Support Our Troops: Free Republic Operation Phone Home

03/02/2003 | dware

[dware]

FReeper friends & family,

I have a friend in Kuwait, where he and his division have been stationed now for two months in Operation Enduring Freedom. I have been emailing him, and we have been able to clear the sending of packages from folks here over to them.

According to him, they are in desperate need of International phone cards. Calls from Kuwait to home cost about $1.55 a minute, and many of his division are often unable to make calls to their loved ones & family because of the expense. Letters of support from children & adults here at home are also extremely welcome, as are pictures and similar items.

That's where the Free Republic Operation Phone Home comes in. I am coordinating with my friend to get members of his division the items mentioned above, and I would like to ask your help in doing so. If you have been interested in establishing a direct line to a troop or two, this would be the perfect opportunity.

On March 20, 2003, I will be sending out the first of (hopefully) many packages for the troops. Items to be included are:

International phone cards
Letters
Pictures
Drawings from children, etc.

At this time, we are working out the logistics of other items to be included in the care packages, and as soon as we have that done, I'll post it here.

For now, here's how you can help: FReepmail me, or email warehouse@gvii.net and I will send you my address. You can then send a phone card or two, pictures, letters, etc. to me, and I will begin including them in the FR Operation Phone Home packages. If you would like to help with the cost of postage, you can also include a small contribution to the postage fund, though it is not required.

Let's show our support for our men & women in service, and let them know Free Republic CARES!

[sneakers]

Great idea! Count me in! Maybe I can get the folks where I work mobilized to donate phone cards, money, and other things that are needed.

[fatima]

I got this from Jim on a ship,That is cool that she thinks I am nice. The phone cards that you buy onland
do not work ont eh ship we have to buy them localy although you can add
money to them i tied it but it does not work for me.

Do the ships have differnt phone cards?

[TruthNtegrity]

Bumpity-bump!!

[I_Love_My_Husband]

The cheapest place I know for phone cards is this one http://acculinq.com

They have amazingly cheap rates. When my hubby was in
Britain I called it for 5 cents a minute.

[dware]

Thanks for posting this! I will put it over on the new thread: Operation Phone Home: A Letter From The Front

[fatima]

Here is a bump TruthNtegrity.

[topher]

There is a company that gives a "soft phone card", where you order the phone card, and you have a "PIN" code you use.

This is found at www.worldphonecard.com

Please note that I am not recommending them, but you would not have to physically send the phone card, but email it as a JPEG or GIF with instructions (straight text would be dangerous).

Post me if you have any questions. I help a friend from Panama call her friends in Panama using these Phone Cards.

[Mr. Silverback]

Bump!

[maica]

http://www.operationuplink.com/

This is a link to a site that has a very large operation for providing phonecards to the military. It may be easier for some Freepers to donate through them.

[Conservative4Ever]

I included the shopping list from the first thread. Hope you don't mind. Thought the needed items should be posted again. Let's Roll.

Red

Hello!

I've surveyed my soldiers and have some suggestions for you. It's very difficult for us to get back to ********** to get to the PX (which has lots of bare shelves and very little product as it is serving 18,000 soldiers instead of the usual 6,000 soldiers). We eat well, but have no access to things like snacks (chips, pretzels, and nuts, plus hard candy and gum). PLAIN Pop-tarts (no icing) are hard to find, but requested. We have cookies coming, so we don't really need that. Also requested are: 2 cribbage boards and a Scrabble game, American magazines (especially sports pubs and a few for the ladies we have here, too) and newspapers. We get Kuwaiti papers, but it would be fun to see how the American press is covering this operation. If someone could videotape some regular TV shows -- Friends, ER, Frazier, The Sopranos, 24, The Simpsons, CSI, sporting events, etc. -- we have the capability to view them. We have Kuwaiti TV, but we can't understand it! Also needed would be pocket-sized packages of hand sanitizer so we can stay clean when we're in the field, and soft toothbrushes. Those are always out at the PX. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. Again, thanks for very much for your generous kindness. END OF MESSAGE

[RummyChick]

please find out if they can use any phone card.
I saw a post somewhere that our soldiers could only use AT&T phone cards in Kuwait.

[RummyChick]

the other thing I want to know if there is any kind of way to send items to someone here in the us at a base and then have them ship it for free via their military drop offs.

The reason that I say this is because of the costs of sending heavy packages via the post office. Fed ex ground is quite cheap for me and I could send a 15 pound package with all kinds of stuff in it here in the US. But a 15 pound package insured via USPS will be quite a bit more expensive unless it contains only media mail qualified items.

[Mustang]

Threads like this is why FReeRepublic remains the real deal!

Mustang sends w/ a bump or two!

[RummyChick]

I posted a site last week that has an an adopt a platoon setup.

www.adoptaplatoon.org

They give you the name of a soldier to adopt and keep up regular correspondence and care packages.

[RummyChick]

you might want to tell your friend about www.adoptaplatoon.org

There might be soliders in Kuwait that would like to sign up.

[GailA]

MARCH 5TH PROJECT NATIONAL ANTHEM

Project National Anthem, Support Our Troops

[sfRummygirl]

bump

[firewalk]

Bttt

[Risa]

dware...

What a tremendous opportunity you've provided for those of us who want to do something to support our troops, yet didn't know where to turn.

I would love to contribute, and if it's o.k., I'd like to forward your mailing address, once I receive it, to family and friends -- adults and kids-- who I know would love the opportunity to contribute, too.

Thanks for posting this. (I sent you an e-mail).

risa

[KE]

Operation Military Support is not taking anymore names or giving out any more names. Overwhelming support !

Most all places I checked out today are not taking, or letting you send packages unless you are family.

So, who has a family relative or friend deployed right now who wants to give me a name and address, as my son and his friends want to send a box of goodies. I would think that we could send to the ships ?, but not our land troops for the time being?

Karen