Posted on 02/19/2005 12:40:42 AM PST by 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.
Dear Merry Band of Patriots,
Please look at the posts above for what Ros42, Abigail Adams, and CAluvdubya have been doing for their units recently.
This week MJY1288 mailed out two 7 ft pre-lit multicolored lights trees he got at Walmart (great deal). One went to the Engineers at Baghdad, and one for the second spot at Tal Afar (Daybreakcoming's tree for the first spot has already arrived!). Norton footed the bill for buying and mailing one of the Walmart trees and Mike picked up the bill for the other one. (Mike is in the cheapest priority mailing zone, while norton and I are in the most expensive.)
Today I mailed out the tree for MI at Kirkuk, and two boxes of tree ornaments and trimmings (one to Engineers at Baghdad and one to MI at Kirkuk.) Daybreakcoming has already mailed ornaments for the first tree at Tal Afar, and I've got a boxful of them and tree trimmers here yet to mail for the second tree.
There are many hundreds of soldiers in the Engineers at Baghdad, and thousands at Tal Afar that I hope will enjoy these trees.
Additionally, Swat Team is mailing home made ornaments to the Engineers, and a friend of Ros42 is mailing some extras to our other bases. Also Ros42 and her friend have taken on a unit at Camp Ramadi in Iraq as well as her efforts for psyops in Baghdad, and are sending a tree and ornaments for Camp Ramadi. I've been enlisted also to boost morale at Camp Ramadi, and this week have sent 6 boxes of healthy snacks that were requested.
I'll post details of what I mailed this week so far in the next post.
Anyone not involved yet, PLEASE SEND CHRISTMAS CARDS for our TROOPS to our team captains or to me.
(I love it when a plan starts coming together!)
November 16, 2005, mailed 1 large box to ENGINEERS Combat Battalion at BAGHDAD:
Insured 109.44, Postage $17.25
Box 50 satin balls various colors, 2 ½ inch, tree ornaments
Box 32 shatterproof red balls, 2 inch , 4 different patterns
7 wooden toy ornaments (rocking horse, train engine, soldier, Santa, caroler, etc)
1 treetop glittering gold snowflake star
2 packs of 500 golden laser shine icicles (tinsel)
box of 100 brass ornament hooks
Large white card paper and gold foil Gothic nativity (Art Institute of Chicago fold out card)
3 DVD movies:
Star Wars III (Revenge of the Sith)
Batman Begins
S.W.A.T.
DVD recordings by MJY1288: 2 disc set of October MP3 files Rush Limbaugh
1 large Reagan Calendar for 2006
5 boxes sent out 11-15 to Tal Afar Cost to send $38
1 box (30 count) name brand chocolate bars
1 box (24 count) Butterfinger candy bars
1 box (24 count) Payday candy bars
2 boxes (120 count)Swiss Miss hot chocolate
3 boxes (144 count) Spiced Cider
1 box individually wrapped Red Vines
1 bag (120 count) assorted name brand candy bars
8 bags Bubble Yum gum
3 boxes tinsel
2 boxes (100 light) multi mini Christmas lights
7 DVDs -----
Ice Station Zebra
My Cousin Vinnie
U.S. Marshals
Laura Croft Tomb Raider
Bond, Die Another Day
The Waterboy
The Dirty Dozen
20 Christmas pictures drawn by my Kindergarten class with their comments for the troops (too cute!)
Thanks for the update, daybreakcoming! I bet our Stryker soldiers will love those books! Way to go!!!
I got my 5 boxes in the mail this morning.
BOX 1
4 boxes of apple cider
4 boxes Snickers candy nutcrackers
8 cans kippered snacks
2 mini photo albums
1 sudoku puzzle book
2 Seek & Find puzzle books
2 magnetic photo pockets
2 cans Skoal tobacco
6 pkgs Christmas confetti
BOX 2
1 Entenmann fruitcake
1 Claxton fruitcake (gotta have fruitcake at Christmas)
1 bag Hershey miniatures in Christmas wrapping
1 bag Hershey kisses in Christmas wrapping
1 bag Nestle Crunch chocolate Jingles
1 deck Bicycle playing cards
1 airwick
"Patton, A Genius for War"
"Bleachers"
"The Last Juror"
BOX 3
Saltwater Sports magazine
NASCAR magazine
Motor Trend magazine
1 big crossword book
2 bags trail mix
1 bag Reese's miniatures in Christmas wrapping
1 box Christmas ribbon candy
2 airwicks
4 mini puzzle books
1 Santa hat
"Band of Brothers" (book, not DVD)
BOX 4
8 boxes flavored cocoa mix
4 boxes apple cider mix
2 bags beef jerky
1 bag smoked chicken snacks
5 Little Debbie Christmas tree shaped snack cakes
2 bags of chocolate coins
2 Santa hats
BOX 5
2 cartons (60 pkgs each) Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix
30 flat foam 'gingerman' ornaments
1 tub (360) mini candy canes
2 sets 100 mini Christmas lights
2 boxes mini Moon Pies
2 pkg ornament hangers
4 tinsel garlands
1 Santa hat
In one of those is a 2006 almanac which I forgot to list (uh oh). I used the new APO address -- hope they get there.
Unbelievably fabulous boxes!! They will absolutely love 4 of them, and maybe even eventually get the 5th.
Just a reminder.
Tobacco is on the Forbidden list.
If you do send it, don't label the package Merry Band of Patriots.
And if it is on your customs form, that whole box may be pulled and dumped at the Army staging depot. Hopefully, they'll just open it and removed the tobacco. I'm surprised your post office didn't pick up on this.
But not to worry. They may be so overwhelmed with packages right now that they will all go through without a blink.
Let's hope!
I LOVE Ice Station Zebra, the book by Alistair MacLean. Movie isn't bad either, but the book is aces.
Those are all great movies!!
And did they say they wanted candy??? WOW!!
just WOW!!
Hey, I just realized. Our contact at Tal Afar is a civilian now.
Big smile. :-D
That box may make it untouched after all.. Heh, heh....
I sure hope that box makes it. I didn't know about the tobacco ban -- in fact, I thought it was a requested item. Probably is if it's forbidden :o)
You didn't get the MEMO? ;-)
FORBIDDEN ITEMS:
1. ALCOHOL and flammables (including mouthwash, perfume, aftershave, nail polish remover and nail care products, lighter fluid),
2. GLASS containers or other breakable items,
3. HOMEBAKED goods (only commercially wrapped food with good outdate is allowed),
4. PORK or any pork containing products, even if only used in manufacturing,
5. RELIGIOUS items if you don’t know the person,
6. LIQUIDS (lotion, wet wipes, shampoo, conditioner, roll-on/stick deodorant, etc. are okay, but need to be put in ziplock bags in case they leak or melt. Double check caps are screwed on tight.)
7. large cans AEROSOLS (if send small travel size cans, please put in ziplock bags )
8. BATTERIES cannot go IN the device that needs them, due to electrical spark hazard and chemical leak hazard of older batteries. Remove any batteries and include a SEALED pack of new batteries of the size needed.
Also forbidden:
9. tobacco,
10. firearms and ammo,
11. combustibles and explosives,
12. drugs
PACKING TIPS:
TRICKY ITEMS:
1. cardboard cans (like drink mix and nuts come in) can break open around the bottom/top where it is sealed to the metal bottomyou need to reinforce with wide packing tape.
2. powders, etc need to be placed in ziplock bags so they don’t contaminate other items if they leak.
3. Don’t pack food or mouth care products with anything that can contaminate it if it breaks or leaks.
4. VHS movies: Sand is a problem with VCR machines in Iraq, so we are no longer sending VHS movies there. If you want to send a DVD movie, please check with patriciaruth for the Masterlist of what has already been sent or requested.
5. POPCORN:
Packing the bags of microwave popcorn is easier if you remove from the boxes or cartons they come in. Generally you can get a carton of 28 bags of microwave popcorn in a 5x8x11 flat rate priority box if you pack this way.
If you want, you can line the box with a garbage bag and pack your bags of popcorn inside the bag and then tie the bag. The bags of popcorn come in their own cellophane sealed bags, so this is just belt and suspenders if you do this.
You can fit 3 stacks of popcorn bags in each 5x8x11 box. If you check which long edge of the microwave bags have the most kernels settled in them, and you alternate these sides, then you can make eight bags in a stack. Any extras you have can be shoved down between the stacks.
IF YOU WANT you can put some bonus treat in the small hole left in one corner after packing your box. But DON’T put anything liquid, breakable, or not ingestible (toothpaste and floss and mouth care products are okay). I’m often pack gum in ziplock bags in these holes. Some one else is puts TicTacs. But simple crumpled paper is okay, too, to stuff the hole to prevent shifting of the end stack of popcorn. DON’t put anything that can melt…NO CHOCOLATE! Even hard candy is a risk at this hot time of year if it sits on a hot tarmac.
6. CHOCOLATE and items that can melt are generally not sent during April through midOctober. Even hard card in cellophane wraps can melt into a solid mass while sitting on hot tarmacs. If you include items that can melt, even during the rest of year, it is best to put them in ziplock bags so they don’t spoil other items if they melt.
7. GAMES for computers. List them on the customs form as DVD’s to lower the risk of theft. And always insure DVD games and movies when you send them.
BOXES (and other supplies you will need):
You don’t have to pack in the flat rate priority boxes (5x8x11) you get from the post office, but it is simpler--and with few exceptions, cheaper to do so. You pay at the time of mailing, $7.70 per box regardless of weight, a long as the box is squarely shut, and not bulging.
Also you will need customs forms from the post office, one for each box. It’s a good idea to get one or two extra in case you mess one up.
You will need a wide roll of clear packing/shipping tape. The stronger tapes are much easier to use (brand names Scotch and Duck) and a roll of strapping tape is nice (Walmart carries a roll of Scotch wide strapping tape on a red plaster roller with a cutting edge for $1.98).
To prepare your box for packing you need to open it (as it comes flat) and check which is the bottom side so you can tape it shut (as squarely as you are able), small flaps inside, large flaps outside. The top as a place for the address label.
This is hard to do by yourself without getting the tape stuck to itself, so you may want to ask for help for someone to hold the bottom flaps squarely against each other before taping it along the seam, no overlap, and as little gap as you can manage.
Cut a piece of tape and hold it ready, and put it down and seal the bottom while someone holds the flaps square against each other, steadying the box on the unfolded flaps of the top side of box, which is steadied on the table or floor where you are working.
You don’t have to overlap the end of the box with the tape much, as this is a holder piece of tape, so when you cut this piece, estimate it as a few inches longer than the box length. You’ll be sealing up the whole box all around later for final strengthening of these flap closures.
(After do the bottom, I also estimate and cut off one at a time two pieces of tape to seal the inside bottom flaps down…as I’m in an agricultural area and keeping spiders out is a challenge).
Be sure your contents are listed somewhere (on a piece of paper or on the customs form) before you close and seal each box.
Be sure the top flaps close squarely and level without bulging up and without much gap before you seal them shut as you did the bottom.
Before doing any more taping, label the box.
(deleted for security reasons)
In the lower right hand corner, use a dark pen or black felt pen (especially for the APO AE number), and starting above and just to the left of the TO: write the name and APO address you have been given.
(deleted for security)
Now take your wide roll of clear tape and cover the return address and the recipient address with clear tape, to prevent smearing and damage in the mail.
If there is food in the box, we also now seal all the sides of the flaps top and bottom with tape to prevent insects and liquid getting in and make it harder to tamper with the package. It's probably a good idea to do this regardless of contents.
You can use the same wide clear tape (or a strapping tape if you have it) to do the final sealing for strength to prevent breaking open in the mail. These two final seals are both all away around in the middle both ways, like ribbon on a gift package. If you are strapping a bigger box, then consider using two separate ribbons of tape around the top, and even one horizontally around the side of the box, depending on the weight inside and the strength of the box.
Freeper "mscht" sent out these items today, for these groups:
Box 1--Camp Ramadi
Christmas Banner
Butterscotch Candy
Pepperment Candy
Sunflower Seeds
Raisins
Presweetened Koolaid
Streamers (red & green)
Misc. reading material on Alabama (where she's from)
Christmas card
Box 2--Mosul
150 Various Christmas ornaments
200 multi color lights
Butterscotch Candy
Pepperment Candy
Christmas card
Box 3--Engineers in Baghdad
100 Ornaments
Presweetend Koolaid
Popcorn
Butterscotch Candy
Peppermint Candy
Christmas Card
Box 4--Psyops in Baghdad
Christmas Banner
Streamers (red & green)
16-piece ornament set
20 ft. string garland
Popcorn
Butterscotch Candy
Peppermint Candy
Presweetened Koolaid
Christmas card
Ping.
Hey! Here we are, over here!
Welcome to the Merry Band of Patriots!
I'll put you on our ping list.
You have FReepmail (forbidden items and packing tips, and how to fill out customs forms), but I haven't done up a request list yet...there are pieces of ones floating all over my computers.
Let me give you a few tips now...
trail mix
lithium batteries
Crystal Lite On the Go (12 small envelops in a little box with enough drink mix powder to flavor a standard issue bottle of water)
And then it would depend on the duty assignment of the unit as to what would be welcome.
Talk with you later.
Cheers!
Patty
Mailed today, November 17, to TAL AFAR, 1 box:
Value $31.60, postage $7.70 (tree ornaments for the 7 ft. tree that MJY1288 mailed)
Box 50 satin balls, various colors, 2 ½ in
Box 32 red shatterproof balls, various patterns, 2 in.
7 wooden toy tree ornaments
1 silver glitter treetop star snowflake
box 200 ornament hooks
2 boxes 1000 icicles (tinsel)
1 package 500 laser shine silver icicles (tinsel)
1 DVD recordings by MJY1288: Veterans’ Day ceremonies and President Bush speech
7 Christmas card covers of Christmas scenes
Ah, if only I'd known you two were sending tinsel and ornament hooks, too!
Well, they will have a lot of tinsel and ornament hooks!
Ho!Ho!Ho!
Your boxes are going to knock their socks off!!
Well, if you remember any of the titles of the books you sent to Mosul, please jot them down and let me know.
They'll be welcome whether we know what they are or not.
I just hope other bases are getting as much stuff as we are sending our adopted bases.
I never got a request for chapsticks, but starting in the summer I send the ones with sunscreen with high SPF's, 15-45.
I'd wait till April to send more, and spend more to get ones with sun protection built in.
Personally I find cherry flavored chapstick fun to use.
As for sausage, just make sure to write that your slim jims or your jerked sausage is all beef on your customs form.
I was just looking over your list of homemade ornaments.
*Sigh*
They sound so beautiful. Wish I could see them.
We are shipping boxes out like crazy now...trying to get most of them mailed before Thanksgiving..
"Ah, if only I'd known you two were sending tinsel and ornament hooks, too!"
Great minds think alike? ;o)
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