10/23/2026
Supporting Sailors and their Families!!!
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Naval Submarine Base (SUBASE) New London and “Red, White, and Bundled,” held a 2nd Annual Bundling Event serving the families of those who serve, by helping put together gift bundles for the newborns of active-duty military families. The event took place on Thursday, October 15, at the Submarine Force Museum, adjacent to the base.
"It's all about the babies," said Loren Webber, the Connecticut resident who leads the organization’s efforts in the state.
What started as a promise made in 2015 by Susan Tillis at Walter Reed Hospital, “Red, White, and Bundled,” previously known as the Susan M. Tillis Foundation, quickly grew with the mission to provide much-needed support to new military parents across North Carolina.
Last year’s inaugural event at SUBASE, spearheaded by Webber, was the first of its kind for “Red, White, and Bundled” outside of North Carolina.
This year, state and local officials, community members, and leaders and friends of SUBASE helped put together Baby Bundles almost twice as large as last year. All items were donated and new.
Participants selected pieces to bundle as they walked thru rows of tables overflowing with onesies, bibs, socks, hats, outfits, diapers, books, and hygiene items along with handmade “treasures” such as quilts crafted by the Clamshell Quilt Guild in nearby Waterford.
The bundles will accompany larger gift items such as bassinets, cribs, and strollers, and will be distributed by the SUBASE Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) to area military families in need, at a later date.
“The reach of these bundles extends beyond the Navy and will support the Whole Joint Team,” said Cmdr. Brian LeGare, Executive Officer of the base. “Through the hard work of our FFSC these gifts will help newborn families across our entire local military footprint, including our brothers and sisters in the U.S. Coast Guard and the Connecticut National Guard.”
Since its creation, “Red, White, and Bundled” has touched the lives of over 8,500 babies born at Fort Bragg through its signature Baby Bundle program. Many of the families that “Red, White, and Bundled” serves are junior military service members, typically “E-6” and below.
