Archive through January 24, 2003
TV ClubHouse: Archives: 2003 March:
Care Packages for Our Soldiers and Sailors:
Archive through January 24, 2003
Pamy | Wednesday, January 15, 2003 - 06:04 pm     I just found out my Dh best friend has rcvd orders to leave in 2 days, so I will have another ship contact if anyone wants it. God bless all the people serving our country! |
Kaili | Wednesday, January 15, 2003 - 07:19 pm     I'm glad this thread was started. A good friend of mine from work just recently found out her unit is being called up and tomorrow is her last day at work. She has to go up to Green Bay every day for the next two weeks for training then they go to Fort Bragg to leave from there. I want to do something nice for her before she goes. I'm going to get her a card, but now I am thinking tomorrow at school maybe I will have the students write letters to any soldier and I will collect them and give them to her so she can read them, and take them to her unit. She won't admit to being sad or scared about going- she just says that there's no point crying about it because she has to do it. |
Curious1 | Wednesday, January 15, 2003 - 08:05 pm     This is a great thread everyone! I was in the Air Force during Desert Storm and during the Bosnia 'conflict'. Getting care packages was great. I know that the notes and pictures from kids really warmed the heart (of course, I'm a mushy woman but even the guys like them). PAPERBACKS were always good, be sure to send different types of novels as variety is appreciated (hated to read the same title twice). Probably MAGAZINES were the best, I know that they sometimes have them on the ships already for sailors but after awhile out the magazines become old news and for other types of military who don't have magazines available, these are always a good read. Men of course liked the work-out magazines as that is what they spent alot of time doing (can get pretty boring out there). Also a big one was GAMES, like the smaller card games (travel size maybe cheaper to ship) that you can buy. Euchre and Spades are popular games because you can almost always find a normal deck of cards, but sometimes a change of pace is nice (UNO is a good example, or like I said something like yahtzee). Thanks for being such a caring group to our troops they certainly appreciate it. |
Curious1 | Wednesday, January 15, 2003 - 08:10 pm     This is a great site for game ideas to send to the troops. Towards the middle/end of the page are card games starting at $4.95, they are popular boardgames that have been reduced in size (perfect for shipping) and cheap! http://www.boardgames.com/cardgames.html |
Faerygdds | Thursday, January 16, 2003 - 06:14 pm     My husband also suggested sunscreen with max SPF protection... |
Kaili | Thursday, January 16, 2003 - 06:56 pm     Maybe stamps or international prepaid calling cards... I'm so sad- today was my friend's last day at work before she goes. I found out also that one of the teachers at the other middle school in the district I am student teaching in (another social studies teacher) is in her unit- I knew he was going but I didn't realize they are the same unit. Scary with the new Iraq news... |
Jo_5329 | Friday, January 17, 2003 - 04:03 am     When hubby was in Bosnia, I packed up all our saved Readers Digests and sent them over. Of course, I had an advantage, I sent them via the Military Mail (we could take packages to the unit and the unit would ship them over free of charge with Unit mail). Hubby said that was the best fun. They passed them around the whole time. As I got a new one in, I sent them over. Also, even newspapers with "war" news is fine. They don't get much news period, so newspapers, especially those with the funnies, is a hit. They get "hotsauce" in the MRE's now, small little bottles. It would be best to send stuff in plastic containers, btw, as glass can break. A lot of packages are inspected by customs, and stuff gets broken. Due to the fact they are in a muslim country, no pictures of scantly clad women. Hubby had to leave a picture of me home that he had in his wallet of me in shorts. They got a lot of "any soldier" mail, and several guys still converse to this day with people they met through that mail. Stuff from kids is a blast. The true feelings of these kids come out in their pictures and letters. Let me think now .. oh GOOD toliet paper is a plus .. anything better than that sandpaper they get. Eye drops is good. The sand gets in everything, and hubby's eyes were swollen almost shut for 3 days the last time he was in Kuwait. Although they do wear goggles to try and keep the sand out, it still gets through. And the best thing? Baby butt wipes. Sometimes these guys don't see a shower for weeks on end. When hubby went to Kuwait in '95, they didn't get a shower for 6 weeks. The baby butt wipes help out a lot with staying clean and "fresh". We used to send Babypowder also, but with the anthrax scares lately, not a good idea. Jo <crossing fingers hubby is way down on the list for this mission> |
Goddessatlaw | Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 10:44 am     Hey, guys - do any of you know whether there's such thing as something like a heated towel? I've caught my bro a couple of times on chat (his late nite is my early morning and vice versa), and he says conditions where he is are a) miserably filthy b) infested with sand fleas and c) so cold you can see your breath in the shower. Looking for a good sand-flea away lotion and maybe some kind of heated towel to send him to help make things a little nicer. Thanks for any input. |
Sbw | Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 10:59 am     GAL, I don't know of a heated towel. But there are disposable hand and foot warmers. They are oxygen activated and last for a few hours. Wal-Mart carries them in their sporting goods department. The flat warm packets can be put in shoes, gloves. (I used them when watching football games.) If you can't find them and want some, let me know and I will try to get some of them for you. I know that isn't ideal but they would feel good after the shower, to warm up. |
Vixeninvegas | Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 11:06 am     Goddess I searched & searched - all I found was heated towel racks & stands - not a "self heating" towel in the bunch. I know there is instant ice in our first aid kit so I was hoping to run across some smarty that did the reverse but dang if I could come up with anything. ::: Crossing fingers someone else had luck for ya ::::: On the sand flea issue I was able to find this: http://www.greenheadfly.com/main.html Best of luck to you & our prayers continue to be for your brother as well. |
Heyltslori | Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 11:39 am     I found this lotion that is helpful for sand flea bites. http://www.amerigel.com/carelotion.asp Does he have long underwear? They would be warm to put on right after his shower...and might help against the sand flea bites too. |
Not1worry | Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 11:56 am     Yay for everyone who wants to help our troops. My husband just got back this month from 6 months in Afghanistan. He got lots of great packages from folks. All of Jo's suggestions are terrific, especially the baby wipes. The Red Cross is AWESOME for the troops, but things from the States from caring strangers mean so much. My husband says packets of flavored instant oatmeal were one of his favorites. By the time he walked to the chow tent, breakfast was always cold. Disposable cameras are good too, boredom is going to be a huge enemy. Cans of compressed air like you use to clean the computer keyboard. That's a hot item, I hear. Nice soft toilet paper too, I sent a huge box with nothing else in it. One thing - don't send stamps! Mail for the deployed troops is free, they don't need stamps. Envelopes and stationery and pens are wonderful. |
Grooch | Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 12:11 pm     Does anyone have any addresses where care packages can be sent? |
Kaili | Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 12:20 pm     I found this on the internet... The following is a list of items that soldiers need and want and roughly how much these items cost. All -- unless noted -- can be found at grocery and department stores: Chips Ahoy cookies, or any other name-brand treat: $2.29-$2.99 AA batteries for Walkman: $3-$6 Specialty shampoos and conditioners: $1.29-$10 Latest magazines (Muscle & Fitness, Flex, GQ, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, Time and ESPN are often requested): $2.95-$3.50 Popular music CDs: $12-$19 Handheld video games: $7-$32 Playing cards: $2-$3 Candy: $2-$5 for packaged bulk candy Pens, paper or envelopes: $2-$10 Shoe polish (black): $1-$3 Personal hygiene items (lip balm, soap, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, razors, deodorant, foot powder): 50 cents-$5. Wool socks: $7 Knit skull caps: $7.50 Pocket hand warmers: $2 Individually wrapped hard candy, gum, candy canes, presweetened flavored drink mix, sweetened iced-tea mix, hot chocolate and cider mixes, flavored coffee creamer, microwave popcorn, Tootsie Rolls (candy and pops), bubble gum: 50 cents-$8 Small board games: (chess, checkers, dominoes, Parcheesi, Yahtzee, Uno, cribbage, jigsaw puzzles, playing cards): $4-$14 Recent paperback books (mysteries, action, drama and science fiction are highly read): $4-$8 Phone cards: $5-$25 |
Kaili | Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 12:23 pm     Another list I found referring to the Persian Guld War...(no addresses found yet!) You can also, if you wish, address your "Any Soldier" package. It will go to a deserving US soldier sacrificing yet another year’s holidays for his or her country. You can also address your care package or letter to "Any FEMALE soldier." This was done during the 1991 Persian Gulf War by thoughtful US citizens to ensure that the particular needs of our female soldiers, sailors, and marines were being met. Items that were especially appreciated were feminine hygiene items, over-the-counter remedies for menstrual cramping, and other items of a specifically feminine nature that can be especially difficult to get while deployed overseas. If you’re wondering what to send, and want to send something that will be especially appreciated, try any of these suggestions: Non-perishable snacks. Edible spreads and dips, like heez-wiz, Salsa, etc. really help to beat the blandness of packaged rations. Shaving and hygiene items, especially travel size for rucksacks. Shampoo can be an especially desireable commodity. Small plastic containers and Zip-lock baggies are also nice to have. Pantyhose (for keeping sand and dust out of weapons while still being able to fire them!). Toothbrushes, shaving brushes, and other brushes for cleaning and maintaining weapons and precision equipment. Clean rags/cloth, also for cleaning. Books and magazines (we warned: host governments didn’t allow risque materials in 1991). Playing cards or other card games or small pocket games. Hacky-sacks were often greatly appreciated by those that had them in ’91. · Personal letters with photographs of your own family, snow, etc. Newspapers and news clippings, especially regional and local news for area soldiers, and comics, sports pages, etc. for entertainment relief. Wrapped hard candy, especially good for keeping thirst away. Powdered drinks. Soldiers already have cocoa in their ration packages (MREs), so a better choices include Gatorade and other sports drinks, Kool-Aid, etc. The larger packages are perfect for mixing with the bottled water that our Gulf troops are drinking. US flags of any size! As an aside for those of you that didn’t realize it, the Persian Gulf War of 1991 has had no official closing date. Until that happens, the United States is still at war with Hussein’s government of Iraq! Let’s put our efforts into supporting our soldiers in the Gulf so that these guys and gals can have a bit of home for the holidays. Let them know that WE CARE! |
Kaili | Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 12:25 pm     However, I just found this on the adoptasoldier.org website. The department of defense has put a complete stop to anything going over seas to "any service member" until further notice. With the state of our nation, our troops need to hear from us ...especially this time of year. As they prepare for possible upcoming combat, they need to hear of our support There- is nothing that we can do other than mail items to someone you may know over seas and ask them to distribute the items; and contact your representatives to see if there is anything they can do. For months the only way to send items over seas to "any service member" was through participating american red cross chapters (which were very few due to the terrorjstattacks on our nation), and now; we have no way to show our support to those serving their country so far from home. |
Goddessatlaw | Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 12:28 pm     Thanks seriously for all the suggestions guys - I'm still working on getting a couple of different addresses for distribution, Grooch - should have them by the weekend. Will look a little further on the towel thing - maybe even just a really thick terry-cotton beach towel would be an improvement. |
Kaili | Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 12:34 pm     I'm starting to think this may not be possible- another site reinforced what I posted above from a different site. In the FAQ section of www.anyservicemember.org I'm trying to find a way to send letters/packages to service personnel involved in Operation Eduring Freedom that do not receive letters/packages from home. Is there a central address to ship this type of thing to? Must I go through an organization to do this? Can you direct me to such an organization? Any other help or information would be appreciated. Thank you for your help. Unfortunately I'm not going to be able to help you. If I had any addresses, which I don't, I wouldn't be able to give them to you due to the Privacy Act. Nor would anyone else. The Department of Defense cancelled the anonymous "any service member" mail programs on October 30, 2001. The cancellation has not been rescinded and still remains in effect. What I've suggested to other people is to check with friends, neighbors, church members, etc., and see if they have a son/daughter/relative serving in the military that would accept care packages, cards, etc., that they can share with other members of their unit. Because I've had so many people interested in corresponding with someone serving in the military, I've set up some forums where people can post messages specifically indicating that they'd like to correspond with someone. One section I've created under Pen Pals is "Adopt-a-Unit" where classrooms, church groups, etc., can make it known that they'd like to correspond with someone in the military. For groups involving children I felt that this would provide better control (for their safety) by having the adult in charge serving as the point of contact. Anyone can read the messages posted in the forums, but in order to post you'd have to register first. It's a very simple process though. Top |
Rogue | Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 03:24 pm     I also suggest you contact public affairs at the nearest base location. They may know something that isn't public knowledge where care packages and such can be sent or delivered. They may even have helpful suggestions too. |
Juju2bigdog | Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 06:19 pm     Would Avon Skin So Soft work for sand fleas? It is supposed to be great mosquito repellant. |
Kaili | Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 07:27 pm     Skin-so-soft is a great product- we put it all over my mom's horses in the summer to keep away mosquitos and those horrible biting flies. Maybe it would. If nothing else it never hurts to try! |
Not1worry | Thursday, January 23, 2003 - 10:10 am     I highly recommend contacting any military base Public Affairs Office and asking for addresses. My mother's church adopted a Chaplain and sent many things to him, with the intention that he could pass them out to the troops. One other problem with the "Any Service Member" program was that so many packages were being sent that the troops couldn't get packages from their family members. Remember, the boxes go on aircraft and our military's air support right now is severly overworked. |
Jkm | Friday, January 24, 2003 - 02:08 pm     I just received this email back-- my dh was trying to get his corporate to help our gs troop send cookies -- this is what they sent us. Department of Defense Announces Ways to Express Support in 2003 Many Girl Scout troops/groups are calling GSUSA to ask how they can ship Girl Scout Cookies or send cards to military personnel overseas. The United States Department of Defense released information on 12/12/02 that specifically states: Ø Reach out to military families in your community, especially those with a loved one overseas. Ø Please do not flood the military mail system with letters, cards and gifts. Due to security concerns and transportation complaints, the Department cannot accept items to be mailed to "AnyServiceMember." Ø Some people have tried to avoid this prohibition by sending large numbers of packages to an individual service member’s address, which however well intentioned, clogs the mail and causes unnecessary delays. Ø Send a greeting via e-mail through Operation Dear Abby at http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/ or http://www.OperationDearAbby.net Ø Sign a virtual thank you card at the Defend America: http://www.defendamerica.mil/ Web site at http://www.defendamerica.mil/nmam.html We are asking all Girl Scout councils to share this new information and/or the material distributed last year with their members. Once again, of particular interest to Girl Scouts: Ø Donations of food, including Girl Scout Cookies, and gifts for delivery overseas are no longer being accepted. Ø Only mail addressed by name to a particular service member will be delivered. DoD Announcement Sent to Girl Scout Councils, 11/8/01- Guidelines Still in Effect: On October 30, 2001 the United States Department of Defense announced new ways for Americans to show support for their service members deployed overseas. The initiatives, made necessary by a moratorium on mail addressed to “AnyServiceMember” provide alternatives to traditional letter writing campaigns. The Department of Defense suggests that Americans support the [military] troops by instead supporting the communities in which they live. One way to show support is doing a good deed on behalf of service members. Visit a VA hospital or nursing home, or volunteer in the local community to help make up for service members who normally would volunteer but are now deployed or otherwise too busy with their duties. Many service members volunteer to coach children’s teams, feed the homeless, and aid their communities in a variety of other ways. Interested Americans can show their support and honor their military by volunteering in their local communities. Members of the community who know military families might want to offer their support by reaching out to those families while their loved ones are deployed. Donations of food and gifts for delivery overseas can no longer be accepted. Service members value and appreciate expressions of support from the American people, and these and other mail programs are a significant boost to morale. However, recent mail-related attacks have resulted in additional precautions and the safety of service members is paramount. The increased manpower required to ensure safe mail handling coupled with the increased volume of mail that letter-writing campaigns generate could exceed capabilities, and therefore cannot be supported at this time. Normal mail delivery addressed by name to individual service members will continue uninterrupted. We greatly appreciate the American public’s show of support and concern for our service members. Until we can guarantee the safety of the mail service we cannot accept letters or packages addressed to “AnyServiceMember.” We ask that communities, organizations, groups, associations, schools and other well-wishers focus their efforts on supporting service family members, veterans, and charitable organizations, and community activities. Q1. Where can I write to show my support to service members? A1. We can only accept mail addressed to individual service members, as it would be unwise, given recent attacks to accept anonymous mail. Q2. Where can I get the name of a specific service member to whom I can write or send a package? A2. We are not providing names of service members nor do we recommend newspapers or other media solicit such information for posting in a public domain. If you personally know a military family and would like to ask them for the address of a service member, that would be acceptable. Q3. Is there an e-mail to which I can send expressions of support? A3. Addresses provided by DoD in 2003 are printed above. Q4. What can I do to show my support for service members and their families? A4. We recommend that Americans support service members by reaching out to local military families, local military installations, and local recruiters. Americans can also honor the military by volunteering in the name of service members in their own communities. As Girl Scouts everywhere continue to think nationally and act locally, GSUSA thanks you for making Girl Scout troops/groups aware of the opportunities in 2003 to help those right in their own communities. |
Pamy | Friday, January 24, 2003 - 03:07 pm     Thanks for posting that. It has a lot of good information. I know when my DH was deployed last year, they had many things to do for the kids and a lot of the stuff was donated. I think Deployment is harder on the kids than on us adults |
Jkm | Friday, January 24, 2003 - 03:37 pm     We're bummed though -- the girls really wanted to do something for the troops -- Give them something only from home..... |
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