They call themselves the Biscuit Brigade.
Ranging in age from mid-60s to mid-80s, bonded by fraternal affiliation, the 31 men meet every six weeks for breakfast at Country Place Restaurant in East Brainerd.
The humorous name is a nod to their meeting site, status as veterans and the group's purpose, which is to support military personnel serving overseas.
"We were all members of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity at (then) the University of Chattanooga," said Niles Meacham, 79, who founded the group with Bill Wages (now deceased).
Meacham said after college, the fraternity brothers went their separate ways. Most of the men saw military service. All but Meacham remained in Chattanooga; he went to work in Pennsylvania.
"John Arney, Don Evans and Bill Wages kept in touch with me via Christmas cards," said Meacham. "After I retired, I returned home and telephoned the gang, and we started meeting about five years ago."
"We don't have a format," said Meacham. "We just get together, and the guy sitting across from you is your entertainment for the day. We discuss current events, talk about the Mocs and reminisce about our college exploits."
Their original purpose was fellowship with food, but John Arney suggested a mission for the brigade: Since most of them were veterans, why not chip in a buck and buy items to fill care packages for troops overseas?
These "dues" have since risen to $2, said Meacham. This month they asked for $10 in order to pack more boxes for Christmas.
"Most of these men are retired servicemen who recall what they looked forward to [and] how much it meant to get mail from home," said Ed Ingle, who buys the items for the packages.
"We started out with one box, and the most we've sent at once was six. Each package includes letters written by us telling the soldiers who we are, that we appreciate what they're doing for their country and something about Chattanooga."
Ingle said boxes include toiletries, shaving gear, wet wipes, playing cards, sunscreen, beef jerky, hard candies and chewing gum.
Ingle and Meacham said the brigade makes an effort to find units with local personnel to receive their packages. Ingle said they've gotten referrals from the Marine Corps, National Guard and Army.
"Two years ago, we mailed a package to a captain serving in Iraq who was a Baylor graduate, Nate Rawlings," said Meacham. "When he was home on leave the next year, he came to our meeting, which was really great, to say thanks and join us for breakfast."