CARE PACKAGES for our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2005

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1273305/posts ^ | 2-18-05 | patriciaruth

[patriciaruth]

Time for a new thread!

Our Merry Band of Patriots has seen a psy-ops unit at Bagram, Afghanistan, help educate voters in Afghanistan and come home successfully, while we supported them and special forces in the field by sending over 100 movies and many packages of snacks and toiletries and Hallowe'en candy. A Christmas tree and decorations (Daybreakcoming) and stockings (Ican'tbelieveit) and cards and over 400 candy canes were sent for their follow-on unit, and a box with movies and magazines and misc is just beginning to fill for their next care package. The movies and books we sent previously went into the Special Forces library there.

We've seen Beast Battery at Kirkuk, Iraq, through till their deployment home, sending them over 100 movies and dozens of books and a microwave and DVD/VCR player (from arjay) and many big boxes of snacks. Plus a huge wave of goodies was organized by McLynnan for Christmas in Kirkuk (2 prelit trees, ornaments, Santa suit, many stockings with stuffers, many cards, and a couple thousand candy canes to share out with all the forces there).

We've supported the 411th Engineers at Baghdad in 2004 with about 70 movies and several dozen books, a Playstation 2 and a Nintendo console with a couple dozen games (from asgardshill and ican'tbelieveit), a 4 foot Christmas tree and ornaments and boxes of snacks and many cards and 600 candy canes. In the next couple months we will be bidding them Godspeed as they return to their homebase in Hawaii.

We've sent over 50 movies, a DVD/VCR player (from arjay), and a dozen and a half books to an MI unit near Kirkuk, plus some Christmas decorations and stocking stuffers, and many cards and 156 candy canes. They have mostly left for home now and we just sent a package with more movies to their follow-on unit.

Also we have sent some packages to an Aviation unit at Balad, Iraq and to an Infantry Medics unit, and a small Christmas package each to another AVN unit and an MP unit.

Stryker Infantry company formerly at Fallujah and now at Mosul since November has been the major focus of our care packages these past months. All of Stryker at Mosul has taken fire, and our adopted company has suffered a KIA and some soldiers with severe injuries.

Early on we sent food items (mostly power bars and dried fruit and nuts) then Christmas stockings stuffed with goodies and many cards and 200 candy canes, and since Christmas have begun sending movies. They recently received a DVD/VCR player (from arjay) and with the movies just mailed today their collection will total about 75 movies and a dozen books.

And all this happened because our grassroots volunteer group began forming in the early summer of 2001 to send care packages to Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo, when the 101st Airborne and then the 10th Mountain were there.

The contents of packages just mailed will be listed in post below.

[patriciaruth]

That's a nice one, but in the one I was thinking of she was a bit in the distance coming in face on and a bunch of troops on the left of the picture (her right) were whooping and clapping.

Looked like they liked the boots.

[patriciaruth]

Patty's Mr.'s white shirt looks pretty good on Uncle Sam, too!

You did a great job of folding and packing it!

[patriciaruth]

Thanks for offering to get 1776!

I wanted to send one to each one of our adopted units.

You'll enjoy it a lot!

Let me know when you need an APO.

THANKS so much!

[patriciaruth]

1776 by David McCullough, BTW.

[Diamondhead]

Patty - If you're in Email contact with our troops in Kirkuk, please tell them that their Pub portal gave this old retired sailorman a big chuckle!

[patriciaruth]

please tell them that their Pub portal gave this old retired sailorman a big chuckle!

I did!

"The retired Navy man who helped pack the boxes wanted to know if the "Ye Old Pube" sign was intentional wishful thinking."

However, I didn't hear back, just that they had microwaves for the popcorn that will be mailed out in the next day or two and didn't need one.

[patriciaruth]

Here's our thread. Check out the pictures at 357, 358 and 368.

[tommix2]

Here's our threadThank you for linking me to this thread. Yes, keep me on your ping list. It will take me a few days to review what books I have and what I can do.

[patriciaruth]

Mailed July 12, 2005, to Bagram, Afghanistan

Box 1, insured $50.01, postage $9.90
10 sticks Deodorant: 2 Twin packs Degree ultra dry Cool Rush 2.7 oz sticks, 1 Secret regular 1.7 oz, 5 Suave 1.6 oz 24 hr protection Fresh
9 cans Shaving gel: 2 Edge Advanced 2.75 oz., 2 Target men’s regular size, 2 Target women’s Raspberry regular size, 1 Edge value pack (1 travel, 2 regular size)
2 bags 12 twin blade Target disposable razors
1 DVD movie: Blind Date (Bruce Willis, Kim Bassinger)
4 large packs Carefree sugarless gum Spearmint
box with 2 hand sanitizer gel 2 oz.bottles

Box 2, value $42.38, postage $7.70
2 packages of 8 bars Dial 4.5 oz bars soap Spring Water
4 Target shave gel for women Raspberry
1 bag 8 Personna disposable razors
1 box 2 hands sanitizer gel 2 oz.
6 Deodorant: 1 twin pack Degree 2.7 oz sticks, 5 Suave 1.6 oz sticks
Dental care: 2 Long’s dental travel kits with toothbrush, toothpaste and 11 yds. Floss, 1 pack Colgate travel toothpaste and toothbrush, 2 boxes Target 55 yds waxed mint floss

Box 3, insured $46.10, postage $9.00
1 Dove shampoo Extra Volume for fine hair 12 oz.
6 cans Shaving gel: Target 2 men’s regular size, 1 women’s regular size, 1 Edge value pack with 1 travel size and 2 regular size
Twin blade disposable Razors: 1 bag 8 Personna, 4 bags 12 Target
2 packs Colgate travel toothpaste and toothbrush
1 magazine (Miss FHM)
1 DVD lens cleaner
1 travel facial tissue pack
1 box 100 push pins

Box 4, insured $47.76, postage $9.00
2 packs 8 Dial 4.5 oz Gold bars soap
6 Edge advance travel shaving gel
1 twin pack Degree 2.7 oz. deodorant sticks
1 bag 12 Target disposable razors
1 DVD movie: Anger Management (Adam Sandler, Jack Nicholson)
1 People magazine with Angelina Joli on cover
1 NRA Outlook magazine for women: Hooked on Handguns article
1 pack 8 AA batteries with miniflashlight
9 large packs Carefree sugarless gum
1 travel Kleenex tissue pack

Box 5, value $38.13, postage $7.70
2 packs 8 Jergen’s 3.5 oz bars soap
7 cans Shaving gel: 2 Edge value packs with 1 travel and 2 regular cans, 1 Edge Advance travel size
4 Suave 1.6 oz deodorant
1 bag 12 razors
2 packs 3 tiny floss containers
1 bottle 2 oz. Bain de luxe liquid shower soap
1 tube Nice and Easy conditioner cream for dyed hair
10 envelopes with 2 sheets paper inside
1 travel pack Wet Ones
8 large packs Carefree sugarless gum
May, 2005 Army magazine, symposium issue

Box 6, insured $50.01, postage $9.90
2 packs 8 Jergen’s 3.5 oz bars soap
3 Target men’s shaving gel regular size
7 sticks Deodorant: 1 twin pack Degree 2.7 oz sticks, 6 Suave 1.6 oz sticks
1 box 8 Playtex super tampons
1 pack 1.75 oz ground coffee, Safeway Mocha Java blend
1 DVD movie: Magnum Force (Clint Eastwood)
1 book: Silver Canyon (Louis L’Amour)
1 AUSA newspaper

[patriciaruth]

Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Tunehead54 and jtill, we just sent out 6 flat rate priority boxes to Bagram, Afghanistan.

Details are in post above.

Totals
31 deodorant sticks
35 cans shaving gel
112 disposable razors
64 bars soap
10 floss
5 travel toothpaste and toothbrushes
3 DVD movies
21 large packs gum
5 magazines (2 good ones), 1 book
misc. fillers (small packs tissue, wet ones, coffee, tampons, shampoo, conditioner, batteries, etc.)

[Yaelle]

I would also like to know how my family could help the troops. We could just send you a donation but I think it would be move involving if my sons could go and buy stuff for them -- but really, whatever is best for our troops is best of all. Let us know how to help.

[Coop]

I completely agree with you. It will make much more of an impression on your sons to purchase, pack and mail the stuff and hopefully establish some correspondence with a military member or two. Patricia is a great place to start, or I can point you toward some resources. Cheers, and thanks for helping!

[patriciaruth]

Would you be interested in getting a Playstation 2 game or two or more if you have some used ones (or know someone who does) to mail to the Engineers Combat Battalion in Baghdad?

[patriciaruth]

Or would you like to get 100 or so bags of microwave popcorn and mail it to some troops at Kirkuk?

If you use flat rate priority USPS boxes (5x8x11), you can pack over 100 in 4 boxes. Postage on each would be $7.70.

Wal-mart or a local discount grocery store (ours is Smart&Final) will usually sell Act II microwave popcorn at 7.69 for 28 bags or 2.00 for 5 or 8 bags depending.

We've sent a mix of flavors: Butter, some Kettle Corn, and some Butter Lovers.

Let me know. You've been around FR quite a while, so I think I can trust you.

Cheers!
Patty

[Yaelle]

Sure! Now that is something my kids could really understand!!! We know stores where you can buy used games -- we have X Box so our games wouldn't work. And my boys certainly know which games the troops would enjoy and which are "duds" which I would have no clue about! We will go look on Friday.

[Yaelle]

We could do either.

Thanks for having trust in me. We only want to help. We have a S&F right near here, too, so we could do one thing this month and another thing next, or something like that. I guess the video games would be a great place for my older sons to start.

[patriciaruth]

Wonderful!

The only Playstation2 games I know they have are Gran Turismo 3 and Star Wars Starfighter that asgardshill sent them.

If you would wait a day or so, I'll see if I can get in touch with them and ask what they have from other sources or ask for requests.

Great to have you on board!

[patriciaruth]

Update Report:

MI unit at KIRKUK:
REQUEST #1:

Patty do you think you could get some more of those head lamps like before, Say around 20. They work very, very well. Thank you for all that you do. V/R 1SG

RESULT:
My local optometrist just ordered 20 more TacTikka Plus headlamps from Petzl America for MI at Kirkuk, and they should go out in the next couple days.

REQUEST #2
Patty, The Alamo (Dennis Quaid), Conagher (Sam Elliott), and what ever else you would like to send to us. I would like to see if you could find The man from Snowy River 2. Please send more Popcorn. ... Thanks again for all you do for us.
T*****
[We already got them Alamo (John Wayne) and the first Man from Snowy River and The Quick and the Dead (Sam Elliott)]

ACTION: The local Boyscouts can't do any thing about the popcorn request at the moment (would need 100 or so bags) which fit into 4 flat rate priority USPS boxes ($7.70 each to mail, no need to insure). A new member of our group is looking into Playstation2 games for the Engineers at Baghdad and may be doing popcorn later. Is anyone else out there interested in getting some good microwave popcorn at discount and sending it to Kirkuk? Total cost approx $60, including mailing.

---

BATTERY AT KIRKUK

REQUEST #1 came from me. I asked for an address for Operation Crayon, as I had two donors that wanted to send a couple boxes of school supplies for poor Iraqi children.

RESPONSE:
Patty,
As a matter of fact, our chaplin is heading this up. If you send them to me I will get the boxes to him and the kids. This is a great program, its fun to see the kids faces when we get them stuff.

I got your two boxes of movies from your group this week, they are greatly appreciated. thanks for all you and your group have done.

B****

ACTION:
I saw some great bargains at WalMart and got single subject notebooks for 10 cents a piece and boxes of 24 crayons (the preferred size) for 25 cents a piece. I couldn't afford to send paper products due to the weight last year, but can now with the $7.70 flat rate priority boxes.

Family members are financing a couple boxes and if anyone is interested in sending any school supplies, ask me for details.

---

EMAIL from BAGRAM, our new contact, responding to our email that a bunch of toiletries were on the way.

DearPatricia***
**** told me how nice and wonderful you all were. I am so glad to meet you. ****

Most of our teams are out in the middle of no where. There is not a place that they can buy their stuff that they need and their mail takes along time sometimes a couple of months.
I am sure that the guys out there in those places would love to get anything that you could send.
I will send an e-mail to them and ask for specific things but one thing that I am sure that they would love would be candy. Those guys are crazy and you win a lot of points with the nationals if you have candy.
Anyway I hope to talk to you soon and thank you again for all of your support.

PS: Thanks so much for the fourth of July stuff the decorations were great I loved them. I have missed every fourth of July since I joined the army. That would be 4 in a row now. I really missed all the fireworks and hot dogs but my family the most. The decorations were the best I wouldn't have even known that it was the 4th without them.

Thanks again.
****

[patriciaruth]

EMAILS from 2 units at KIRKUK and the one at BAGRAM are posted above.

Due to length, they are not in the ping.

[airborne]

Good work as always, Patty!

Have a peek at the new members of the 'airborne' home!