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.
I have been thinking about this and I can see Jon being willing to keep track of John Smith sent X dollars which equals the purchase of X number of lights......but I do not see someone in that position willing to keep track of Jane Doe sent $5.00 towards the purchase of a light and Sally Sue sent $10.00 and etc....am I all wet??
I have been thinking about this and I can see Jon being willing to keep track of John Smith sent X dollars which equals the purchase of X number of lights......but I do not see someone in that position willing to keep track of Jane Doe sent $5.00 towards the purchase of a light and Sally Sue sent $10.00 and etc....am I all wet??
I don't know about all wet, but yes, it would be very easy for them to keep track of it. It's a simple spread sheet. I used to do it all the time. (I still can, if for some reason Jon isn't up for it.) Jane Doe and Sally Sue are contributing to a specific account. Every dollar in that account must be accounted for. That's why they call it "Accounting"! =)
For those of you interested in helping out with the lights, please be patient. Hanna and I are working on some details, but don't want to leave you hanging while we work these things out.
Let mwe know when you can provide a way to send some financial assistance.
Sorry I have been out of touch. I had to check in on my folks and was counting on using my mother's laptop while here to keep in touch.
It was broken when I got here, but my brother has just repaired it.
A quick scan looks like Lori has found a better place to buy the headlamp where we can buy any number we want for $29 a piece if I sign up for a newsletter, and not have to raise a lot of money to get a bulk order of 50 headlamps all in one shot.
I'll reread all the posts carefully to see if this is right, and then tomorrow I'll check out Lori's find to see if it's all as advertised.
If all is well, then I'll ping the troop supporters and we'll see how many we can get right away.
SW6906, I'll reread your post and get back to you soon.
Thanks for posting the pictures of the Boy Scout banners. They are great!
I've been out of touch due to family needs, but I'll be checking in every evening now that the laptop is working here.
I'll be checking out the place that Lori found and get some headlamps for your nephew's company and send one to him specifically as well.
This is the post that I commented on. You had ordered 2 headlamps already at $29 a piece and free shipping.
I will check these out to see if they are the ones we want to send.
And it looks like I don't have to send one to Marty as you already have him covered.
Now back to checking out these posts since I was unable to access the web yesterday.
Hi!
I am just getting caught up with all the terrific work you are doing.
I was flying here to Texas yesterday to check on my folks and my Mom's laptop was broken when I got here!
Oh, the horror!
If you want to introduce me to your contact, I can take over talks with your businessman who is willing to match us in contributions for buying the headlamps.
I will put my credit card on the line to make the first order, and will order more in a month...I'll work out some details with him.
We have a couple ways to handle the shipping.
The cheapest would be for him to ship them to a member of our Merry Band of Patriots on the East Coast, who can readdress and priority mail them cheaply to the Army staging area near him for cargo lifting to Iraq.
I'll check if our guy is up for that.
Now back to reading the posts. When we have a solid plan, then I will ping my troop support list and let them know what is going on.
You have gone a long way to getting us a plan, if this company offering the match dollar for dollar pans out and these are the headlamps we want.
I especially like that detail about them not having an on-off switch that can get sand in it but protected push button.
Great going, gal!!
Not to worry. If you give me his APO (privately by FReepmail), I will make sure he gets at least a couple for his squad.
Now back to checking the posts since I was off the web...
If we were ordering microwave popcorn or movies, that would be great.
But I will not participate in any news concerning getting headlamps. FReepmailing why.
I'll be making the order and put it on my credit card when I've had a chance to personally check out this new source for the headlamps who is offering this deal.
HannaUSA has done a great job finding this source. But she doesn't have a deep pockets credit card she can put on the line like I do, so I'll put the order in on my card if all is well come Sunday or Monday.
Anyone who wants to help offset the cost can send me a contribution....I accept checks, M.O's, cash, Walmart shopping cards and Amazon gift certificates, but it won't be cashed till after the 10th of March, as I am out of town right now. Hubby is home holding down the fort and feeding the cat.
We'll track you down later (ping you) when we have all the ducks in a row. But one way or another some headlamps are going to our troops in Mosul, that much I can tell you for sure. And I sincerely appreciate your desire to show our troops in harms way that we care about them.
Cheers!
Patty
Thanks!! I'll see how much I can raise starting with my $60. I'll get you the APO of the guy I promised a light to - he's in Spanaway Lori's group of soldiers, so if you are sending the whole order there, we may not need worry about segregating one for my guy. Keep us informed and THANKS!!
We had an email yesterday from Nicole's father in New York.
Nicole (and the rest of Beast Battery, presumably) just reached their base in Hawaii from Kirkuk.
Charles (our main contact at Beast Battery at Kirkuk) wrote last month that he wouldn't be writing anyone for at least another four months after he got home to his wife.
I feel really lucky that a relative was kind enough to let us know our prayers were answered.
It was a very nice email, thanking us for helping keep Nicole's morale up. I would post most all of it, but I am away from home checking in on my elderly folks, and can't figure out how to cut and paste my email accessed through my Mom's internet connection, and not actually downloaded.
When I get back, I'll see that you get to see some pictures that her father sent me a couple months ago.
Spanaway Lori, HannaUSA have been getting a new project going to send headlamps to our adopted soldiers in Mosul, and I'll be checking with a manager at the company that distributes them on Monday. He has offered to match us in donations for the amount we raise for this project.
I'll let you know how the conversation goes after I talk with him, hopefully Monday. As you can see above, a few people have already dropped in to get the project rolling.
I'm being propelled along on the fingers of the mosh pit they have formed. Must be fate, because I have my hands full here in Texas now with the folks, and wasn't counting on doing anything big for a while.
Let me know how I can help
BUMP
Today I ordered 12 headlamps LED 4 black (covered push button and red filter) from Petzl America to be sent to our adopted Styker company at Mosul.
I checked with the commander of our Stryker company at Mosul and he said he would definitely like to have this item for his troops.
The manager for the headlamp division matched us, donating 12 more, so 24 are being mailed priority to their APO directly in care of the commander of our Stryker company.
Several of you have already pledged for 4 or more of these lamps, which go for around $43 a piece retail. The manager has promised to match us headlamp for headlamp to purchase up to around 45 more, making it possible to send up to 90 more headlamps to any soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan that you all want.
I am going to ask my contact at Mosul to run a few of this initial batch over to headquarters to be given to a few specific soldiers who have been adopted by a couple of the ones who have pledged contributions already. If that isn't easy for him, then I'll have the next batch mailed to me first so I can repackage some of them individually for the specific adopted soldiers.
And I'll do that for any specific soldier that anybody sends me the money to cover the purchase and mailing expense, say $25.
So, those of you who are tapped out from Christmas donations, please check around FR and if you find people talking about headlamps or talking about sending care packages to soldiers, then suggest they drop by here.
Anybody who wants to join in, FReepmail me for instructions on donating. I accept checks, money orders, cash, Walmart shopping cards, Target gift cards, and Amazon gift certificates.
I'll post again when I hear back from Mosul that the first shipment arrived.
Today I ordered 12 headlamps LED 4 black (covered push button and red filter) from Petzl America to be sent to our adopted Styker company at Mosul.
I checked with the commander of our Stryker company at Mosul and he said he would definitely like to have this item for his troops.
The manager for the headlamp division matched us, donating 12 more, so 24 are being mailed priority to their APO directly in care of the commander of our Stryker company.
Several of you have already pledged for 4 or more of these lamps, which go for around $43 a piece retail. The manager has promised to match us headlamp for headlamp to purchase up to around 45 more, making it possible to send up to 90 more headlamps to any soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan that you all want.
I am going to ask my contact at Mosul to run a few of this initial batch over to headquarters to be given to a few specific soldiers who have been adopted by a couple of the ones who have pledged contributions already. If that isn't easy for him, then I'll have the next batch mailed to me first so I can repackage some of them individually for the specific adopted soldiers.
And I'll do that for any specific soldier that anybody sends me the money to cover the purchase and mailing expense, say $25.
So, those of you who are tapped out from Christmas donations, please check around FR and if you find people talking about headlamps or talking about sending care packages to soldiers, then suggest they drop by here.
Anybody who wants to join in, FReepmail me for instructions on donating. I accept checks, money orders, cash, Walmart shopping cards, Target gift cards, and Amazon gift certificates.
I'll post again when I hear back from Mosul that the first shipment arrived.
Hey there Patty .. sorry for being awol .. been under the weather lately
I just sent you something in the mail and can send you another mail to help out
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.