Posted on 01/21/2006 3:06:06 PM PST by 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.
Email from HHC of NPTT at Baghdad follows.
Check out the goodies that have been sent so far.
To Stryker by mass55th (posts 2088 and 2108), 4Godsoloved..Hegave (post 2112), Paperdoll (post 2140), and Abigail Adams (post 2137)
To Bagram by nina0113 (post 2133) and SW6906 (post 2095)
To HHC of NPTT at Baghdad: MYJ1288 has the tree and was going to mail it yesterday last we talked.
Donations by Enterprise, jtill, MEG33, manna, Icantbelieveit, and my mother have gone toward packages I mailed to BALAD, STRYKER, HHC of NPTT at Baghdad, and one in works for Bagram.
Mailed December 4, 2007, to Balad, Iraq, 2 more boxes.
Box 2, value $42.37, postage $8.95
3 packs 12 Ferrero Rocher hazelnut truffles
2 cans 10 oz Planters Deluxe Nut mix
3 bricks 12 oz. Hickory Farms cheddar cheese
2 pkgs Carrs crackers1 stoned wheat and 1 cheese melts
31 blueberry candy canes
Box 3, value $26.76, postage $8.95
1 Santa hat with string tree light appliqués around trim that light (batteries included separately)
2 packs 16 each Chips Ahoy Chunky white fudge cookies
2 packs 8 large Pepperidge Farm cookies, dark choc pecan and white choc macadamia
3 packs 9 Ghiardelli chocolate square with raspberry filling
****
Patty,
Looking forward to the tree [that MJY1288 is mailing], we’ll have to re-arrange some furniture but we definately have a place for it. I hope [daybreakcoming]’s feeling better and will add her to our prayers as well.
Recieved the box of ten fom Petzel and have already put mine to good use.
Things have cooled down nicely, no snow (thankfully) but did get some rain the other day. Looking forward to the tree, hopefully it’ll help get us in the Christmas spirit.
Once again I can’t tell you how much we appreciate this.
Thanks,
MAJ **
BUMP
Just under the wire, I got my boxes off today for INP NPTT in Baghdad. I filled a large stocking for each of the eleven in the unit and each stocking had:
candy cane
pair of white socks
ballpoint pen
travel pack Wet Ones
travel pack Puffs
packet of Land o’Lakes hot chocolate mix
caramel peanut power bar
packet apple cider mix
mini box Sun-Maid raisins
Gillete razor (various types) and refill cartridges
Hershey chocolate Santa
Listerine pocketpak breathstrips
packet Constant Comment tea
mini Moon Pie
chapstick
Slim Jim monster
pack playing cards
shaving cream
pack of fig newtons
bag of Cheez-its
Hot Hands hand warmers
foam insoles
Box 1:
6 stockings
4 bags of beef jerky
2 bags Brach’s Christmas Nougats
2 bags Twix mini bars
2 bags mini Snickers
Box 2:
5 stockings
1 plastic Christmas bowl (for the candy)
1 dancing Santa playing the sax (and separate batteries)
1 box 3X6 security envelopes
1 writing tablet
5 puzzle books (word search, sudoku, crossword)
1 Scrabble game
1 box Christmas chocolates
1 Cribbage game
Box 3:
2 tins Danish butter cookies
3 jars Macadamia nuts
4 packs of playing cards (leftover from stockings)
2 Hot Hands hand warmers (leftover from stockings)
WOW!! I hadn’t seen this post with all your hard work when I wrote you the FReepmail just now.
Box sent to Battle Company in Afghanistan Dec. 7, 2007
Postage 11.40 Priority Flat Rate insured for $150
17 packages of 1/2 pound Big John’s Beef jerky
WOW!! Whoopie! I’m about to mail out 14 Hickory Farms beef sausages, figuring they’ll need fat, too, not just protein in the cold there. Enterprise and cjhnorthcarolina contributed toward this box. But they can take your beef jerky on patrol because it is light weight.
*snore*
oops, falling asleep.
Talk with you later.
Cheers!!
Note:
Packages mailed to NPTT at Baghdad by SENClander (post 2143)
Packages mailed to Battle Company in Afghanistan by 4Godsoloved..Hegave (post 2145)
Mailed December 8, 2007, to Battle Company in Afghanistan (near Pakistan border)
1 box, insured $95.61, postage $11.40 with confirmation
14 sticks 14 oz Hickory Farms beef summer sausage
11 tea bags Earl Grey
5 flavor packets (4 beef, 1 chicken)
3 individ packs 1.75 oz Whoppers
2 Christmas cards (one from cshnorthcarolina, one from Enterprise)
Ordered December 8, 2007, to be mailed direct to Battle Company from Hickory Farms:
5 boxes cheeses (each box with 6 cheese bricks- 7 oz natural edam, new york cheddar, sharp cheddar; 6.5 oz apple pie cheddar; 6 oz smoked gouda; 4 oz smokey bar. And 6 strawberry hard candies). Cost $160.45
Mailed December 8, 2007, to Bagram
1 box, insured $117.64, postage $11.40
7 DVD movies:
The Fifth Element (Bruce Willis)
Forever Young (Mel Gibson, Jamie Lee Curtis)
Lawrence of Arabia (Peter OToole, Alec Guiness, Omar Sharif)
The Man from Snowy River (Kirk Douglas, Tom Burlinton)
Nativity Story
Ratatouille (Peter OToole)
Spanglish (Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni)
2 bags 10 oz Hawaiian coffee, Kona Classic
2 cans 10 oz Planters Deluxe Mixed Nuts
1 box 12 blueberry candy canes
1 People magazine, 12/10/07
2 tea bags (holiday blend, blueberry)
1 note pad
1 metal snowman stencil
1 sheet Easter Seal greeting stickers
5 sample packets oil/lotion/perfume
1 individ size 1.75 oz Whoppers
ping to posts 2145 and 2147.
Mailed December 5, 2007:
Box 1:
1 box hot cocoa mix (70 individual packets)
38 Snickers fun size bars
5 patriotic women’s scarves
Box 2:
1 box apple cider mix (48 individual packets)
1 knit cap
24 bags corn nuts
Box 3:
2 24 count boxes Planters Peanuts (1 box salted and 1 of dry roasted ... 1oz size)
24 bags corn nuts
Box 4:
1 box apple cider mix (48 individual packets)
2 knit caps
18 bags corn nuts
Box 5:
1 box apple cider mix (48 individual packets)
2 knit caps
9 bags corn nuts
1 box (12) candy canes
2 candy filled plastic ornaments
Box 6:
Texas Hold “Em game set
6 hotel vanity kits
2 tooth brushes
4 trial size bath soap
2 trial size bath gel
4 trial size lotion
6 trial size shampoo
6 trial size conditioner
4 patriotic tac pins
6 patriotic women’s scarves
3 mirrored lip gloss holders
Box 7:
1 box apple cider mix (48 individual packets)
2 knit caps
40 packs gum
12 bags microwave popcorn 3.3oz size
Box 8:
1 box apple cider mix (48 individual packets)
1 box candy canes (12)
8 bags microwave popcorn 3.3oz size
1 pack 2 holiday pens
1 bag Dove chocolates
Box 9:
2 boxes 24 count energy bars (peanut butter and protein rich)
40 packs gum
2 candy filled plastic ornaments
12 bags corn nuts
Box 10:
2 boxes candy canes (12 each)
8 bags microwave popcorn 3.3oz size
9 bags corn nuts
Box 11:
1 box apple cider mix (48 individual packets)
1 box candy canes (12)
1 knit cap
1 pair knit gloves
1 knit head band
2 candy filled plastic ornaments
Mailed 12-6-07:
Box 1:
2 cans Pringles
1 box candy canes (12)
2 candy filled plastic ornaments
17 bags corn nuts (had to give 1 bag to Marissa)
Box 2:
2 DVD’s
.. Return of Magnificant Seven w/Yul Brynner
.. Blazing Saddles w/Mel Brooks
1 cans Pringles
1 box candy canes (12)
1 trial size soap
2 trial size lotion
2 trial size conditioner
1 trial size shampoo
Approx 100 fun size chocolate candy (Herseys, Nestle & M&M)
Box 3:
42 mini bags popcorn (1.3oz size)
Approx 50 fun size chocolate candy (Herseys, Nestle & M&M)
1 bag Mint Truffles Kisses
And in another day or two or four when all these packages descend on our fighting men at Baqubah, they are going to be so excited and feel so loved.
Thank you so much!
Here goes one more box today to Stryker at Baqubah. It’s late going but maybe it will get there (cross fingers).
Contents:
2 packs Peeps snowmen
2 packs Peeps Christmas trees
2 boxes (10 ea) Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix
1 bag big marshmallows
2 DVDs — Charlie Brown Christmas and Simpsons Christmas
1 box Wet Ones singles
2 cans beef Slim Jims
2 4 oz bags beef jerky
4 boxes (3 ea) Crisp Kringle chocolate Santas
1 tin Danish cookies
3 magazines — two Sports Illustrated and Popular Mechanics
Thanks!!
Have a great holiday and a better New Year! Thanks so much for your thoughtfulness - it means a great deal to the entire team.
Also included was a picture of "Team Dirty Dozen" posed under the giant crossed swords. Cool!
Really cool! Glad to hear they got your goodies and enjoyed them enough to send you a photo of the “Team.”
:-)
Notes:
JustAmy and Jim Robinson sent 14 boxes to Stryker at Baqubah (see post 2149)
SENClander sent an additional box to Stryker at Baqubah (see post 2151)
EMAIL from HHC at NPTT Baghdad!
Patty,
I hope this finds you and the rest of the Merry Band Of Patriots happy, healthy and ready for Christmas. Some of the guys on our team are suffering through a bit of the flu, but are Soldiering on.
We recieved the Tree a couple of days ago and brought it back to our compound on the hood of the Humvee, it was quite the sight!
We’ve been on mission the past six days straight and are looking forward to our day off tomorrow and some Christmas decorating which is when we’ll also set the tree up. Also recieved three of the four packages as well (one had tinsel, but no ornament yet) It’s become quite the tradition that we open the boxes as a team either before or after we come back from mission.
Once again, thankyou and I can’t express how much this means to us. As soon as the other box arrives I’ll send an e-mail.
Have a merry and safe Christmas.
***
Mailed December 15, 2007, to Battle Company in Afghanistan
1 box, value $34.49, postage $8.95
15 individual wrapped Russell Stover chocolate raspberry Santas
2 boxes 16 Cellas milk chocolate covered cherries
2 boxes 10 Cellas dark chocolate covered cherries
2 packs 12 Ferrero Rocher chocolate hazelnut truffles
1 box 20 Liberty Orchards Berry Delights (raspberry pecan, blueberry conserve, cranberry walnut, blackberry conserve, strawberry walnut)
1 box 20 Liberty Orchards Fruit Delights (orange walnut, blueberry pecan, peach walnut, pineapple macadamia, strawberry walnut)
1 Readers Digest, January 2008
Bless you so much! That is going to mean so much to them -
For those who may not have caught the film on BATTLE COMPANY, don be embeds with them for months and shown in ABC NIGHTLINE - or caught the article on them in the current issue of VANITY FAIR - (many have no idea that we still have troops in such day to day frightening battles - over 450 firefights in their first 6 months high in the mountains of north eastern Afghanistan. The military and the press are being very quiet about it -
You can see both on the military site for the 173rd Home Base in Italy at:
http://www.setaf.army.mil/
My 'adopt a Platoon" drive for them in my little town has resulted in 24+ boxes getting off to them for Christmas - and hoping to keep donations coming through the winter - some of the harshest winter on the planet = and they are not in warm buildings as you can see in the articles - NO buildings, just the 'hooches' they have been able to cobble together on the tiny shelf they pick axed out of the mountainside - and filing sand bags with rock they pickaxed the same way - piling them up and putting logs across...
I am knitting long scarfs - wool or alpaca blend that they can wrap around and around their heads and neck - (and "toe warmers" which I designed, knitting them in 100% wool or Alpaca. They are simply the same as about a 4" long toe end of a sock that they pull on over their toes under their socks. It's the toes that get frost bitten first and keeping them warm is crucial )
And I'm getting the metal handwarmers one by one as I can afford - Aladdin's jon-e GIANT are the best - they provide warmth for 24 hours on one filling...it gets to minus 40 there and avalanches are common - there has already been one this winter that killed many villagers.
Thank you so much, Patty, for being so generous, with all the rest you have been doing, to send this box to BATTLE Co.
And 4Godsoloved..Hegave - 17 packages of 1/2 pound Big Johns Beef jerky ! That is going to go a long ways towards keeping up their strength and body heat!
Both of you are ANGELS!
How do you get the post office to accept lighter fluid for the Aladdin’s jon-e GIANTs?
We can’t send flammable liquids, or I’d send them a little gas stove and a bunch of propane.
We mailed a package yesterday for the company in the Stryker Brigade
Items we sent:
Crackers
Tootsie rolls, in canisters
Microwave Popcorn
Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa
Slimjim
Nips caramel candy
Gum
2 tins of Butter Cookies
Canisters of Cheetos
Sweettarts and other candies
Pez candy and dispensers
Puzzle books
Dice
Soap
Toothbrushes
Kleenex
And of course, we sent our heartfelt thank you to all
God Bless Our Military
Merry Christmas,
Colleen
BUMP
Wonderful! Wonderful!
THANK YOU from all of us for adding to the goodies going to Stryker at Baqubah! They are all great and will be unpacked with glee!
Merry Christmas to you all!
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