Fellow Hogs, I'm trying to fill 100 boxes and ship them to 'adopted' soldiers overseas. This is not a Republican-thing, or a Democrat-thing. It's simply putting small items into a box and shipping it to a soldier you don't even know. http://www.operationac.comis a non-profit outfit putting the effort together. They started by shipping air-conditioners. Now they match would-be-donors with soldiers.
Things like eyedrops, nuts, gum, hard candy, wipes, cold medicine, band-aids (finger type), foot powder, white sox, games (cards), envelopes, pens pencils, toothbrushes, magazines... I'm sure you get the point. If you're in, please just drop a note back here. I've adopted two soldiers 98 to go! Thanks for your consideration!
Help for a soldier?
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Scooter
- scooter
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Justice Hog
- Pursuer of Justice
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- Location: Newark, Delaware
I'm also in. Sounds like a great cause and a nice way to show our troops that we're thinking about them and that we care. Let me know, Scooter, what I need to do.
Fran Farren
"Justice Hog"
Newark, DE
“God didn't give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving and controlled.” 2 Timothy 1:7
"Justice Hog"
Newark, DE
“God didn't give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving and controlled.” 2 Timothy 1:7
THANKS GUYS! Wow, you made the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up! (*a good thing :0).
www.operationac.com is the registration site.
If you log in, give them an email address, they'll send you the name and address of a soldier in a few days. A lady named Frankie Mayo is basically doing all the work herself.
Then you just get a box, load it up with stuff you think the soldier could use and ship it out. I'm going to use US Mail for my next one. Used UPS for the last one - $25.00. The US Postal service looks to be about $15.00. Altogether, I spent less than 35.00... cause I had a bunch of stuff already.
I thank you so much, and I'm sure the soldier you adopt will thank you much more than, and mean much more than a thanks from me. But thanks from the bottom of my heart just the same.
If you'd like to donate for the shipping instead - I'll just keep adopting as many soldiers as I get in donations... your call.
Thanks again, you've made my day!
www.operationac.com is the registration site.
If you log in, give them an email address, they'll send you the name and address of a soldier in a few days. A lady named Frankie Mayo is basically doing all the work herself.
Then you just get a box, load it up with stuff you think the soldier could use and ship it out. I'm going to use US Mail for my next one. Used UPS for the last one - $25.00. The US Postal service looks to be about $15.00. Altogether, I spent less than 35.00... cause I had a bunch of stuff already.
I thank you so much, and I'm sure the soldier you adopt will thank you much more than, and mean much more than a thanks from me. But thanks from the bottom of my heart just the same.
If you'd like to donate for the shipping instead - I'll just keep adopting as many soldiers as I get in donations... your call.
Thanks again, you've made my day!
We'll join in.
In fact, my wife and I already send regular packages to our daughter-in-law, who is deployed to a camp in Baghdad.
Here is some background on the kinds of items that Scooter requested. She asked returning Soldiers what to bring. They said "handy-wipes". The fine-grained sand blows into everything -- in fact, the wrap-around sunglasses are as much to keep the dust out of their eyes as to block sun-glare.
She says that she likes anything to break the boredom. Rough paraphrase: we get up early, run, go to work, go back to our tents (she has since gotten an air-conditioned trailer), kill time, sleep, wake up, run, go to work...It's like the movie "Ground Hog Day". Every day the same. Hard work, boredom, broken by unexpected bursts of helpless terror when the camp gets hits by rockets or mortars, when she can hear the whistle of the incoming round, and can't do anything except hope that the insurgents' aim is bad.
The troops can get most movies on bootleg DVD's (with Arabic sub-titles!), so we send her DVD's of recent TV. We just sent her Season 3 of "Alias".
Books: also good. My daughter-in-law is working her way through a list of 100 best books. She also likes travel books, like "The <whatever> Guide to the Greek Isles", just to imagine someplace different.
Also escape-reading magazine, like People or Sports Illustrated.
Some items are forbidden, for common sense reasons. No weapons (already provided), nothing that offends Muslim morals, like alcohol or pornography.
One more thing. Please look at the "helping iraqi schools" website, at:
http://www.iraqischools.com/
and consider giving a bit.
A unit from the 1st Armored Division began the schools project began last year. It is being continued by the 1st Cavalry Division. Read the account. Think about the supplies with which these schools must operate. I used to grumble about all the extra time and fund-raising we put into our kids' public schools. I see the pictures and feel fat and selfish. (I keep resolving to contribute, but I'm lazy. This is how I will kick myself to do what I promised!)
In fact, my wife and I already send regular packages to our daughter-in-law, who is deployed to a camp in Baghdad.
Here is some background on the kinds of items that Scooter requested. She asked returning Soldiers what to bring. They said "handy-wipes". The fine-grained sand blows into everything -- in fact, the wrap-around sunglasses are as much to keep the dust out of their eyes as to block sun-glare.
She says that she likes anything to break the boredom. Rough paraphrase: we get up early, run, go to work, go back to our tents (she has since gotten an air-conditioned trailer), kill time, sleep, wake up, run, go to work...It's like the movie "Ground Hog Day". Every day the same. Hard work, boredom, broken by unexpected bursts of helpless terror when the camp gets hits by rockets or mortars, when she can hear the whistle of the incoming round, and can't do anything except hope that the insurgents' aim is bad.
The troops can get most movies on bootleg DVD's (with Arabic sub-titles!), so we send her DVD's of recent TV. We just sent her Season 3 of "Alias".
Books: also good. My daughter-in-law is working her way through a list of 100 best books. She also likes travel books, like "The <whatever> Guide to the Greek Isles", just to imagine someplace different.
Also escape-reading magazine, like People or Sports Illustrated.
Some items are forbidden, for common sense reasons. No weapons (already provided), nothing that offends Muslim morals, like alcohol or pornography.
One more thing. Please look at the "helping iraqi schools" website, at:
http://www.iraqischools.com/
and consider giving a bit.
A unit from the 1st Armored Division began the schools project began last year. It is being continued by the 1st Cavalry Division. Read the account. Think about the supplies with which these schools must operate. I used to grumble about all the extra time and fund-raising we put into our kids' public schools. I see the pictures and feel fat and selfish. (I keep resolving to contribute, but I'm lazy. This is how I will kick myself to do what I promised!)
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Justice Hog
- Pursuer of Justice
- Posts: 5809
- Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 8:38 pm
- Location: Newark, Delaware
Welch, reading that was inspirational - thanks & God bless you and yours! I'm going shopping for more stuff today. DVD's is a great idea! Probably CD's too. Good thing you told me about the booze - I was going to toss some mini's in... learn something every day 
. Anywho - thanks again my friends. Gonna check the iraqi school thing out now.
. Anywho - thanks again my friends. Gonna check the iraqi school thing out now.Hello, all,
Right, Scooter. CD's are big. I'd forgotten. My daughter keeps mixing special cuts around various themes.
I had also forgotten that the Army discourages shipping pork products to Soldiers in Iraq (doh!!) until I re-read the policy.
The full guidelines are on the Ft Hood website at:
http://www.hood.army.mil/PAO/deployment ... ckages.htm
By the way, you will need a simple "customs form" at the Post Office: basically sender and recipent's address, contents, value of the package, what they should do if they can't deliver...no big deal, but it takes an extra few minutes.
Most interesting: USPS shipping to Iraq is inexpensive. I've never paid more than $4.50...staggering when you consider how far it will travel. Pick "priority mail", which costs only about .50 more than the slow way.
Right, Scooter. CD's are big. I'd forgotten. My daughter keeps mixing special cuts around various themes.
I had also forgotten that the Army discourages shipping pork products to Soldiers in Iraq (doh!!) until I re-read the policy.
The full guidelines are on the Ft Hood website at:
http://www.hood.army.mil/PAO/deployment ... ckages.htm
By the way, you will need a simple "customs form" at the Post Office: basically sender and recipent's address, contents, value of the package, what they should do if they can't deliver...no big deal, but it takes an extra few minutes.
Most interesting: USPS shipping to Iraq is inexpensive. I've never paid more than $4.50...staggering when you consider how far it will travel. Pick "priority mail", which costs only about .50 more than the slow way.
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Justice Hog
- Pursuer of Justice
- Posts: 5809
- Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 8:38 pm
- Location: Newark, Delaware
Scooter. Instead of sending misc. crap to my soldier. I just sent him a letter asking what he wants/needs. Once I get that list, I'll work on sending the stuff out to him.
Fran Farren
"Justice Hog"
Newark, DE
“God didn't give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving and controlled.” 2 Timothy 1:7
"Justice Hog"
Newark, DE
“God didn't give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving and controlled.” 2 Timothy 1:7