A soldier's ALTERNATIVE

Madera family leads effort to ship gun-cleaning tool to service members.

Published online on Friday, Jun. 06, 2008

A Madera family believes it can save lives with a Web site, a little money from strangers and advice from soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Project Bore Snake, run by the Kochheiser family, is a home-based effort that -- with contributions from people all over the country -- ships Bore Snakes, a cleaning tool that many say makes it easier for soldiers fighting in the desert to keep their gun barrels clear and ready to fire.

"Clean weapons are vital, but they are running around in the middle of country that is a desert, with flying sand and dirt," said Jim Kochheiser, who runs the project with his wife and children. "The cleaning kits that the Army and Marine Corps provide work but are nowhere near as efficient as these Bore Snakes."

A letter from a Marine in Iraq to his mother in the Bay Area sparked the project, the latest in what has become an American trend: When service members go to war without what they consider vital tools, citizens rally to provide the equipment themselves.

It's not unusual for soldiers to receive support from the home front. During World War II, families bought savings bonds to finance the war effort and collected metal pots and pans that could be melted down for military uses. And care packages for soldiers is a tradition dating back generations.

But unlike efforts to send cookies, socks or baby wipes to help soldiers feel more comfortable day to day, the focus of the Madera-based Project Bore Snake is much more serious -- keeping weapons clean.

"Baby wipes are nice," Kochheiser said. "But Bore Snakes may save their lives."

Kochheiser points to the rough environment of Iraq and Afghanistan to support that claim.

The region has extreme heat and frequent sandstorms. Sand can prevent guns from firing, and in extreme cases can lead to injuries if weapons misfire.

Many soldiers are happy with the gun-cleaning equipment provided by the Army -- a more complicated kit made by Otis Technology Inc. of Lyons Falls, N.Y.

But many say they prefer Bore Snakes, made by Hoppe's Gun Care company of Overland Park, Kan. Army officials say Hoppe's didn't offer the product when they sought bids to supply gun-cleaning kits in 2005.

Dozens of e-mails on the project's Web site seem to support Bore Snakes, with soldier after soldier praising the cleaning tools.

"The sands and elements are hell on weapons and the Bore Snake [is] excellent for getting my weapons clear quickly," wrote one soldier.

Another soldier wrote: "As a drill sergeant, I understand the importance of a clean weapon. In the harsh environment of Iraq, that is very important and the Bore Snake has saved time and time is limited sometimes."

Project Bore Snake ships a box of eight cleaners at no charge to any soldier or Marine who is nominated on the Web site, in the order they are nominated. For $56, the box will be shipped immediately. Retail Web sites offer Bore Snakes for between $15 and $19. Hoppe's offers them to the project for half that price.

Demand has been high. Since the project started in 2004, nearly 2,000 boxes containing 16,000 Bore Snakes have been mailed from Madera County to Iraq and Afghanistan.

While every soldier contacted via e-mail in Iraq or Afghanistan praised the Bore Snakes, some also mentioned how well the standard kits provided by Otis work.

Kochheiser said providing efficient cleaning tools is the only goal of his project, and his efforts are not a political statement.

"I have one job: to get good weapon-cleaning stuff to these guys who need it," Kochheiser said. "Bore Snakes are just that, good for cleaning weapons. Why the Army doesn't issue them is someone else's fight."