Students from military families in the Panama City area received new backpacks and school supplies to help get their school year off to a great start. Lynda Kent, School Liaison Officer at NSA Panama City, partnered with Operation Homefront for the Backpack Brigade event that was held on August 16, 2011. Over 300 backpacks were prepared for students in all grade levels and from all branches of the military including the National Guard.

Service members from NSA Panama City and Tyndall Air Force Base volunteered to sort the school supplies according to grade level, fill the backpacks according the gender and grade level of students who had registered, and then distribute the backpacks to the families at the Backpack Brigade event.

In addition to the backpacks and supplies, families received information about SOAR (Student Online Achievement Resource), an online achievement and tutorial program that helps students meet the academic requirements of state testing. Participants also received their choice of a travel mug or aluminum water bottle and a mouse pad from SOAR.