What have you done for your country lately?

[whitedogone]

Let's all get off our lazy butts and spend one night this week buying,packing,and shipping a package to a soldier!! GET 'ER DONE!!

http://www.anysoldier.com/index.cfm

[redneckd1]

I've gotta second this one!! Lets not get political here, regardless of how your political or personal views are, these are US soldiers and they need your support.
I've been there and was lucky enough to have friends and family that sent many packages of goodies, and when I got one I took the personal stuff out and opened the package for everyone to share in, as did the others there.
You have no idea how good a little treat is to these guys, if nothing more than just seeing a package show up!!! It brings them that much closer to home!
Dig in!
R

[bwana]

I've sent supplies and materials to a boy I helped raise from a pup.  He's done two tours in Fallujah and is supposed to go back this spring.

They need many things we can help with:

.22 bore snakes
tactical gloves, goggles and other apparel
unscented baby wipes
scope rails, tactical grips, red dot rifle sights, all manner of upgrade and tactical accessories for AR/M-16's (they regularly leave their personally owned upgrade parts behind for other soldiers to use when they rotate out).

Think about this last one......  A soldier lucky enough to have some upgrade parts for his service weapon feels guilty about leaving the country with items of such immense value knowing there are other soldiers in harms way.  So, he gives it to a guy staying behind when he rotates out.  These guys deserve EVERYTHING we can afford to send them.  

We all like a decent pair of gloves to keep us warm when we go hunting.  A pair of gloves giving a soldier a reliable grip in a critical moment could save his life and the life of the guy next to him.

Free men voted in Iraq because free men died for their right to do so.  We couldn't do enough if we tried.

My 2 cents.

bwana

[aguestnomore]

Powdered drink mix is another great item.  Water from "water buffaloes" tastes like it's been used once by a real buffalo.  

We've got several people from my unit over there now...we try to send something every couple of weeks.  Like Redneck said, from my own experience it's very much appreciated.  Pick those folks up and dust them off!    

Did everyone see the military appreciation commercial during the Superbowl?  Gave me chills and made me proud.

[bwana]

I used to work for a major airline during Desert Storm.  A was working a gate at DFW airport when about 6 soldiers coming home were walking down the terminal hallway.  Me and the guy I was working the gate with starting clapping as they approached.  Just like the commercial, within minutes, the entire terminal, without a single exception was clapping and saluting these soldiers.

There was not a dry eye in the house.

During the next few weeks the airport employees repeated this numerous times.  We'd even bring them into the Crown Room for free drinks and goodies.  It felt pretty good to give someting back to these kids.

And I know they appreciated the gesture.

God bless each and every one of them.  And each and every one of you who have a friend and/or family serving in the military.

bwana

[1dahunter]

I send a package once a month to any one over there. I did my time in Nam and know what its like to get a package from some one you dont know back home. Jimmy

[Haywire Haywood]

Nope, not a dry eye in the house, at least not this one.  I asked the post office last summer about the "any soldier" program like the one I benefited from during Gulf 1 but they said that it had been discontinued for security reasons.

Thanks for the post,
Ian

[GrampaMike]

All the military bases around here have volunteers who pack boxes for the soldiers with the items donated by others.  The volunteers do this on the base/post in an area sit aside for just this so the security issue is moot.  You can donate items or you can volunteer to work getting packages ready.  President Bush showed up a couple of months ago to help us on Fort Belvoir.

[whitedogone]

Fellas, If you go to anysoldier.com and click on the "where to send" link you can just chose a troop from the list on the left.  There are also sugguested items they need.  And more ideas and help here...

http://www.marinemoms.us/USMC/deploy-care-pkg.asp

[Jeffery8mm]

Whitedogone, I mentioned this to the youth group here at Newton United Methodist Church last night, and the response was GREAT.  There WILL be packages sent out of Newton UMC in the near future for this program.  Please get the youth of EVERY church represented here to participate in this. It will make them realize the value of doing unto others.
Jeff

[Haywire Haywood]

I'm posting it on the bulletin board at work.  We're 90% ex-military there.

Ian

[whitedogone]

WOW, Thanks guys!! I sent out a package last night.  It was the 3rd one I sent this year.  Last year I sent a few to a freind of my daughters that was in Iraq.  He just got back stateside last week so I started sending packages thru anysoldier.  Some of the stories that he told made my resolve to keep sending care packages stronger.  This kid (18yo.) slept on the ground, on rocks, on top of hummers for months.  He had pics of him after a sweep thru a town where his face looked like it had been dragged across asphalt or concrete.  A week later his face was one big scab except where his goggles were.  After another sweep he had no less than 15 open and bleeding wounds from schrapnel.  And he still had a large bruise on his chest (over his heart) were he had been shot from weeks earlier.  He never missed a day with his company.  One day 36 guys went in and 33 came out alive.  I think I can spend some time at the post office.  WDO