CARE PACKAGES for our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2006

patriciaruth ^ | 1-21-06 | patriciaruth

[patriciaruth]

Welcome to the 2006 thread of the Merry Band of Patriots!

Our grassroots, volunteer group of troop supporters has been sending care packages to servicemen and women in war zones since the summer of 2001 when we began by sending VHS movies and Snickers candy bars to the 101st Airborne and then later the 10th Mountain at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo.

This last year we sent a couple hundred care packages to troops at Baghdad, Kirkuk, Mosul and Tal Afar in Iraq, at Bagram in Afghanistan, at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo and to our wounded at Landstuhl Regional Hospital in Germany.

Our specialty in the past has been movies, books, snacks, holiday decorations and some appliances like DVD players and Playstations, and we have sent hundreds of movies to various bases.

This last year we had 6 main projects in addition to the usual care packages:

1. We sent over 80 state-of-the-art Petzl headlamps to our adopted company of Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Mosul and 35 to an MI unit at Kirkuk. This was probably the most appreciated item we've ever sent, thanks to a project that got off the ground due to the work of Spanaway Lori, HannaUSA , and Oatka and 3/4th of which was funded by my optometrist.

2. There was the Personal Care items "Emergency" Airlift to Bagram air base in June and July. (mathluv, nina0113, Coop, JustAmy, airborne, iceskater, Tunehead54, jtill participated.)

3. The 4th of July Party Decorations and Snacks blowout for all our adopted units. (pictures at posts 357, 358, 368 of our 2005 thread)

4. Operation Popcorn in August and September for the Engineers at Baghdad (iceskater, mathluv, SENClander, Coop, Abigail Adams, Ros42, Ican'tbelieve it, jtill and ebay's mshoponline sent over 600 bags of microwave popcorn, while omegatoo's were lost in the shuffle of her evacuating New Orleans prior to the Katrina flooding)

5. The End of Summer Luau for psyops at Baghdad in September and October (MJY1288 mailed off the party things we bought at eBay and Amazon with contributions from fanfan, kattracks, jtill, Just mythoughts, Ros42, Pig Rigger, MJY1288 and Kitty Mittens. Pictures at post 809 of the 2005 thread)

6. Halloween candy and movies for the Troops (kattracks, SENClander, Ican'tbelieveit, Abigail Adams mailed boxes in addition to the ones I sent with donations)

7. The Amazing Christmas and New Years Deluge, when it rained packages at all our adopted bases, especially at Tal Afar.
Special mentions go to Teams captains: mathluv (Engineers Baghdad), Ros42 (psyops Baghdad), CAluvdubya (Tal Afar), Abigail Adams (Stryker at Mosul), VeniVidiVici (MI at Kirkuk), nina0113 (Bagram, Afghanistan). Fairy Godmother Dept. (kattracks), Christmas Trees and Christmas Cards R Us (daybreakcoming), Shipping Dept (MJY1288), DVD Recording Dept (MJY1288), Webhosting and Photoshopping Dept (New Perspective), Daddy Warbucks Dept (my optometrist).

Among the many care packages sent by our troop supporters are these projects.
Boxes of school supplies for Iraqi children were sent by mathluv, Ican'tbelieveit, and my mother to Operation Crayon in Kirkuk.
Some members (CAluvdubya, angelsonmyside, 4integrity, ebay's susiemck) helped fill requests for Western Movies from an MI unit at Kirkuk (now home, movies still there) and Clint Eastwood and Adam Sandler movies from Fox Battery at Kirkuk (now home, movies still there).
bjcintennesse made many dozens of cooling neck scarves and sent them to pysops and Engineers at Baghdad.
DAVEY CROCKETT mailed boxesful of car magazines to a couple units.
A copy of the hardback book about the first year of the Revolutionary War (1776 by David McCullough) was sent to most of our units by DrDeb, iceskater, SwatTeam, and Just a Cowgirl.
Ros42 and mscht adopted a unit at Camp Ramadi for Christmas. (picture at 1195 of the 2005 thread).
CheneyChick and daybreakcoming saw to it that some care packages went to a remnant of our troops still in Kosovo.
Daybreakcoming's sister helped the staffers of the Louisiana legislature send about 8 boxes with around 32 bags of Christmas candy to Tal Afar.

Our many generous donors of checks, cash, money orders, Paypal, shopping cards, phone cards, etc are listed in the Accounting posts in our 2005 thread which can be linked from the post below.

We were surprised and emotional when we received back from our adopted units some of the items pictured below, and a big thank you to jkphoto for taking the pictures and webhosting them.

[patriciaruth]

Wonderful goodies for Easter! Where is it going?

[mathluv]

I tried FReepmail, but it did not recognize the name.

[mware]

My students and I are sending them to JemiansTerror, and his platoon, he is a FReepers, one of his parents is also a FReeper (Jemian).

He is stationed in Iraq. I am also sending some DVD, I've had one request so far Second Season of The Unit. I'll check out Best Buy, they may have it in their store.

[mware]

Do you know what the rules are on silly string. I read the rules posted on #31, but didn't see that mentioned.

[SENClander]

Here are the contents of four boxes sent to NPTT at FOB Liberty. Some of the things were special requests. Did anyone see Geraldo last Sunday night? He was at Camp Liberty but I don't know if any of "our" troops were on screen.

Box #1 (flat rate)
12 tubes of toothpaste
3 packs(3 each)hanging air fresheners
4 bars of Zest soap

Box #2 (flat rate)
14 bars of Zest soap
2 packs(3 each)hanging air fresheners
3 packs of AA lithium batteries
14 toothbrushes
4 DVD's
"Jarhead"
"Enemy of the State"
"The Departed"
"Flags of Our Fathers"

Box #3
4 DVD's
"The Great Raid"
"True Lies"
"Goldfinger"
"Alfred Hitchcock" boxed set:
The Ring
The Manxman Murder
The Skin Game
Rich and Strange
2 boxes(60 each)Crystal Light On-the-Go

Box #4
4 boxes(10 each)instant oatmeal variety packs
4 boxes(12 each)assorted granola bars
1 box(10 each)instant cream of wheat
1 box(12 each)instant grits
2 boxes Girl Scout shortbread cookies
2 boxes(8 each)cereal bars
2 boxes(6 each)trail mix bars
15 energy bars

I'll get ready for the Easter mailing next.

[patriciaruth]

You certainly are treating Juan's brother's unit mighty well!

[patriciaruth]

The problem with silly string is that it is in an aerosol can as far as I know. We have to send our packages PRIORITY by USPS, which means they have to be cleared to go on an airplane.

And the local post office here is nervous about aerosols. They'd let me get away with a few travel shaving cream aerosols in the past, but now I send the gel.

I'd check with your local post office about what they will accept, as they are the ones who okay the boxes.

[patriciaruth]

My Stryker soldier doesn't like The Unit. I think it's the Desperate Housewives part of the show that puts him off, but some of the soldiers find the Delta Force part a bit too much, as they know that many of the missions aren't possible without native help, etc.

[patriciaruth]

Our contact at Ramadi was in Kuwait going home via Germany last I heard. Prayers for safe travel for our great communicator.

Nina0113 has new contact for Bagram.

Scroll up to see what SENClander sent to NPTT at Camp Liberty.

Mailed February 20, 2007, to Stryker at FOB Stryker in Baghdad, 4 boxes
Box 1, value $11.50, postage $8.10
36 bags microwave Act II Butter and Butter Lovers popcorn
13 Nutrigrain blueberry granola bars

Box 2, value $26.73, Postage $8.10
36 bags microwave popcorn
11 Nutrigrain blueberry granola bars
1 DVD movies: Wedding Crashers uncorked (Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn)
13 plastic orange bracelet favors for little girls

Box 3, value $25.20, postage $8.10
24 bags microwave popcorn
24 trail size Colgate toothpaste (donated by my dentist)
12 orange plastic bracelet favors for little girls

Box 4, insured $50.39, postage $10.40
DVD movie: Groundhog Day (Bill Murray, Andie McDowell)
Music CD: Daughtry (Chris Daughtry)
23 Magazines:
4 Army-Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb
7 Weekly Standard-Dec 4, 11, 18, 25; Jan 22, 30; Feb 5
4 Sports Illustrated-Swimsuit Issue, Jan 24, Feb 5, Feb 12
1 National Geographic – on Saturn
1 Decision-December on revival in Canada
5 Washington Times Weekly-Dec 17, 25; Jan 1, 22, 29
1 First Freedom (NRA)-January 2007
9 Newspapers:
2 local newspapers-one on trial of local terrorist, one on Giuliani visit to AG show in the area
2 AUSA-December, January
20 Sections of L.A. Times: Sports page-Feb 15, 16, 17, 18; Front page-Feb 14, 15, 16, 17, 18; Business-Feb 15, 16, 17, 18; Comics-Feb 15, 17, 18; Calendar (entertainment)-Feb 13, 14, 15;
Book Review-Feb 18;
1 Calendar 2007 GWB

[mware]

thanks, i'll give them a call today.

[SENClander]

I really like the guys in the team. I couldn't do as much without the help from some of my friends. And it's all your "fault," Patty -- LOL. Thank heavens for you and the Merry Band.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.


NEVER FORGET



..BRUCE CRANDALL = Medal of
Honor..

http://www.ArmchairGeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48215



NEVER FORGET

.

[patriciaruth]

If you can call your local post office, you are lucky.

Ours has an unlisted number. You may find you have to go there in person to ask a person who works there.

[patriciaruth]

Update: Our Ramadi contact is now in Germany and will be there for several months before heading back to the States.

Link to Soldier Homecoming Greeter story (Feb 2, 2007)

[iceskater]

What a great story. :)

[patriciaruth]

March is the last month we can safely ship regular chocolate candy bars to Iraq.

Anyone who wants to help stock up our adopted Stryker company at Baghdad with chocolate candy or who wants to send Easter baskets to Iraq or Afghanistan, please let me know.

Easter is April 8. Easter care packages sent to Baghdad or Bagram should reach them if mailed by March 24.

Mailed March 5, 2007, to NPTT at FOB Falcon in Baghdad, 2 boxes:
Box 1, insured 125.92, postage $11.45
2 TV series boxed sets of 3 discs
Scrubs, Season 3 (Zack Braff)
Scrubs, Season 4
3 DVD movies:
Gettysburg (Jeff Daniels, Martin Sheen, Tom Berenger)
Witness (Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis)
Shaft (Samuel L. Jackson)
2 paperback books:
The Virginian (Owen Wister)
The Quick and the Dead (Louis L’Amour)
2 bags 28 oz tropical trail mix
10 Snickers Xtreme candy bars
5 packs 14 Orbit sugarless spearmint gum
1 printed article by Victor Davis Hanson comparing problems in Iraq War to other conflicts in American history.
1 bottle 60 generic 24 hour Claritin allergy pills

Box 2, insured $131.89, postage $11.45
2 TV series boxed sets of 3 discs (sent by SwatTeam)
Scrubs, Season 1 (Zack Braff)
Scrubs, Season 2
3 DVD movies:
Braveheart (Mel Gibson)
Frequency (Dennis Quaid, Jim Caviezel)
Without a Paddle (Burt Reynolds)
2 paperback books:
Last of the Breed (Louis L’Amour)
The Man from the Broken Hills (Louis L’Amour)
2 bags 28 oz tropical trail mix
10 Snickers Xtreme candy bars
5 packs 13 Orbit sugarless spearmint gum
2 magazines:
Sports Illustrated, March 5 on Ohio State
Weekly Standard, Feb 19, on Ahmadinejad
1 box 20 generic 12 hour Sudafed pills

[Right_in_Virginia]

BTTT!

[patriciaruth]

:-)

Hello, Virginia! Thank you for your support.

[patriciaruth]

Dear Troop Supporters,

We have some requests from Bagram air base near Kabul from our new contact there, an Army brat now officer who took ROTC and is on her second tour. Her brother is also in Afghanistan on his fourth tour. Some prayers there would probably be appreciated by their mother.

And, Shezza, they have VCR players there, so I am FReepmailing you about the VHS movies and books.

Here's the excerpt of the email about the requests:

"...we don't have a good selection of cards and stationary here and the girls (myself included) complain about it a lot, so that would be something nice to have.

"Other things that soldiers have mentioned wanting is Crystal Light [On the Go singles] and more nutritious snacks [trail mix is generally a hit]. (I never thought I would hear that, but we have an enormous supply of sugar here), that might change as the supply diminishes.

"Also, every one seems to enjoy the puzzle books (Sudoko, Logic games, Crosswords).

"I know that is a small list, but I will try to come up with a better ... list for you within the next week."

[SENClander]

Patty, just to let you know I'm working on an Easter basket for FOB Liberty.