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.
Everything got there in a week! I'm totally amazed that it only took a week - I was expecting it to take at least 2 weeks.
Glad you're back. Hope everything is ok with your family.
Mom's doing pretty well. Just hope they don't lose electricity when Rita lashes Dallas in its death throes.
It wouldn't do any good to evacuate Mom up to my brother's further north, as all her medicines are at the nurses' station at her assisted living apartment and taken to her several times a day.
I'll post an update now for all.
Would you like to mail your copy of Roberts Ridge to the new Stryker company at Mosul?
Update:
I've been out of touch as my mother's modem was broken while I was in Texas this past week.
1. The wife of the Command Sergeant Major of our adopted psyops unit in Baghdad sent a thank you note, which I will post next.
2. E-mails from psyops in Baghdad indicate our waves of boxes of contents for their End of Summer Hawaiian party have been arriving in a timely fashion. When I got home yesterday, I got some macadamia nut cookies and mailed them out -- 3 boxes of 20 large freshly baked, commercially sealed cookies that will outdate a couple days after their party. Hope they arrive in time.
3. When I got back, a DHL package was duct taped on the wall of the porch alcove next to the front door. It contained an American flag sent by C company of Stryker who have been at Mosul, a certificate and a letter all explaining this flag was carried combat patrols around Mosul. I will post details in next posts.
Our adopted soldiers of C company are on their way home now, and I ask you all for prayers for their safe journey. They were in the fighting at Fallujah last November, and bore the brunt of the fighting and terror attacks (many IED's and the suicide bombing of the mess hall) at Mosul from last December on.
They kicked in the door to Hell, and have seen first hand the work of Satan. And some have lost limbs and an eye and one in this company of brothers has lost his life. I will be getting more details on our casualties for us to keep tabs on them.
So far, as our soldiers have come home, we have bid them grateful farewell and adopted their follow-on unit for our future attention. And we have already adopted a follow on unit of Stryker that we sent a box of movies to last week (see post 712).
But because this unit bore the some of the worst of the battle, we will try to keep touch with them in the future, and never forget our casualties.
From the wife of the CSM of our adopted Psy Ops unit at Baghdad. (see also posts 700, 711)
Cute card with a big yellow sun sending out yellow rays tips with red hearts, saying "Thanks!
Inside:
Dear Patty and your "Merry Band of Patriots"
I can not begin to thank you thoroughly-enough for all you are doing for my husband and his troops. ** called recently and told me of your efforts to pull-off their end of summer luau.
I want to laugh so hard, and I do, as I see in my minds-eye everyone -- come [date]. They are going to have a blast...it will be a riot!
I know things there really needed a pick-me-up, and this end of summer party will really hit the spot. You all are amazing! so...thank you from ***...but more so, thank you from me...the wife of a soldier, and fellow patriot, for keeping my man in your thoughts and concern, equipping him to care for his men and women.
In fond friendship,
***
Very nice update. Thank you.
Certificate:
Flanked by Stryker vehicle and lightning battle patch, heading reads:
1-25 Stryker Brigade Combat Team
Operation Iraqi Freedom
This flag accompanied 1st Brigade, 25th
Infantry Division, Stryker Brigade Combat Team
on combat patrols during Operation Iraqi Freedom
near the city of Mosul, Iraq.
Freedom is worth fighting for!
Fly it with pride.
Lancers!
In the two bottom corners are signatures of
Thomas B. Adams
CSM, USA
Command Sergeant Major
and
Robert B. Brown
COL, IN
Commanding
We also received a letter on Stryker stationery:
Department of the Army
1st Brigade (SBCT), 25th Infantry Division (Light)
Mosul, Iraq APO AE *****
Office of the Commander
Mrs. Patricia **** MD
***
***
Dear Dr. ***
On behalf of C company, 1-5 Infantry, and all the soldiers of the Stryker Brigade, I would like to offer my sincerest thanks and appreciation for your many contributions. CPT Schow has informed me of your tireless efforts this past year in supporting the soldiers of C company. The many packages that you have sent have served as a wonderful reminder to all the soldiers that they are not forgotten, and that their efforts are appreciated by a grateful nation.
Of even greater note, is the large network of other patriotic Americans whom you have led and organized, from across the country. Their collective efforts have far surpassed anything they could have accomplished individually. This has been possible due to your influence and leadership. Selfless service such as this has always been the foundation that all good nations are built upon, and your contribution to the soldiers of this Brigade will serve as an example of your service.
I hope you accept this flag as a small token of our gratitude. Please display it proudly.
Again, thank you for your support! Lancers!
Sincerely,
COL Robert B. Brown
1/25 SBCT Commander
Wow! What a wonderful surprise!!!
What an honor, to both you and our troops! Great work, Dr. ****! (I just couldn't resist, LOL!)
BUMP!!!!
Airborne is walking on air because his nephew Sean is home from Mosul.
Sean was our initial contact to C company of 1-5 Infantry, Stryker Brigade Combat Team (Light) at Mosul, and I am happy to report they are all back, but mindful they had one KIA, SGT Stephen Sherman, and several seriously wounded -- SSG Melo, SGT Brent Bretz, and SGT Chris Scott are the ones I know about.
Sean later was transferred to a unit training Iraqi soldiers at Mosul, but stayed in contact with his former company.
Sean also arranged a contact for us with the follow-on unit at Mosul that we just sent a box of movies to.
Now we are starting to gear up to send headlamps and MWR items requested to this replacement unit.
Stand by for news on this upcoming project.
Meanwhile we give thanks to God for the bravery and dedication of this group of heroes now home on American soil.
What are MWR items?
Morale, Welfare, and Recreation, I think.
Like movies, popcorn/snacks, toiletries, etc.
Halloween as well as Thanksgiving are coming up soon. Any ideas yet?
Thanks.
Amen and there is no soil like it in the world. Notice the protestors protest but they DON'T LEAVE. ;)
God BleesYou All! Thank you!!
See pictures of C company, 1-5 Inf, Stryker Brigade Combat Team, return to U.S. soil from Mosul posted by airborne, posts 737, 738, 739.
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