The following proposal is for a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee Combat-Vet Edition that will be converted into a military inspired custom theme. This will be the first major build that I plan on debuting in SEMA 2012, DUB and shows alike. In reading this you will gain a sense of my background and understand the importance this Jeep will make on the veteran community to include the American people.

My name is Jacob Ratliff and I am a US Army Combat Veteran. I served 4 years in the US Army and was assigned with the 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, KY and served a one tour in Iraq on the initial push in February 2003. My unit and I was the first to hit combat and we convoyed, fire fought, and secured areas of Kuwait-Baghdad-Syrian border. We were the first to strike Baghdad and it was my unit that caught Saddam Hussein in that little hole, lol. My job in the Army was a Field Artillery Cannoneer more commonly known to the military as “Red-Legs” and “The King-of-Battle” because the amount of fire power we provided and destruction we caused when a call for fire was need to assist the forward ground troops. My time spent in the Army was great and sometimes I wish I was still in, but after seeing death first hand and taking lives I felt it was time to leave in 2004. I saw my best friends die in front of me while in fire fights and many of them have died by Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s) or being shot down while in Air transit to a fire fight. I was not injured in battle, but what I did take back home was Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which in my case means I am always aware of my surroundings an every days noises sound exactly like war sounds and I have a hard time going to coping with it. Besides the PTSD I have a disability on my shoulder that was due to military service. Life is hard, but I am able to cope with it with other fellow combat veteran friends that have been though the same.

Now that you have a glimpse of my past I wanted to get into the reason I am seeking sponsorship. I currently own an Inferno-Red 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee which I dubbed “COMBAT-VET Edition”. Over the years after my military service I saw more and more combat veterans either coming back home severely wounded or deceased. These sad events gave me a reason to start my current build of a tribute vehicle dedicated to the veterans we have lose in combat or have been gravely disabled. To make the matters more motivational, I started working for the US Department of Veterans Affairs, which gave me a better way to give back to my fellow veterans. My job is great because I am with veterans just like myself that have dedicated their service voluntarily to help the American people and other third world countries to live a better and safer life. The sad part of my job is seeing these veterans that gave so much come here day-in and day-out and see then have very severe health issues because of service. My Jeep’s build is to spread awareness to the American people that may have forgotten what we veterans have sacrificed to serve our country. Distinguished military service awards like the Medal of Honor, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Combat Action Badge, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Prisoner-of-War are just a few awards the gives recognition to those veterans which served in combat operations.
My Jeep’s color scheme is Gloss Black Carbon Fiber and Inferno Red. The red symbolizes two things; the blood which was shed in combat and my unit’s color which was red hence the term “Red-Leg”. The Black C/F symbolizes the special-ops or black-ops we conduct in combat operations. Currently I have Custom C/F in the exterior and shaved body-moldings and door handle with custom red/black interior upholstery. Besides the military theme I am also a die-hard MOPAR enthusiast.

I currently have 24 inch 2Crave No.15 Wheels; Custom MOPAR engraved MGP Caliber Covers; Full Carbon-Fiber Hood by BlackOps Autoworks along with other C/F components; Custom interior; Custom sound system; and my ultimate goal is to be the first Jeep Grand Cherokee (WK) 5.7L-392-Supecharged engine swap. I only have a 4.7L, V8 with some basic modifications, but I really want this swap to happen. If you have not figured out yet, I bought my Jeep as the based model stock Laredo in 2006 with nothing done to it. Over the past 6 years I’ve made it into a JGCSRT8 Clone, but you would never know it unless I told you so. With these serious modifications done my Jeep would have the true meaning of COMBAT-VET Edition. Sihn at Sinful Enhancement has already been doing the custom exterior modifications such as custom shaved door-handles and side-moldings, and has install Corbeau Racing Seats which were given by Corbeau to be used in Jeep. Currently I have an aftermarket SRT8 suspension, but I am looking to get airbag suspension, so I can get another 2-3 inch drop. Steven and Toni from Custom Graphics have already completed custom Carbon Fiber vehicle wraps throughout the Jeep. I have 2-15″ Cerwin-Vega Subs powered by a Cerwin-Vega Stroker 1000 watt amp and a Kinetik’s 2400 Series Battery. Cerwin-Vega Audio 6×9 and 6×5 speakers have also been installed into the doors and dash.

All-in-All my dream of creating a Jeep that has never been done for military tribute is slowly coming to light. All the steps I have taken to make this reality have paid off and I never thought my Jeep would even look how it looks right now. What I am asking from you is to see what I am seeing. See the vision that has inspired me to give the American’s the reason to never forget the veterans that have sacrificed everything for nothing in return. There is a special saying that I keep in my heart and soul that helps me never to forget. This saying is “All Gave Some, Some Gave All”. I am asking for you to help me in any way possible to i.e. full or partial sponsorship, business referrals, donations for this build or anything else that can help complete and make my Jeep a reality for a real cause. Because I do not make a lot I am still try put every cent I possibly can to completing my project. I am now in college working towards my Bachelors in Criminal Justice which at the same time I use my Post 9/11 G.I. Bill student payments to fund this Jeep build. I do what I can to build and show my Jeep and I do realize that the baggers can’t be choosers, so I am very grateful for any assistance that is part of this build.

I already attended many car shows as much as possible and I always let people know who has done the work on my Jeep. I can honestly say that I represent the Military, the Mopar scene, and my sponsors to the fullest every day and in every way. I have attached a few pictures and youtube video link of my Jeep to get an idea of how it look as of now. I have not mentioned it yet, but I am with a big car club called SWIFT, San Diego Chapter. SWIFT has 500+ members in the U.S. alone and we attend a lot of car shows. Being able to put my car in these show have already given publicity for my Jeep and my sponsors.
Now that SEMA 2011 has come and gone I am trying once again to reach out to those companies that showed interest and hopefully extend the full-sponsorship so that I can show case at SEMA 2012.

I was close to showing in SEMA 2011, but due to time restraints for my audio build I was unable to do so. As it stands I currently hold sponsorship with the following companies:

· Custom Graphics, Miramar-CA
· Riding Dirty Upholstery, Hawthorne-CA
· BlackOps AutoWorks, Florida
· Sinful Enhancements, Lemon Grove-CA
· Meguiar’s, Irvine-CA
· Superchips, Sanford-FL
· Addco Suspension Products, Linville-NC
· Corbeau Seats, Sandy-UT
· MHT Wheels, Rancho Dominguez-CA
· 2Crave Wheels, La Mirada-CA
· Diamond Audio/Cerwin-Vega Audio, Deerfield Beach-FL
· KINETIK Audio, Toledo-OH
· R1 Concepts Inc., La Habra-CA
· Toyo Tires, Cypress-CA
· E3 Spark Plugs-Ponte Vedra-FL
· Borla,Oxnard-CA

As we speak I am working with my sponsors to see if I can be placed in one of their booths for SEMA 2012. This jeep is still going through a serious transformation and will soon have a different paint-job, stance, and grunt. The funny thing is that SEMA 2011 had no 2005-2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee’s in it so this is another reason I am trying to get in for SEMA 2012.

My best friend/roommate/fellow combat veteran and I have started a charity foundation for veterans. This foundation is called “Vets Cruzin for a Cause”. This organization is charity based and our main goal is to give back in any way possible in supporting the veterans and other cancer foundations by donating the proceeds to other veteran organizations to include no veteran based charity organizations. We are a 501c Non-Profit founded in July 2011. We are combat veterans who wish to give back to our country and our fellow American citizens by creating awareness for the on-going struggles that still continue to face our troops. We also give heavily to the American Cancer Society. We create this awareness through our vehicles; using them as rolling tributes. We will be setting up to host 2 annual car shows a year and 1 cruise, which all proceeds will be donated to various causes. When our charity foundation finally started up we decided to have 100% of the proceeds re-distributed back to community and other charity organizations for the first 6 months. By doing so we will be able to establish a positive exposure for cause and as the big we grow the more we can give back.

We are big in giving back to the community and in that sense we try our best to attend Fundraiser Car Shows, Local Car Shows, and any pretty much any show for that matter. I feel that by you assisting me in this build I would be able to continue spreading awareness to all that even though some may have it hard there’s always someone else that has it worst. I take pride in being an American and I take more pride because I and other veterans fought for America’s freedom and have made history by doing so. “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent” (Douglas McArthur). I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my proposal for sponsorship and hopefully you see what I see and I can represent your business in the near future.

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Military Press

The Military Press was created to serve the men and women of our military community; the active duty, retired, our veterans, DoD workers and their families.