Friends and Family in the Military
Lime -- Wednesday, March 05, 2003 -- 05:24:30 PMA clearinghouse for supporting friends & family in the military. Let us know who's out there, and if you'd like to send something. We'll work out the details as we go along.
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My eldest nephew, the first-born son of the first-born son in my family, is in the US Army and has "shipped out" to somewhere (he said he couldn't say where). Dunno if he needs anything, but just saying he's out there. somewhere.
One of my friends is a Major in the Army, stationed at the Pentagon right now, and headed out to Ft. Leavenworth this summer to go to the staff college there. It's strange to keep seeing all these stories in the news about this huge number of people on their way to the Gulf and in the meantime, everyone I know is continuing in their extremely boring assignments.
On the other hand, though, another friend of mine is discharged recently enough that if the situation on the Korean peninsula heats up, he'll probably be called back to duty. Particularly since he's spent all his time since his discharge in intensive study of the Korean language.
Yes, please everyone let people here know if there is anyone specific that might could be "adopted" by someone, like me for instance, who would enjoy putting together a package for someone in the military.
My customer's son is somewhere in Kuwait and she recently updated us on what's going on with him. Her note includes a list of useful things/things they want there. I can post that here if people want me to.
OK, this is the paragraph from her note:
When I asked him what they might need over there his first request was for baby wipes. He said they have 17,000 Marines at Camp Coyote using port-o-potties, and it's not pretty. He said any opportunity they have to sanitize is appreciated. He also said books and magazines would be good and any sweets like chocolate or cookies. He said although he is not a big fan of sweets almost everyone else would see that as a real treat.
I think the sanitary thing is the biggest--the poor shower facilities were a highlight of his previous update. I assume for sweets, it would have to be non-melty things since they're in the desert.
Yikes!
Here's an Adopt-A-Sailor organization that I signed up with today.
During Gulf War I, Hershey's made its tropical chocolate bar available for purchase by the public. I don't know if it's still out there, but it might be available on the Internet somewhere.
If you send baked goods, wrap them really, really well. Many layers of plastic. Keeps them fresh and reduces the chance of bug infestation.
Louise, do they have access to any sanitary facilities at all? When my BIL was in the Gulf, we sent him things like Kiehl's shaving cream (pricey, but very very good and comes in a tube, which is how it must be packaged to send to the military), lip balm, and handi-wipes. I would think that anyone in the desert would be only too grateful for ChapStik.
I just purchased one of those vacuum food sealers a couple of weeks ago. You can vacuum seal foods and other things, even cookies and stuff if you freeze them first. You can use it for anything including papers, books, etc. so I plan to use that.
I've lived in the tropics and had people sending me care packages, and I think people generally worry too much about what the heat will do to things. Chocolate will soften, but it won't liquefy, and it firms up again just fine if you can put it someplace cool. In two years in Samoa, I never heard of anyone getting a food package that was significantly damaged in shipping by the heat.
Lizzie, I think they do have access to showers at the main camp/base (excuse my ignorance of the proper terms), but he's moving around frequently, securing cities in Kuwait. I don't think they can rely on shower access then.
He also said that his camera has gotten dirty; he thinks from sand in it, so he asked for a cleaning kit. Something like that (or possibly those disposable cameras?) might also be useful since I think a lot of soldiers take cameras.
I'll re-read the emails his mother sent and see if there's anything else. They're at work, so it will be tomorrow.
Also, my ex-BF is in the Reserves and he's looking to go back (he was there for the first Gulf War), so I'll ask him if I talk to him before he goes. Our contact is kind of sporadic, so I don't know if we'll talk before he leaves.
Good luck, Annie! Diva, best wishes to your sisters.
Good luck on your project, Melisub. Why is Martita hated so?
I am happy to report that DS’ glasses have turned up. They went missing and I was just sure I was going to have to order him a fresh pair, and I was so not looking forward to spending the money. He found a classmate wearing them—they’re not very strong (he’s farsighted, more in one eye than the other) and the guy didn’t even realize they were prescription glasses. I don’t know what he thought they were, but I’m very glad Henry has them back again.
Ooh, Stephanie, bummer about your cooking disaster! What brand of baking soda do you get? Most of the time I get Arm &a; Hammer—it comes in an orange box, and the cornstarch comes in a yellow one.
As far as sweet stuff to mail to people in the service, I suggest my sugar cookies—if you add a bit more flour to them than the recipe says, they’re a little tougher, so that they’ll stand up to being mailed more easily, but they’re still good.
Instead of baby wipes, you could send Purell. It's instant sanitizer, you rub it on your hands and it evaporates while it sanitizes. No need to rinse, and nothing to dispose of (unlike wipes - do we really want our troops leaving trails of used baby wipes all over the desert?).
My brother in law retired from the Army this past fall. He had been scheduled to retire October 2001, but after September 11th, the Army told him they didn't accept his request to retire. Now I'm worried that he'll be re-called and have to go off to war again. He missed our wedding (DH is his only brother) because he was in the Gulf. He retired as the highest-ranked enlisted man in the Army. So I think there's a good (bad) chance that they'll want him back. He was one of the people who redesigned the harbour in Saudi after the Gulf War, and he also captained a ship.
I'm not here to brag about him, it's more that I'm worried and trying to explain why I'm worried. I think that his experience and unique knowledge will make him a Prime Prospect for being recalled to active duty.