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Author Topic: I got letters from my soldiers!
Kayla
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www.anysoldier.com is the coolest place. You get to support the troops in a real way. You can pick out a soldier and send stuff to him and it will be distributed to soldiers who need it. They have 3,465 names of soldiers willing to accept packages for their group and serve 114,733 soldiers! That's what it is today, anyway. They are always adding soldiers.

My family and I picked a group of medics from Ft. Riley. There are 29 of them and their Platoon Sgt. was the contact name. He listed stuff the guys wanted at the website. I bought as much of it as I could and sent it over with a wacky letter. (Man, is shipping expensive!)

Yesterday, I received a letter from the Platoon Lieutenant and one of the soldiers. Today, (as I was writing this, I decided to check the mail) I got another letter from the Platoon Lieutenant. The first letter was personalized to me. This second letter seems to be the one he sends to everyone (at least, that's what he says.)

Here is part of his "everyone" letter

quote:

I am doing fine. Everything here on FOB Gabe has been pretty quiet, except for the occasional outgoing artillery rounds. We share this FOB with an Artillery Battalion and we have our own organic mortars that do fire missions from time to time. A few weeks or so ago a nearby Iraqi Headquarters got attacked. I took 3 ambulances out with the Quick Reaction Force that went to their aid. The medics treated several wounded Iraqi soldiers and enemy soldiers. It was all just about over by the time we got there. I put 4 of my soldiers in for their Combat Medic Badge, for treating wounded Iraqi soldiers while in contact. It is a really big deal for the medics to earn this badge. It is something they can proudly wear on their uniform. The same day one of my soldiers was driving my truck to another FOB when the convoy got ambushed, 4 minor injuries. I also put him in for his badge. The badges now need to be approved by the Division Commander. My truck was pretty much totaled, but the soldiers were fine. The armor we are getting put on these vehicles is saving lives. It is really amazing. We do not leave the FOB unless we are in the heavy armored vehicles. I have been on several local clinic assessments, Combat Logistic Patrols, and Quick Reaction Force Missions. I have felt very safe when I have been out and about. Our equipment and body armor is really impressive, but heavy.

He talks a bit about his wife and 2 boys (whom he wrote a lot about in the other letter) then went on.
quote:
Regular mail is still slow. I heard that it might start getting a little faster. It is starting to get warmer here, well really hot. Until now the weather had been really nice. The bugs are starting to come out in full force. The flies, gnats, and ants are really bad. The ans are pretty big here. I heard there are wasps here that get 3 inches, but I have not scene one yet.
He writes some more about promotions in platoon, and getting their Combat Patch, which is a huge deal. It's worn on the right sleeve above the US flag to show they were in war with the unit.

quote:
The anysoldier.com website has been very good to us. We get several packages of snacks, hygiene stuff, ect a week to pass out to the platoon. It is all donated from people who pick a unit to support from the website. It is really nice to know there are people out there who don't know us from anyone, but take the time, money and effort to support us.
He also sent "old Iraqi money" which is "worthless now, but a nice souvenir." Four brand new bills with Saddam on them.

Anyway. I just thought I'd share. In the first letter, the Lt. mentioned they'd like poker chips. (I asked if their list had changed, and asked about some specific things that other groups had asked for, but that they hadn't, so I really wanted to know what else they wanted.) Apparently, they've made a poker table and even covered it with a green blanket and would like some chips to play with. I got them some today.

The Sgt. that wrote to me, (including a poem by William Byrd) sent his e-mail addy and I sent him an e-mail today and he answered it! The LT. said he got to e-mail his wife about every other day, so I really wasn't expecting the Sgt. to e-mail me back that quickly.

He hadn't know who the poem was by, just wrote "author unknown" so, being the weirdo I am, I let him know who it was. I had mentioned some of my Monklike qualities in the original letter, and he'd mentioned he loved the show, so in the return e-mail, he said, "I guess you weren't lying when you said you were just like "Monk". I definitely didn't know who wrote the poem. I did like it though when I read it."
Also, I asked him about some specific stuff again, and this is his reply.

quote:
Baby wipes is always a needed item around here. For some odd reason we have trouble keeping the water going here on the FOB. We do have dvd players, so movies is always a plus. I think we are good on the socks.

I'm not the one to ask for anything, but I do have a request. Anythingor any suggestions for fighting off mosquitoes, flies, and nats? Anything that will cure that will be better than anything you could send. The weather is getting hotter, so the bugs are coming out. It's terrible. I feel sorry for the guys when they come into the aid station wanted medicine for the itching.

So, if you are interested, just go to www.anysoldier.com Even if you can only send bug repellent and baby wipes. Almost everyone is begging for those two things.

Or just letters. They desperately need letters. Pick someone from a base near you. Tell the news that is going on in their area. Send them newspaper clippings. Pictures of your family. Tell them about your boring life. They really need it. Some of the kids in some of these platoons have been over there for 2-3 months and haven't received a single letter from home. Their platoon leaders (even a few of the Sergeant Major Generals) feel terrible for these kids who seemingly have no family. When you send a letter to someone from anysoldier.com, you send it to the contact name with and Attn: any soldier. That contact then makes sure that it goes to someone in the platoon that needs a letter or package. I had sent a letter to my contact telling him I was sending a package without the any soldier on it, because apparently, there had/has been some pilfering of anysoldier boxes. That and it was a big box, not for one soldier, but enough for multiple soldiers and some stuff for the whole platoon.

But, individual soldiers need letters! Some of them even are requesting letters and pictures from kids. The one that sticks in my mind was a group in a hospital that wanted letters to hand out to injured soldiers and pictures that kids drew to hang on the walls. I tell you, some of the stories are just heartbreaking.

Send a letter to a soldier. It will make you feel great. I know I feel fantastic. Now, I can't wait for them to come home, so we can sucker them into coming here for our weekly poker game and take all their money. [Wink]

(The funny thing about them asking for poker chips is that we really do have a weekly poker game, clay poker chips and an actual poker table with the green fabric and everything. And when I say "we" I mean my husband. I hide upstairs.)

They aren't expected to leave Iraq till February 2006, though, so it will be a while.

[Smile] [Big Grin] [Smile]

I'm walking on sunshine. [Cool]

[ April 26, 2005, 05:08 PM: Message edited by: Kayla ]

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ElJay
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Kayla, that's wonderful!
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Farmgirl
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quote:
Pick someone from a base near you.
I don't see how to do this part of it, Kayla. You can pick which part of the service they are, etc. but how you do you pick someone that is from your area?

Farmgirl

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scottneb
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This is awesome!

Kayla is permanently on my Good List.

[ April 26, 2005, 05:05 PM: Message edited by: scottneb ]

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Kayla
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Farmgirl, why you read the letters, of course. (And yes, I'm that obsessive. I've read them all.)

What base are you near? I can find some for you.

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Farmgirl
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I'm near McConnell Air Force Base.

But I don't know that it matters much to me where they are from if I write to them. I was just curious as to how you found ones from close to you.

Farmgirl

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Kayla
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Okay, prove me wrong. 143 contacts for the Air Force and not a single one listed McConnell as their home base. Lots of from McChord Washington, though, which threw me every time. While speed reading through, McChord looks a lot like McConnell.

You might try LTC Joe Romano.

He has troops from 17 different Air Force Bases.

Or,

SrA Allen L. Jackson

He is a Chaplain Assistant and is a contact for 600 soldiers.

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scottneb
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Oh! Please don't send it to a Chaplain Assistant. I haven't met one of those I like and I'm an easy going guy.
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Kayla
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Actually, scottneb, that makes me feel better. You know, there hasn't been a CA whose letter I found all that inspiring. They seem like used car salesmen to me. I thought it was just me.
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scottneb
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quote:
They seem like used car salesmen to me
[ROFL]

You have no idea how true that is, I never thought of it that way.

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Tater
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Some of us sent stuff awhile back, but it was a big group of people, so I never got a letter back or anything.
I think this is a swell idea.

How much is shipping exactly?

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Tater
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Maybe you said this already, how did you pick your soldier?
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Kayla
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The shipping was close to $30, but we sent a lot.

We picked soldiers that were at Ft. Riley because that's near us and is where my husband's nephew will be stationed next week. I chose that group because when my husband was in the National Guard, he was in training to be medic (91 Alpha.)

It was recommended that we send a separate letter that told them what was in the package, in case there was a problem, so for $30 in postage, here is what you can send.

3 bottles of dice with directions for a fun game called Farkel. It's a great game!
Phase 10 (card game)
2 Playstation 2 games
1 XBOX game
2 bags of chips (Doritoes and Lays BBQ)
2 boxes of cookies (Nutter Butter and Oreos)
2 bags of candy (Life Saver swirls)
1 shampoo
1 sunscreen
1 box Q-Tips
6 toothbrushes
2 tubes toothpaste
2 jars peanuts
1 box envelopes
4 boxes black pens
2 packages pencils
1 pad of writing paper
1 Crystal light
1 box of crackers (peanut butter and cheese, cheese and cracker, you know, that kind)
Box of ziplock baggies
1 box of cereal bars
2 things of foot powder
2 packages of slim jims
36 pairs of white socks
And a package of bar soaps

The cookies, sunscreen, and bar soap were the heaviest things. We also were going to send Ladder 49 to them, but then we saw it and it depressed the hell out of us, so we ended up not sending it.

This time it will be bug spray with lots of DEET, baby wipes and poker chips. Baby wipes are really heavy, so. . .

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imogen
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That's neat, Kayla.

[Smile]

Slightly off the warm fuzzies - shouldn't the army be supplying them with bug repellant? I would have thought it would be part of the general kit in insect ridden areas...

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Kayla
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You know, it's not really all that much that we sent. It's was just seemed like a lot to us. We're not rolling in money, but it seems like such a good cause that we could do with out extras for a while to send them some stuff they needed.

imogen, The Lieutenant, in his first letter, said that foot powder, sun screen and chap stick were considered a medical necessity, but that apparently some platoons didn't order it, or didn't order enough. The way the females as for tampons and pads makes me wonder if those were something they forgot to order or if it's not considered a medical necessity. I didn't see bug spray on his list of stuff they have enough and he seems to hint they need it, and latty flat out asked for it and mentioned how other soldiers were showing up at the aid station looking for relief from the itching of the bug bites meaning they didn't have bug spray or hydro cortisone.

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imogen
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That's silly.

(Not that you're going to send it, but that they have to ask for it in the first place).

I looked at the site - I love the six billion suppliers of beef jerky that are offering discounts. Them soldiers love their jerky!

(I love my jerky too. It just seemed so... stereotyped.)

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Kayla
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Well, you would think water and shampoo and tooth paste would be necessary, too.
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imogen
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Yeah. And enough socks.
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scottneb
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quote:
shouldn't the army be supplying them with bug repellant?
The repellant is a fumigation repellant. You throw it into a garbage bag with your uniforms overnight and it'll stay on the uniform for a few months. I've even heard of it lasting a year (although I wouldn't want to bunk with that guy). It's possible that they're authorized to wear civilian clothes where they are located and need repellant for that.
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Farmgirl
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I love Farkel, Kayla! That was a good choice of a game to send. Very small and compact, yet can entertain for hours....

[ April 27, 2005, 10:55 AM: Message edited by: Farmgirl ]

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scottneb
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quote:
Well, you would think water and shampoo and tooth paste would be necessary, too.
There are things that are necessary but aren't supplied by the military. If the base has a BX/PX than the military won't issue the items supplied by the store. Remember, all those guys over there are getting Separation Pay, Base Pay, possibly Hazardous Duty Pay, Basic Allowance for Housing, Basic Allowance for Substinance, and a few others; all tax free. They may also be getting reduced interest rates on their Credit Cards or other loans. And for those that get a bonus for re-enlisting, they get it tax free.

Don't think these guys aren't getting paid enough. Those that deploy make bank! An E-2 could deploy and easily make more than twice what I make stateside.

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Tater
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But look what they're doing.

I want to send stuff now [Smile]

[ April 27, 2005, 01:26 PM: Message edited by: Tater ]

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scottneb
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If you really want to throw them for a loop, find out when their rotation ends and send them a bunch of plane-crashing-movies with a note saying that you hope they come home safely. That's what we always do with our guys.

Cast Away is a favorite.

[ April 27, 2005, 01:49 PM: Message edited by: scottneb ]

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ketchupqueen
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Hmmm, not sure I'd do that without knowing more about their sense of humor, especially as they'd have my home address...
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scottneb
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They won't care. Trust me. They're service members. Better yet, they're Air Force service menbers.

They'll get it.

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scottneb
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They won't care. Trust me. They're service members. Better yet, they're Air Force service menbers.

They'll get it.

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Kayla
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scottneb, while all that is true, the army considers them to have a PX/BX even if they only see it once or twice a month. And the Army isn't supplying them. If you aren't in line within 30 minutes of the supply truck coming, you won't get toothpaste or shampoo (in some places, that is.) And if you don't get to the PX for a week, forget about it.

That's what has me so mad. I'm sure by the time the war is over, they'll have all the supplies they don't need.

But, as long as your still reading this, have you been deployed in the desert before? Do you know what works for bugs in such an area? I know a lot of them are asking for T-shirts, but they are asking for brown, green or tan ones, so. . . And the sheer number of the letters asking for bug repellent is amazing, and it's only the beginning of summer there.

Do you have suggestions on what kind? Apparently, some morons are sending flea collars! [Eek!] What is wrong with people?

Ooh, took a poll and found out that 96% of people donate to this cause found the most important thing was to be able to pick a specific contact. Only 4% for the tax deduction. (I would suppose those who are doing it for the tax deduction are sending money to the website. I don't think you can deduct the stuff you send. I'm pretty sure it's consider a gift.)

Wow, the other poll is really heart warming. How many packages have you as an individual sent to the soldiers?
None 1% 67 votes
None yet. 14% 717 votes
1 10% 554 votes
2-10 45% 2371 votes
11-25 16% 828 votes
26-50 8% 410 votes
51-100 3% 180 votes
100+ 3% 154 votes

Damn, the sand flies sound like a pain in the butt. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-04/19/content_324529.htm Look at that picture. Those aren't the ones that itch, though.

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Stray
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Actually, Kayla, the flea collars go around their ankles, over their boots, and it helps discourage the sand fleas. Very useful indeed.

Edit: Just clicked the link in your post, and saw that apparently some servicemembers were trying to actually wear them as collars >_< Nope, definitely not suitable for that, but my husband the ex-Marine says they work fine to repel sand fleas, as long as they're worn *on top of* your boots.

[ April 27, 2005, 03:04 PM: Message edited by: Stray ]

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scottneb
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The only thing I've found that works is DEET, lots of DEET. Other than that it's part of the job.
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Stray
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Actually, Kayla, the flea collars go around their ankles, over their boots, and it helps discourage the sand fleas. Very useful indeed.
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scottneb
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The only thing I've found that works is DEET, lots of DEET. Other than that it's part of the job.
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Kayla
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Stray, really the Pentagon is telling people not to send them to soldiers. They are not meant for people.

quote:
In 1999, the Rand Corp., a research firm, surveyed thousands of Persian Gulf War veterans on their use of pesticides in that war as the Defense Department searched for possible links to illnesses in Gulf War veterans. The survey did not provide definite evidence of a link to Gulf War illness, but a number of veterans had reported using pet flea and tick collars to protect themselves against insects.

From the survey data, about 3 percent of Army and Marine Corps/Navy personnel among the almost 470,000 serving in the Gulf are estimated to have used animal flea and tick collars. The survey stated that most veterans who used flea collars wore them over their clothes or shoes, which helped minimize exposure to the active ingredient.

However, Richard said the best way to protect against fleas and ticks is to use measures found in AFPMB Technical Guide-36, entitled "Personal Protective Measures Against Insects."

The guide describes DoD's insect repellent system and other techniques to ward off flea, tick and chigger attack.

Richard emphasized that the collars work very well on dogs, but hardly at all on humans. "If you put them on a humans, the fleas and ticks won't go near the collar, but they will go everywhere else," he said.


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Stray
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Sorry, Hatrack's behaving strangely for me and not wanting me to post. I tried to edit and say that I didn't click your link until after I posted, but it crapped out. My husband the ex-Marine told me about the collars-around-the-ankles trick, and I suppose it might work for stopping the fleas from jumping up on you, but it'd only work when you're standing up. Ah well.

I'm getting inspired to pick out a contact and send some stuff myself. I have a sizable bead stash and a big stack of beading magazines that I haven't touched in a couple of years; I wonder if some of the servicewomen might appreciate those to help pass the time.

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