Posted on 04/30/2005 4:39:13 PM PDT by Brian328i
Alright, since my friends in Iraq/en route don't really check their email alot, I needed to get some questions answered.
I've check the websites of UPS, USPS, and Fed Ex and tried to do info on shipping to Iraq but really do not find much help to ship to the bases there. I assume its best to use USPS to ship to Iraq so I've been guessing I'll use that.
My bestfriend that is there atm loves Mountain Dew so I was wondering if its possible to send that or if they'll not allow that to be sent. Also what are the rules regarding sending DVD's and magazines to them? I don't think theres really any problems sending them but just want to double check.
Thanks :)
Hi!
You can either go to the Canteen...the first page, near the top, has TONS of links.
Or, a shameless plug....
http://www.proudpatriots.org
:)
While I do not know about Mountain Dew, probably not as it is a carbonated drink and is under pressure, magazines and DVD's are OK. However, we sent a package of goods to our friends' son in Baghdad at Christmas time and it was sitting there waiting for him when he got back to Camp LeJeune in early April. Thank God that nothing was perisable. Go figure.
Scroll to the bottom and I think you'll find what you are looking for.
Thanks, but I need to ask since I have no clue. Whats the "Canteen"?
use USPS if you are going at it alone. Also, as Brad's Gramma and Mojo2001 will tell you, give their names and addresses to ProudPatriots.org and they will hook your friends up.
as for magazines and DVDs, nothing porno of course. You can send Mountain Dew, but they should be able to get that there and at this time of the year, MD going through the mail will probably be left outside in nearly 100 degree heat for a day or 3. Same goes with anything that can melt, not a good idea......
I was just there so if you have any questions, feel free to scream....
I'm sorry. It's a daily thread here on FR that deals WITH the troops...it's FOR them, and yes, we do have members of the military and their families drop in.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1394048/posts
This is today's thread. Let me know if you still need help.
You need to send your packages USPS. I would not suggest sending Mountain Dew. One, it'll be quite expensive due to the weight. Second, it wouldn't be too hard for one of the cans to break open in some way. The packages are not treated with kid gloves.
DVDs and magazines are fine to send, as long as they are not pornographic in any way. That sort of material will get the recipient in a good deal of trouble.
If you send food, I wouldn't send anything containing chocolate. It's starting to get warm in Iraq right now, and by the time the package got to the recipient, the chocolate would be all melted. Make sure that any homemade food you send is in a zip-loc bag. That also goes for any store-bought food that is not already in a sealed package.
If you send any toiletry items, baby wipes and foot powder come in very handy. Soft toilet paper is also very popular. Any sort of item that would make a mess if the container popped in some way (such as shampoo) also needs to be in a zip-loc bag.
That's all I can think of at the moment. Hope that helps.
Oh. One BIG important thing. Put EVERYTHING you send into a new Baggie. The ones with the seals. The sand over there, I'm told, is VERY fine, and gets into EVERYTHING.
I also found out, quite by accident, that these guys & gals need gun cleaning kits of their own.
Thanks again everyone :)
Keep us posted, please? We all REALLY appreciate that you're helping!!
ITEMS NEEDED
FOOD ITEMS
*Beef Jerky
Peanuts
Sunflower Seeds
Trail Mix
Tuna/Chicken Snack Kits
Ready to Eat - Canned Food
Granola/Power Bars
Rice Crispy Treats
Instant Coffee
*Instant Drink Mix (Gatorade, pre-sweetened mixes)
Fast Food Sauces/Condiments
Gum
Licorice
Hard Candy
PERSONAL CARE
Chap Stick/Carmax
Dental Floss
Toothbrush
Travel Size Toiletries (shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash)
Razors/Blades
Travel Pillow
*Hand/Foot Warmers (winter months)
Deodorant
Moist Wipes (baby wipes)
Facial Cleansing Pads
Travel Tissue Packs
*Cushioned Insoles (for boots)
Breath Mints
Sunscreen (summer months)
Lotion
*Insect Repellent (summer months; 100% Deet is best)
Q-Tips
Cough Drops
Hand Sanitizer
Eye Drops
*Foot Powder
Nasal Spray
*Tube Socks
COMMUNICATION
Envelopes
Writing Paper/Postcards
Pencils
Pens
*Phone cards (Must be Global)
ENTERTAINMENT
Music CDs
Books
*Current Magazines
Crossword Puzzle Books
*Disposable Cameras
Playing Cards
Nerf Toys (football, etc.)
Travel Games
Frisbee
*Game Boy/Hand held games
http://www.dfwmarinecorpsfamilies.com/
no problem....
believe me, the guys and gals over there need and deserve everything.....
Sounds like the Grinch costume I sewed for a friend of ours a couple of years ago. I still, periodically, find a tuft of green fabric, flying thru the air.
Blech
LOL
well I think it was the dust mites over in Iraq. They had a good year to naw on all my clothes and now they are falling apart in some places :)
its ok, because most of them dont fit very well anymore anyway :)
Huh. Let me guess. The sand SHRUNK THE CLOTHES?
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL
nah...
the Army food shrunk the Mike :)
after a quick weight gain when I got back, I am losing it again (thankfully) and am hoping to be down around 225 by the end of the summer. I am at 265 right now....
Geez! I hope we're out of there by then ;-)
Listen UP, Mister. No WAY am I telling YOU what I weigh!!
Just cuz YOU did....nuh uh. ;)
Oh hush, ya DORK! I don't think he cares if you weigh one pound or 400. He cares that you are trying to help.
Thanks for the list & link. BTW the items marked with an asterisk are items least donated and/or most requested.
LOL!!!!!!
400's pushin' it, Missy. Close, well. I'll leave now.
Ha!
I found this site to be really helpful!
http://www.marinemoms.us/usmc/deploy-care-pkg.asp
Not sure what shipping org you are using or are contemtplating to use but I think regardless of who you ship by the stuff ends up at a given final point in the USA. For instance, I life in PA. I go to the US post office and ship stuff using their PRIORITY MAIL "free boxes", YES FREE Boxes, that come in a few sizes. If you are close enough to a US Post office and have not asked them what is the lowest cost to ship to a serviceperson in Iraq I suggest you do. Bottom line is: I am certain, UPS etc. do not ship things to Iraq.
The military has things set up with the USPS service to ship to west coast and east coast, and probably central perhaps Chicago, military areas where the stuff is then shipped overseas. That is my understanding. So if you can access a United States Postal Service branch and ask about the free boxes when shipping Priority Mail to military folks in Iraq or Afganistan.
PS. My post office, in Philly,PA. lets me take the Priority boxes and the required shipping label AND Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note (form you have to fill out for customs) home. So I can fill the boxes, fill out the form and shipping label, seal the box with shipping tape, then lastly carry it to the post office at my leisure. A win situation.
LOL
nah that is my pre pre pre pre election slogan for when I run for President in 2020.
really it is just a take off on all the endless speculation of who what where for 2008....
LOL
I wouldnt ask....
in fact, I dont even ask my wife....
5' 6"
107 pounds.
A LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time ago.
'bout 27 years ago. :)
Whoops,
Forgot to add. As some others indicated. It is starting to get hot in various parts of USA as well as in Iraq. It was over 104 degs.F. in the western desert last week for a brief time. Soooooooo. It really is wise to choose things that will not perish. And do remember. All our military regardless of branch receive if possible three meals a day, often hot meals if they do not go out on patrols. If the person(s) you are sending stuff is known to go out on extended patrols, say a week at a time in areas where they only carry MRE's, then that is a different story. If they are going out on patrols where they do not return each day to their camp, then chances are they would not carry stuff you sent them, other then small non-perishable food items, gum, candy that will not melt etc..
At this point in time, regardless of where one is in Iraq, and whether Marine, Navy, Airforce, or Army, they all get adequate food, and some probably can stuff themselfs. I have a nephew in the Marine Corps out in a remote far northwestern desert camp in Iraq. It is remote, believe me.
And they have regular convoys deliver military supplied food, as well as care packages from the states coming in on a regular basis.
You could fill a 12 X 12 X 8 inche O-Box #7 Priority Mail care package with lots of small junk food items, as mentioned bags of things like processes Tuna etc., in one of these boxes. Plus if you send a few smaller boxes such as mentioned here, chances are at least some of them will get through. We have to face the realities, sometimes a convoy truck still runs over a buried IED.
At any rate, hope what I write is of some help. And may the good Lord return your loved one/friend(s) healthy in mind and spirit upon completing their honor bound duty.
LOL...
well I told ya I wouldnt ask!! :)
My sister is in Iraq and I have sent many boxes to her. USPS is the only way to go, UPS and FedEx want 5 times the shipping cost to get the package there. Figure about $1.00 per pound for USPS. I went to the store and bought her a TV and DVD. I left them in the factory packaging and she told me that they arrived in good shape. Make sure though you have great packing material in the boxes you send.
The Post Office says from Ohio, they take the mail to the airport and ship it to the east coast, where the military takes it from there. At the moment, it is taking 2 weeks for them to arrive. I've sent chocolate that was placed in sealed plastic containers, in case it melts. The same goes for toiletries, put them in zip-lock bags in case they rupture. DVD's and videos are okay, except no pornos. It helps to have there name and unit inside the box, in case the box gets lost or the outer address label gets ripped off. Don't feel bad about using a whole roll of tape on one box. At least it will survive the trip.
Make it easier on yourself by getting extra customs forms from the Post Office. You can get the package ready and fill the form out before you get there. This speeds up the process and makes the clerk happy, especially when the line is long. Remember, you need a customs form for each box you send. You do not have to write down every single item that is in the box, just a general description such as food, snacks, DVD's, tapes, sunscreen, etc. They are more concerned with illegal items, not legal items. Make sure they mark the outside of the box- liquid, fragile, etc. for those items that need it and get insurance for expensive items. Only get insurance if you can prove with a receipt what the items cost or they will not cover it. Other than that there is not much else to sending a package over to Iraq. Like I've said, I have sent every kind of snack and food item that would fit into a small box. Good luck and thank you for keeping the troops happy.
Brian,
My Son is a Marine and was in Fallujah and Ramadi. I sent him many packages thru USPS. Dried gatorade, beef jerky, magazines and etc and I dont believe there is anything that is forbidden to send except illegal stuff of course. Now sending liquid being heavy will cost alot. Im not sure if there is a dried mountain dew then that would make alot and be cheaper to send. Good luck
Dell
My sister is in Iraq and I have sent many boxes to her. USPS is the only way to go, UPS and FedEx want 5 times the shipping cost to get the package there. Figure about $1.00 per pound for USPS. I went to the store and bought her a TV and DVD. I left them in the factory packaging and she told me that they arrived in good shape. Make sure though you have great packing material in the boxes you send.
The Post Office says from Ohio, they take the mail to the airport and ship it to the east coast, where the military takes it from there. At the moment, it is taking 2 weeks for them to arrive. I've sent chocolate that was placed in sealed plastic containers, in case it melts. The same goes for toiletries, put them in zip-lock bags in case they rupture. DVD's and videos are okay, except no pornos. It helps to have there name and unit inside the box, in case the box gets lost or the outer address label gets ripped off. Don't feel bad about using a whole roll of tape on one box. At least it will survive the trip.
Make it easier on yourself by getting extra customs forms from the Post Office. You can get the package ready and fill the form out before you get there. This speeds up the process and makes the clerk happy, especially when the line is long. Remember, you need a customs form for each box you send. You do not have to write down every single item that is in the box, just a general description such as food, snacks, DVD's, tapes, sunscreen, etc. They are more concerned with illegal items, not legal items. Make sure they mark the outside of the box- liquid, fragile, etc. for those items that need it and get insurance for expensive items. Only get insurance if you can prove with a receipt what the items cost or they will not cover it. Other than that there is not much else to sending a package over to Iraq. Like I've said, I have sent every kind of snack and food item that would fit into a small box. Good luck and thank you for keeping the troops happy.
P.S. I just remembered, do not send pressurized items such as hair spray or pop cans, they frown on that kind of stuff. They do not want them exploding in transport.
Does anyone recall who posted the thread about donating kids' shoes? We have lots of outgrown shoes here in good condition.
BTTT!
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