donor formation of fund raising donors, and help raise over $40,000 a month for our wounded veterans while you can potentially earn over $6,200.00 a month for your own family for each organization you help build (maximum of 5 positions per fund raising donor).

THE NEEDS

Remembering those who die is critical, but our duty is also to assist those who survive the wounds of war. Unlike what happened in Vietnam, we want these soldiers to come home knowing that as a nation we care for them. We don’t want today’s heroes to become tomorrow’s damaged goods. How we help and show caring support for our returning warriors, is one of the most significant factors in how quickly they heal and overcome the ravages of war. What our wounded warriors did, they did for all of us. We can’t ever forget that, nor can we let our nation forget it. It’s time we show honor to our all our heroes, not just by words or flying yellow ribbons on the trees in our front yards or catchy bumper stickers, which is fine, but it’s time we also honored them by our deeds. Our veterans need to have a stable on-going source of revenue because the need of our wounded warriors doesn’t end after the bake sale or the car wash is over.

THE PROBLEM

Our Government takes care of our wounded warriors, but funding is in short supply and often the care they receive is inadequate. Many have to fight through a maze of governmental regulations to obtain benefits they so justly earned and deserved. And on the home front once the parades are over and the accolades die down, the reality of life as a disabled veteran sinks in. Most wounded veterans are forgotten within a few years only to be briefly remembered on Memorial Day and Independence Day. We are here to keep the memory of these valiant men and women in the forefront and to do all we can to provide them with on-going financial assistance. Our goal at Brave-Aid and Operation Warrior Support is to honor and provide assistance to all veterans, past and present and to become a beacon of hope for wounded warriors, and we also want to bring the spirit of patriotism back to our country as it was immediately following the attacks of Pearl Harbor and 9/11, and to fill a critical and urgent need for our veterans. Due to our current economic conditions many fund raising organizations are vying for the same shrinking dollar. They are actually spending more money now to get their message out than ever before, for fewer donations. A major portion of operational cost of these organizations is attributed to newspaper or magazines.

TIME IS CRITICAL because the need of our wounded warriors is overwhelming and anyone can help by becoming a Fund Raising Donor for OWSI starting today. There is no cost to join other than pledging to donate $20.00 monthly. In addition to receiving a position in OWSI’s organizational matrix, the donor has the use of a personal website to help promote the program to others resulting in the enrollment of more donors meaning more donations translating into more funding for our wounded veterans. The $20.00 donation is distributed in such a way as to raise money for our wounded veterans and creates an income opportunity for our Fund Raising Donors a great majority of which will be veterans. The first $7.50 of the $20.00 donation is earmarked for Brave-Aid fulfilling our first objective. Just think the difference we could make if we were to reach 100,000 members in our first year; $750,000.00 a month in funding could be provided to our wounded warriors. The next $2.75 is used for operating costs and $0.50 is kept in reserve for future expansion. The final $9.25 is used to fulfill our last 3 objectives. The concept in a nutshell is to organize a team of Fund Raising Donors and raise $40,950.00 monthly for Brave-Aid and earn $6,292.00 or more, in monthly income. Being a member of this program should produce great pride and satisfaction, but should you feel guilty about earning any money doing this, you can certainly give it to some worthy organization or use the money in our “Adopt-A-Vet” program to help a veteran you may know personally. For more detailed information on the “Earning While Giving” program, call our 24/7 info center at 732-383-6588 or join our training calls on Thursday and Saturday, following our regularly scheduled program overview conference calls.

THE SOLUTION

Now that we have determined the need and the problem, the question is what’s the solution? We have actually designed a totally new concept which could revolutionize the fund raising industry. We are going to use that same advertising money and monies paid in Director’ salaries and paid it out to the people who would most benefit from it: our veterans and non-veterans who want to be a part of this solution. Our marketing will be done through word-of-mouth advertising which is free, and through the use of a personal website which will be provided to each Fund Raising Donor at sign up. Word-of-mouth advertising is the oldest, cheapest and most powerful form of advertising on the planet. The key to our solution is our “EARNING WHILE GIVING” program. The center piece of this program is a simple $20.00 monthly tax deductible donation which in a few years could raise millions of dollars for our wounded veterans and you can be part of it by joining us today. Our solution targets 4 objectives, and is provided through three venues: Brave-Aid Inc and Operation Warrior Support Inc (OWSI) and most importantly, all of us working together toward a common goal. The mission of this program is the message of helping our veterans, not the money that we can earn. There is nothing wrong in earning money while serving a worthy cause, but we want to always remind everyone that by keeping the message the objective, the money will follow.

1. Provide financial assistance for wounded veterans through Brave-Aid Inc. a 501-C3 Not-For-Profit Corporation, and OWSI serving as the main fund raising arm of Brave-Aid Inc. (Visit Braveaid.org for more information).
2. Provide support to the families of the warriors who have made the ultimate sacrifice of giving their lives for our country.
3. Provide an income opportunity to America’s warriors, who are coming home to a totally changed world, to help care for their families, so they don’t have to depend on government hand-outs.
4. Provide an income opportunity to our Fund Raising Donors, whether they are veterans or non-veterans, whose own lives have been devastated by our failing economy, and who will help us make this program possible. Fund Raising Donor Phone Number E-Mail Address Website.

http://www.braveaid.org/ows.html

There are many established groups that seem to have similar goals. You can check the financials of the established groups, and see what they have really been doing with the money. I would be somewhat suspicious of this one, just because this new group seems to duplicate the objectives of many groups that have been up and running for some years.

Is this legitimate - or is it an MLM scam parading as a veterans’ support organization?

Thats easy. Its a scam.
A citizen does not need to make money to help and support veterans.
There are dozens of legit groups that provide various means of support to veterans,veteran families etc.
None feel the need to explain how you can make money helping.

Well, the guy who sent me this has, as I said, been involved in questionable MLM companies in the past. I find it to be more than a coincidence that he lives in Daytona Beach, where both of these companies are headquartered. Plus, when I looked at the Facebook page for this group, one of the biggest Monavie scammers in this area is featured prominently.

I wasn’t asking fir advice because I want to get involved. I actually woul like to help shut them down because I think using wounded vets as your sole “product” is just beyond the pale.