CARE PACKAGES for our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2006

patriciaruth ^ | 1-21-06 | patriciaruth

[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.

[Tunehead54]

This is the fun part I just noticed.

---

I originally went out to get a bunch of Bazooka gum to use as filler but couldn't find any! After three stores I went back to WalMart and got about $20 of hard candy - all individually wrapped.

When those 9 boxes went out they were "packed"! The mail gal kept telling me how much we'd saved over "regular" rates - usually $4.00+ a box. I gave you all the credit.;-)

I still have Batch #2 ready to go - so "Re-Direct" addresses along with a new APO would be great. Everything going out lists it as from the "Merry Band of Patriots" as instructed, Mam! ;-)

If anyone wants to send paperbacks I recommend that they just list the contents as "Used Paperbacks - fiction" and a "guesstimate" on quantity "~ 15" as it should remove any doubts regarding sending religious materials which I understand is frowned upon. No way was I going to list all the titles as the form asked for "detailed description of contents"!

[shezza]

More pix:

-------------------------Old shoes-------------------------------New shoes

------------------Supply and Demand -- our guys taking care of refugees near Kabul

[Ros42]

Sheeza,
Thank you for sharing those pictures! My friends, son, is out in "No Man's Land", Afghanistan. She has very little contact with him (Special Forces) and she enjoys looking at pictures from there. I will direct her to this thread so she can view them! :) I'm very happy to hear that your loved one will be home soon! :-)

[patriciaruth]

O is for Outlaw it is! Thanks!

[nina0113]

I got a box of Valentine's candy off to Bagram today - 60+ little treat bags with M&M's, Hershey's kisses, Nestle's Crunch hearts and individual bags of those little conversation hearts. I don't care for them myself, but they're TRADITION! Also a card, a velour rose & some candy dishes for the extra candy - those bags never come out even.

12 lbs. 3 oz.

[nina0113]

Would my contact in Bagram be handing out gloves etc.? I can swing by Walmart sometime this week for a bunch and get them out next weekend.

[shezza]

My boys and I shipped out 200 pairs of gloves and 120 scarves, and the kids at our church made another 100 or so scarves, which we sent to my husband in Kabul. He said there are many refugee camps spread around the country filled with thousands upon thousands of poor people, so there is always a need. When I asked what we could provide for the soldiers to hand out, that was his suggestion.

Your Bagram unit probably does regular "community relations" trips where they hand out supplies and gifts to the locals -- candy, toys, etc. Right now, with temps dipping in the single-digits and lots of people living in makeshift tents, hats and gloves and scarves provide a gift of comfort. If you have an email address you can ask your contact, but my guess is that they may appreciate having some little knit gloves and/or knit caps to hand out in addition to the usual trinkets and sweets.

Our local Walmart and Target has them on clearance (50-75% off) so you can get the one-size-fits-all sets pretty cheaply. We found all sorts of bright colors and fun designs, which are almost as good as a package of M&Ms, only they'll last longer. ;o)

[patriciaruth]

Oh, that's great! Your box of Valentine's goodies sounds really special.

I've got a Valentine's heart box of candy I'm going to send to a gal soldier at Bagram and am throwing in some Valentines and cocoa mix to fill it up.

I also mailed off to them a couple big bags of bite size candy bars a week or so ago (see post 1 or 2), so they should be fine now.

Yeah!

[Txsleuth]

I have 2 boxes that will be mailed on Monday, the 30th.
Each box has the same thing...

1 pkg filled with Variety pack of sandwich cookies
1 bag-individual pks of M & M Minis
1 bag-individual bars Snickers Minis
1 bag- Hersheys' Assorted Miniatures
1 bag-Butterfinger individual wrapped hearts
2 boxes of Batman Valentines...1 regular, 1 Flashy foil
1 box of Batman treats sacks.
individual chapsticks
Individual cotton swabs

The last two as filler in the empty spaces...

.I hope the troops in Kirkuk like them...and since this was my virgin attempt at sending packages...I hope all goes well.

P.S. You are right, this is a very addictive thing to do...I am ready for MORE!!!

[patriciaruth]

I got some Valentines, too. Batman, Narnia and Power Rangers...which are going to a different base.

FReepmail me if you were short on your count to Kirkuk and I can add some to the box I'm mailing with MJY1288's DVD recordings and a couple books going out on Tuesday.

[kattracks]

Mailed 2 boxes to Mosul today.

Box 1

4 Boxes Little Debbie Be My Valentne Cakes (8 per box), 2 boxes LD Iced Brownies (5 per box), 4 bags Sweethearts, 5 bags assorted choc hearts, 1 bag York Peppermint hearts, 1 bag Hershey's Val. miniatures, 2 bags Val. lollipops, 2 bags Fruit Juice Mini Bears, 2 boxes choc. covered Marshmallow Hearts (6 per box) 3 small traditional Val. Hearts w/choc candy, 1 red long stemmed artificial rose, 2 pkgs. sandwich bags, card.

Box 2

2 boxes LD Be My Val. Cakes. (8 per box), 3 boxes LD Iced Brownies (5 per box), 1 bag Val. lollipops, 10 bags assorted Val. choc. candy, 1 bag Hershey's Val. Kisses, 1 bag Hershey's Val. Miniatures, 1 bag Hershey's Val. Assortment, 1 bag York Val. Mints, 1 plastic tub JuJu Hearts, 1 pkg. Sweethearts, 1 pkg. Fruit Juice Mini Bears, 3 small traditionl Val. hearts w/ choc. candy, 1 pkg. sandwich bags, 1 red long stemmed artificial rose, card.

[patriciaruth]

Oh, such wonderful boxes!

I'm just sending 1 box with a couple big bags of bite size candy bars and several books, plus valentines...

Should go out in the next day or two.

Nothing pretty or special like yours....

Thanks for your sweet work for our American heroes!

[patriciaruth]

Mailed January 31, 2006, to Mosul,
1 box, insured $64.28, postage $10.40
2 bags candy:
Snickers minis 36 oz (~112)
Kitkat and Reese’s peanut butter cup miniatures (44 oz)
70 Valentines (Narnia, Batman, Power Rangers) addressed to “A Real American Hero” from variously Meg, Caroline, Kat, Beverly, Jackie, Patty and Rhonda
1 DVD movie: March of the Penquins
4 Books:
Hondo (Louis L’Amour)
Conagher (Louis L’Amour)
The Virginian (Owen Wister)
October Sky (also published as Rocket Boys, by Homer Hickam)
4 DVD recordings by MJY1288:
President Bush, Address to the Nation 12-18-05
President Bush speech, 1-6-06
Rush Limbaugh MP3 files for December, 2 disc set
Misc:
Winter Olympics USA 2006 sticker
Wallet Calendar and 2 paper bookmarks
Imprimis article on The Choices facing Europe by Aznar

Mailed 2 boxes January 31, 2006, to Tal Afar
Box 1, value $26.41, postage $8.10
2 bags candy:
44.9 oz Hershey mix (small size Whoppers, Kitkats, Hershey’s, and Reese’s peanut butter cups)
44 oz Nestle’s (Butterfingers, Baby Ruths, Crunch, Milk Chocolate)
8 DVD recordings by MJY1288:
Rush Limbaugh MP3 files for December, 2005, 2 disc set
White House Christmas Tour with Laura Bush
Winning Iraq, The Untold Story
President Bush speeches:
Speech on Iraq, 12-7-05
War on Terror, 12-12-05
War on Terror, 12-14-05
Address to the Nation, 12-18-05
30 Valentines (Power Rangers, Batman, Narnia) addressed to “A Real American Hero” and signed Jackie, Beverly, Caroline, Meg, Rhonda, Patty, or Kat
1 Winter Olympics USA window sticker
2006 CME Calendar from UC Davis (with pictures from all over the US)

Box 2, value $27.03, postage $8.10
8 individual packages of 4 vanilla cream Snackwell cookies each 1.7 oz
2 bags candy:
44 oz mix of Kitkats and bite size Reese’s peanut butter cups
44 oz mini mix of Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Twix, Dark Milky Way, milk choc Milky Way
Book: Tunnel in the Sky (Robert A. Heinlein)
50 Valentines (Power Rangers, Batman, Narnia)

[patriciaruth]

You have 2 boxes of Valentines listed in your box to Kirkuk. Are those the boxes that have 32 Valentines per box?

[patriciaruth]

Mailed February 1, 2006, to Kirkuk
1 box, value $40.00, postage $8.10
Heart shaped box candy (red velvet with pink rose) with 15 pieces Whitman’s sampler, 8 miniature Hershey’s dark chocolate with almonds, 2 Rocher hazel nut balls, 5 Cella’s chocolate covered cherries.
5 small bags candy (Hershey’s miniature mixed (36 in one bag, 20 in another), mini Snickers, 2 Reese’s bite size peanut butter cups, and some extra Cella’s choc covered cherries)
27 Valentines (Batman, Narnia, and Power Rangers)
4 envelops of Swiss Miss hot cocoa mix
8 DVD recordings by MJY1288:
Rush Limbaugh MP3 files for December, 2 disc set
White House Christmas Tour with Laura Bush, 2005
5 President Bush speeches (January 6, 2006; December 7, 2005; December 12, 2005;
December 14, 2005; December 18, 2005

Mailed February 1, 2006, to Bagram for our gal soldier
1 box, value $32.00, postage $8.10
Valentine heart box (red velvet with pink rose) with 31 pieces of candy (16 Whitman’s sampler, 8 Hershey dark choc with almonds bite size, 2 Rocher hazelnut balls, 5 Cella’s choc covered cherries)and with a Narnia valentine for our contact.
2 boxes Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix (10 envelops each)
6 little bags of Hershey’s miniatures mixture, Reese’s bite size peanut butter cups, mini Snickers
Smithsonian magazine, Pompei issue
2 DVD recordings by MJY1288:
President Bush speech, 12-14-05
Press Conference, 12-19-05

Mailed February 1, 2006, to psyops at Baghdad
1 box, value $23.63, postage $8.10
3 boxes of Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate mix, total of 26 envelops
16 DVD recordings by MJY1288:
Veterans Day ceremonies
President Bush speeches in Alaska, 11-14
South Korea, 11-19
Speech on Iraq, Dec 7, 2005
War on Terror speech, December 12, 2005
War on Terror speech, December 14, 2005
Address to the Nation, December 18, 2005
Winning Iraq, The Untold Story, Fox News special
White House Christmas Tour with Laura Bush
Brian Williams interview President Bush, Dec 2005
Rush Limbaugh MP3 files for October, 2 disc set
Rush Limbaugh MP3 files for November, 2 disc set
Rush Limbaugh MP3 files for December, 2 disc set
2 boxes with 5 bags green tea
1 bottle 100 kelp tablets 250 mg
20 orange plastic bracelets for kids
Stickers sheets: Easter lilies, various greets with flowers, baskets pastel flowers
Package Q-tips
4 zipper lock baggies.
3 Weekly Standard Magazines (Fighting to Win, Saddam’s Terror Training Camps, Alito)
2 L.A. Times front page sections, Dec 28 and 30
2 Christmas cards

[patriciaruth]

Mailed February 2, 2006, to psyops in Kosovo
1 box, insured 42.35, postage $9.45
‘Silver’ weave basket with red plastic basket liner and silver ribbon on the silver handle.
Contains cellophane bag with little hearts tied with red bow containing 13 each Hershey’s Dark choc miniatures, Hershey’s milk chocolate, Cella’s chocolate covered cherries, Ferrero-Rocher hazel nut balls.
Valentines for all (Narnia, Power Rangers, Batman)
1 DVD movie: Hitch (Will Smith)
3 boxes of Swiss Miss hot chocolate with 26 envelops hot cocoa mix
2 little bags of Nestle’s conversation heart candies and red paper card Valentine box to hold them
10 DVD recordings by MJY1288:
Rush Limbaugh MP3 files for Nov and Dec, each are 2 disc sets
White House Christmas Tour with Laura Bush
War on Terror speech, 12-7-05
President Bush Speech 12-12-05
Speech 1-6-06
President Bush, Address to the Nation, 12-18-05
Winning Iraq, The Untold Story

[patriciaruth]

We sent out 17 care packages for VALENTINES DAY. See posts 96, 95, 93, 91, 89, 85, 73, 60, 56 for details on contents. The 7 boxes I sent out were substantially subsidized by donations. THANK YOU, jtill, MEG33, bjcintennessee, Kitty Mittens, MJY1288.

Kosovo-1 box by patriciaruth
Bagram, Afghanistan-1 box by patriciaruth, 1 box by nina0113
Kirkuk, Iraq-1 box by patriciaruth, 2 by Txsleuth
psyops Baghdad, Iraq-1 box by patriciaruth, 2 by Ros42
Tal Afar, Iraq-2 by patriciaruth, 1 by SENClander, 2 by kattracks
Mosul, Iraq-1 by patriciaruth, 2 by kattracks

***** At posts 81 and 68, Tunehead54 details his adventures in sending his library to Tal Afar, Mosul, and Bagram, with another box holding till we get the word from a unit digging in at the Syrian border to start sending goodies.

We have continued need for care packages for Tal Afar. Any type goodies welcome. Masterlists of movies and books already sent will be posted below.

***** OPERATION SPRING CLEANING:

We have an APO and instructions for sending gently used clothing and new or practically new shoes/sandals (for children and adults) and blankets etc for the soldiers in Afghanistan to take to the poor. Anything you think someone living on the edge without electricity could use would probably be welcome. FReepmail me for the APO and instructions.

See picture posted below and more pictures posted at 67 and 80 by shezza

[patriciaruth]

U.S. soldiers passing out donated items to poor children in Afghanistan.

[patriciaruth]

MASTERLIST for TAL AFAR, movies and books already sent

DVD movies:
In Memoriam NYC 9/11/01 (narrated by Rudy Giuliani)
Batman Begins (Michael Caine, Liam Neeson)
Charlie Brown Christmas**
DC 9/11: Time of Crisis (Timothy Bottoms)
D-Day***
Die Another Day (Pierce Brosnan)*
The Dirty Dozen (Lee Marvin)*
Fatal Attraction (Michael Douglas, Glenn Close)***
The Firm (Tom Cruise)***
Footloose (Kevin Bacon)***
Frequency (Dennis Quaid, Jim Caviezel)
Gaudalcanal***
Gettysburg (Jeff Daniels, Martin Sheen)
Ghost (Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopie Goldberg)***
The High and The Mighty (John Wayne) [for the airmen]
Kicking and Screaming (Will Ferrell, Robert Duvall, Dick Butkis) [donated by jtill]
Ice Station Zebra (Patrick McGoohan, Rock Hudson)*
Island in the Sky (John Wayne)
Laura Croft Tomb Raider*
A Low Down Dirty Shame (Keenen Ivory Wayans)***
My Cousin Vinnie*
The Quick and the Dead (Sam Elliott, Kate Capshaw)
The Sixth Sense (Bruce Willis, Joel Haley Osment)
Star Wars III, Revenge of the Sith
Tombstone (Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Charlton Heston)
Total Recall (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone)
TV Classic Westerns (Bat Masterson, Rifleman, Death Valley Days, Wagon Train)***
Unbreakable (Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson)
U.S. Marshals (Tommy Lee Jones)*
The Waterboy (Adam Sandler)*
Windtalkers (Nicolas Cage) ***

*sent by CAluvdubya
**sent by Ican’tbelieveit
***sent by kattracks

MASTERLIST books at TAL AFAR
Band of Brothers***
Billy Strobe (John Martel)**
Bleachers (John Grisham)***
The Century Collection (People magazine’s 100 most intriguing people)**
Conagher (Louis L’Amour)
Derailed (James Siegel)**
Enchantment (Scott Card)
Ender’s Game (Scott Card)
Glory Road (Robert A. Heinlein)
Home and Away (Scott Simon) **
Hondo (Louis L’Amour)
Jubal Sackett (Louis L’Amour)
King Rat (James Clavell)
The Last Juror (John Grisham)***
Last of the Breed (Louis L’Amour)
Leadership (Rudy Giuliani)**x2
The Man from the Broken Hills (Louis L’Amour)
Master & Commander - Far Side Of the World (Patrick O'Brian)**
Miracle of St. Anna (a WW11 Novel)**
On Top of the World (about 9/11 and Cantor Fitzgerald)**
Patton, A Genius for War (Carlo D’Este)***
Prince of Ayodhya**
Ride the Dark Trail (Louis L’Amour)
The Right Stuff (Tom Wolfe)
A Royal Duty [about Princess Diana] (Paul Burrell)**
Russka (Edward Rutherford)
Sarum (Edward Rutherford)
The Shadow Riders (Louis L’Amour)
Shogun (James Clavell)
Starship Troopers (Robert A. Heinlein)
Tai-pan (James Clavell)
Tunnel in the Sky (Robert A. Heinlein)
War of Eagles (Tom Clancy's Op Center)*
The Winds of War (Herman Wouk)

*jtill donated
**kattracks sent
***SENClander

Ones below sent by Tunehead54
Bradbury, Ray A Medicine For Melancholy
Case, John Genesis Code, The
Chandler, Raymond Killer In The Rain
Clavell, James Gai-Jin
De Camp, L. Sprague The Best of L. Sprague De Camp
Del Ray, Lester Gods & Golems
Farmer, Phillip Jose Magic Labyrinth, The
Follett, Ken The Key To Rebecca
Francis, Dick For Kicks
Francis, Dick Smokescreen
Francis, Dick Whip Hand
Griffin, WEB Close Combat
Grisham, John Testament, The
Kidder, Tracy Soul of a new machine, The
King, Stephen Cujo
King, Stephen Skeleton Crew
King, Stephen Talisman, The
Koontz, Dean Icebound
Koontz, Dean One Door Away From Heaven
Koontz, Dean Phantoms
Koontz, Dean Servants Of Twilight, The
LeGuin, Ursula Rocannon's World
LeGuin, Ursula Tombs of Atuan, The
Ludlum, Robert Bourne Supremacy, The
Ludlum, Robert Chancellor Manuscript, The
Ludlum, Robert Cry of The Halidon, The
Ludlum, Robert Scorpio Illusion, The
McCullough, Colleen Ladies Of Missalonghi
Michener, James A. Carribbean
Michener, James A. Drifters, The
Niven, Larry Protector
Paretsky, Sara Killing Orders
Pournelle, Jerry Birth Of Fire
Pournelle, Jerry Mercenary, The
Saint, H. F. Memoirs Of An Invisible Man
Sanders, Lawrence Seduction Of Peter S., The
Sanders, Lawrence Sullivan's Sting
Shem, Samuel M.D. House Of God, The
Sjowall, Maj & Wahloo, Per Cop Killer
Sjowall, Maj & Wahloo, Per Locked Room, The
Smith, Martin Cruz Gorky Park
Tey, Josephine Daughter of Time
Van Lustbader, Eric Ninja, The
Van Lustbader, Eric Zero
Wilford John Noble We Reach The Moon
Wolfe, Tom Right Stuff, The

[angelsonmyside]

You should have had a hanky alert, lol. that is so wonderful, you guy's are all great.