Supporting our troops via penpal letters and care packages?

1 posted on 04/08/2004 10:27:03 PM PDT by BraveHeart72

To: Ragtime Cowgirl

Did you see this one?

2 posted on 04/08/2004 10:29:19 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)

To: BraveHeart72; 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub

Ping for Tonk, who will probably have some really good answers.

3 posted on 04/08/2004 10:31:47 PM PDT by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace (Michael <a href = "http://www.michaelmoore.com/" title="Miserable Failure">"Miserable Failure"</a>)

4 posted on 04/08/2004 10:31:50 PM PDT by Support Free Republic (Hi Mom! Hi Dad!)

To: BraveHeart72

The ladies at a Post Office on my migratory path have posted a number of local folks deployed to SWA. You might check your locate veterans post. I'd bet they have some addresses for you.

5 posted on 04/08/2004 10:37:03 PM PDT by Doctor Raoul (How can they call it a "Peace March" when they unconditionally support those who kill our soldiers?)

To: Doctor Raoul

Thank You Doctor!

I will conduct an online research and if I am successful, will post information in regard for a local Long Island, New York Veterans Post which will help provide details on where one would contact our valiant troops...By all means if any fellow freepers can post similar information for their areas across America, the more the better as I believe our men and women need our support more than ever!!

Thanks again and God Bless!
Colin

6 posted on 04/08/2004 11:30:19 PM PDT by BraveHeart72

To: BraveHeart72

I am in daily email contact with a soldier and can tell you that todays news about having to defer return times for soldiers who were ready to ship home has hit them all very hard. Most of the soldiers who have been there for a year now had already shipped all of their stuff out of Iraq last month, so even basic items are now going to be needed.

All the soldiers expecting to return in the next few weeks have only their most basic items currently on them. Anything you can do to organize collections of items will mean the world to these soldiers in coming weeks.

As they have not yet been redeployed to their new bases of operations there are not yet any addresses to send stuff to them, but you could at least start people you know collecting items.

I will write back if I find out anything more. I am hoping that some direct link via the Army can be set up given the sudden circumstances, which will allow people to send items to units directly. If anyone hears anything of such a link please post it here, as will I.

On my brothers unit only 12 of the guys kept their DVD players, most everyone else either shipped or sold theirs. Most of these soldiers have absolutely no way of tuning out now during their off time from the constant battles they are undergoing during this push of increased conflict.

I am asking my friends to start collecting old dvds and game items that they no longer use. My brother mentioned that even basic items will be needed. It is important however to send any items collected via reputable sites, or thru friends that you know well which have relatives in the military.

If you ask around at work, school and socially you will be surprised how many people that you know that have relatives or close ties to people currently deployed, so start asking around, you may find a source very close to home. Items sent thru friends can then be passed around the units.

Also do whatever you can to start collection drives so that items will be available for shipment when links become available.

I have been telling my own friends to consider it as Spring Cleaning to just find what items may no longer be needed in your own homes, which may provide some sort of recreation for our troops.

There are sites via Army links which give ideas for what sorts of items could be useful. Most of these lists were made up early in the deployments, but as so many troops are now back to this status in their supplies I bet alot of that info will still be useful.

Thanks for starting this thread - Take Care, GypsyMonk

7 posted on 04/09/2004 12:02:04 AM PDT by GypsyMonk ("My Soul, an alien here, hath flown to nobler wars" Dante)

To: BraveHeart72

I found this site via a search - it may be worth checking out it seems to have a ton of troop support links!

http://www.brandonblog.homestead.com/files/blogger.html

8 posted on 04/09/2004 1:54:36 AM PDT by GypsyMonk ("My Soul, an alien here, hath flown to nobler wars" Dante)

To: BraveHeart72

9 posted on 04/09/2004 2:03:01 AM PDT by boxerblues ("We wanted to kill the people inside," said Lieutenant Colonel Brennan Byrne on bombing of mosque)

To: BraveHeart72

It's all right here.

You will stay right where you are on the thread.
Please take a moment and Thank a Service Man or Woman.
Just Click on the graphic to send an e-mail.

10 posted on 04/09/2004 10:41:06 AM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Thank You Troops, Past and Present)

To: NotJustAnotherPrettyFace

Thanks for the ping!

11 posted on 04/09/2004 10:42:16 AM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Thank You Troops, Past and Present)

To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

I wanna send some phone cards to some of the guys and gals fighting in Iraq...anychance you know of an address to send them, I wanna make sure the right people get them..

12 posted on 04/09/2004 1:15:14 PM PDT by MD_Willington_1976

To: MD_Willington_1976

Don't know if you realize, but the USO takes donations for that very thing-- I send them money regularly for the soldiers to be able to call home. Of course, I have no idea which soldier is getting the phone card they send, so if that is a factor for you, it may not be the way to go for you. Other freepers, on the other hand, feel free to follow my lead! Prayers for our boys and girls!

13 posted on 04/09/2004 1:22:51 PM PDT by lilmsdangrus

To: BraveHeart72

My daughter found a great website for helping soldiers.
http://www.booksforsoldiers.com/
The message board has wonderful information on how to help soldiers. http://www.booksforsoldiers.com/forum/index.php

Another wonderful site is: http://www.soldiersangels.homestead.com You can adopt a specific soldier to write and mail packages to.

14 posted on 04/09/2004 1:25:22 PM PDT by BloomNTn

To: lilmsdangrus

Didn't know about the USO, my relatives were in the UK military, I guess I'm a noob at this...

15 posted on 04/09/2004 1:46:14 PM PDT by MD_Willington_1976

To: BraveHeart72

This is the direct Care Package link for the U.S. Army's 16th Combat Engineer Battalion in Iraq

1LT Stephen Oliver
ATTN: Soldier Care/Support
Headquarters, 16th Engineer Battalion
Unit 92890
APO AE 09324-2890

To learn more about this unit visit the following;

http://www.nationalcenter.org/NPA500.html

http://www.nationalcenter.org/2004_04_01_BlogArchive.html

16 posted on 04/09/2004 4:08:51 PM PDT by GypsyMonk ("My Soul, an alien here, hath flown to nobler wars" Dante)

To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

17 posted on 04/09/2004 4:26:55 PM PDT by AuntB ("What if they find life on Mars and it's just more pissed off Muslims?"........Dennis Miller)

To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub; All

Thank you for posting this Mr.Tonkin!

We just got another name of a Sailor that would like to receive care packages.

If anyone else is interested, please FReepmail me!

Thank you!

18 posted on 04/09/2004 4:28:44 PM PDT by MoJo2001 (!edis gnorw eht morf siht ta gnikool era uoY)

To: BraveHeart72

Support our troops bump!

19 posted on 04/09/2004 7:15:34 PM PDT by Antoninus (Federal Marriage Amendment NOW!)

To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

You da "go to" man!!!! :-]

20 posted on 04/09/2004 7:30:19 PM PDT by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace (Michael <a href = "http://www.michaelmoore.com/" title="Miserable Failure">"Miserable Failure"</a>)

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