Marines in Iraq need your support

[jimmydep]

I just spoke to my son who is a Marine serving his 2nd deployment to Iraq. He has told me they are receiving fewer "Care Packages" now than they did in his first deployment and some guys are getting almost none........Now this may be a sign of the economic times or just a pre-occupation with Michael Jacksons death, but I am appalled that we are not supporting the men and women defending our Country.

My wife and I have been sending a large package every 2 weeks which we will now send weekly........My son is a very generous kid so he shares with everyone as do most of the other solders.

If anyone is interested in sending a package PM me and I'll send you my son's address in Iraq

Some of the items they want are:

Chef boyardee Spaghetti and meatballs (better than an MRE)
Chunky soups
Cheese (non refrigerated)
pepperoni
Sausage
Crackers
Cookies (small packages)
Slim Jim's
Gum (no candy)
Magazines (hunting, Guns, Car, Audio) Non pornographic!!!!
Books (we get them donated from our local libraries) send these media mail
Games
Puzzles



Thank You

Jimmy

[wutadumsn23]

+1 Jimmy, I am in the Air Force and have noticed a decline in the amount of stuff being sent over. I get deployed atleast once a year, often times twice a year. Granted the places I go to are like Club Med compared to the places your son goes, but I have been to Iraq and other crappy places too. Hopefully you get some intrested parties in this matter and thank your son for his service from a fellow Military member.

[Sherardp]

Add to the list

Baby wipes (tons of them), nose tissues, sunscreen, toothpaste, bar soap, lotion, canned good foods as mentioned above.

I was out in Iwakuni training Marines for 3 weeks and while walking in the store was asked for donation. I did'nt have cash on me at the time, requested a list and went in and bought some of everything for these guys. They need it, plus I been there done that. If you can give, try to, baby wipes run around 4-5 bucks. These guys use them in the field for everything especially when they can't get showers.

Semper Fi.

[kawizx9r]

jimmydep, I understand where he's coming from. I just got out of the marine corps 4 months ago, having done 3 tours to Iraq and well sometimes it isnt just not getting care packages, its also the mail system out there that sucks. Sometimes you were fortunate enough to get your package in time for x-mas or valentines day or your birthday, othertimes you got a letter 3-4months late, or even as late as getting a letter that was mailed to you in the middle of your deployment to as late as the very next year after youve been back in CONUS for months. You can tell them that I fully believe that marines shouldnt be there anymore because honestly, everything has calmed down so much that its a waste of money/resource to be in that country, they should/can manage for themselves but we're there doing everything for them. Btw in case you weren't aware if you ever wanted to mail your son in a quick efficient manner, you can always use "motomail"...the website is www.motomail.us and what it is, you pretty much type an email as you normally would, and on his end it gets printed out and mailed to him. You'd be surprised how quick he will get your mail, my wife used to buy phone cards and then write the pin # down on her motomails she'd sent to me so that defeat the purpose of buying one and sending it in a package only to get it a month later. ooh rah!

[Sherardp]

jimmydep, I understand where he's coming from. I just got out of the marine corps 4 months ago, having done 3 tours to Iraq and well sometimes it isnt just not getting care packages, its also the mail system out there that sucks.ooh rah!

Ooh Rah hardcharger! Where did you go to boot camp? I came from an island better known as Parris Island. Got out in 02, Semper Fi Marine. Blood makes grass grow green.

OP check your PM, I'll send some goods.

[kawizx9r]

Ha, I was the "hollywood marine" did bootcamp in san diego and infantry training in camp pendleton. We had all the hills/mountains to friggin climb, well least we didnt have the swamps and humidity you did!

[jimmydep]

Thank you for all the posts.

My wife sent a case of baby wipes about 2 months ago and they still have plenty.....this deployment they are rotating through several different Army and Air Force bases in Northern Iraq so they have a few more creature comforts than usual....so they don't need any more baby wipes or personal hygiene items for now.

Thanks for the Motomail info....we have already been using it weekly, it's a great way to keep in touch.


Pm with address sent to Sheradp, Thank you for helping out.



Jimmy

[AudioGenics]

perhaps a suggest
contact your local USO and maybe get the community together also to help send care boxes ?

http://www.uso.org/whoweare/findyourlocaluso/

[CaligulaPolk]

I just spoke to my son who is a Marine serving his 2nd deployment to Iraq. He has told me they are receiving fewer "Care Packages" now than they did in his first deployment and some guys are getting almost none........Now this may be a sign of the economic times or just a pre-occupation with Michael Jacksons death, but I am appalled that we are not supporting the men and women defending our Country.

My wife and I have been sending a large package every 2 weeks which we will now send weekly........My son is a very generous kid so he shares with everyone as do most of the other solders.

If anyone is interested in sending a package PM me and I'll send you my son's address in Iraq

Some of the items they want are:

Chef boyardee Spaghetti and meatballs (better than an MRE)
Chunky soups
Cheese (non refrigerated)
pepperoni
Sausage
Crackers
Cookies (small packages)
Slim Jim's
Gum (no candy)
Magazines (hunting, Guns, Car, Audio) Non pornographic!!!!
Books (we get them donated from our local libraries) send these media mail
Games
Puzzles



Thank You

Jimmy

I can look into this and see what my wife and ic an do for the soldiers. Since i cant serve the country and want show my grateful. I will get back to you soon :D thanks for this thread!

[nooshinjohn]

Add to the list

Baby wipes (tons of them), nose tissues, sunscreen, toothpaste, bar soap, lotion, canned good foods as mentioned above.

I was out in Iwakuni training Marines for 3 weeks and while walking in the store was asked for donation. I did'nt have cash on me at the time, requested a list and went in and bought some of everything for these guys. They need it, plus I been there done that. If you can give, try to, baby wipes run around 4-5 bucks. These guys use them in the field for everything especially when they can't get showers.

Semper Fi.

I miss Iwakuni!!! Do you know if that american guy and his HOT Japanese/American daughter still on that bar on the right hand side of the street about 4 blocks outside the gate?


John

[Vdr1973]

Hey Jimmy what a great cause as ex military myself I really appreciate the opening of this thread. I am currently geting ready to go out of town but if you have a paypal i would gladly donate to the caus.

[Sherardp]

I miss Iwakuni!!! Do you know if that american guy and his HOT Japanese/American daughter still on that bar on the right hand side of the street about 4 blocks outside the gate?


John

outside of the gate there are plenty of hot chicks. Allot of them from PI, and and Brazil, to include some other places. Most of them working the bars as you mentioned.

[jimmydep]

Hey Jimmy what a great cause as ex military myself I really appreciate the opening of this thread. I am currently geting ready to go out of town but if you have a paypal i would gladly donate to the caus.

I appreciate your offer, but the purpose of this thread was not to raise money but to increase the awareness of the situation that our men and women serving overseas are experiencing.

The intent of this thread is to ask people to get actively involved in the support of our troops.

My son receives many packages every month from our local network of contributors, which he in turn distributes to the other solders in his company and on the base he happens to be stationed at. My Son's (Matthew's) concern is for the solders that do not receive any packages from home.


This is a good cause, Please help out. Just PM me and I'll send you his mailing address in Iraq.


Thanks

Jimmy

[oifvet0608]

If you guys don't mind I'd like to add some stuff...

I am a former "Hollywood Marine" (1371, Demo, 54th Amphibious "OOH RAH") currently in the Army (yes, the Marines are better) and this is my third deployment to Iraq (currently in the sandbox as I type). The first deployment (2004) we had softshell trucks with pallets and sandbags, slept in tents if we were "lucky" and generally sucked at life. We didn't really know what carepackages were unless we were at the USO in Kuwait for R&R or something.

The second deployment (2006) I was attached to 1/5 CAV in Baghdad. We were living in a school that got blown up by a big friggin' bomb and we rarely saw care packages then but when we went to the FOB the company would give us enough boxes to fill a 5 Ton.

This deployment, although much safer than the previous two is the most boring. You guys may or may not have heard this but "fighting boredom is harder than fighting the enemy" and most attacks/exchage of gunfire last a few minutes so we resort to spending all of our hard earned money on amazon.com or other sites to get things to keep us busy.

All we are really asking for is a little mail every now and then to keep our minds and bodies occupied. A letter or book is often times better than food or most other items we get in boxes. I have been in country for 9 months so far and I have received [B]2[B] care packages, not counting boxes from my wife and other family members.

Stuff to send:

Books and magazines
Letters
Crossword puzzles
Baby wipes
Razors
Non perishable food items that do not require a microwave
DVD's or music (if you're feeling generous)
Toiletries Do not send soaps unless it is in a plastic bottle, bar soap and such items make food taste like soap and that sucks


Do not send:
Bar soap
Chocolate (it was 126 here yesterday)
Microwavable food items
candy (it makes us fat, the majority of us that can, spend 1-2 hours at the gym per day)
Beanie Babies (for some reason every care package I get has a beanie baby in it, I guess we can throw them at the kids...?)


Also remember most Marines/Soldiers/Airmen/Seamen have some form of ADHD, PTSD and alot of other acronyms that I am too ADHD to mention so don't send things that require more than a few days to complete. We get sidetracked, we forget.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of you for your support. I can't count how many times I have had a thank you from the members of this forum/family. I/we thank you right back, your taxes pay our paychecks.

Thanks again, Vet


SPC Faller, Jason
HHC 172SB
FOB Kalsu, Iraq
APO AE 09312

[wutadumsn23]

Very good post oifvet, I couldn't agree more. While I am in the Air Force and by no means have it anywhere near as hard as you or the other posters in this thread (Marines) I too have been to Iraq, Oman, Afghanistan and plenty of other places where you are always looking for ways to cure your boredom when you are not wondering if you are "going to make it out of this one" My most recent deployments have been to Kyrgyzstan and that is a very large staging point/swapout point for Army personel, and it never ceases to amaze me how much the Army guys love it there, lol. Like I said it is Club Med compared to where you guys were or are going to after that, so I can understand. I also agree with the poster who wrote about the mailing process. Alot of APO/AE shipments sit for weeks on the East Coast, waiting for a ride over the pond on commercial airliners, or the ever dependable C-5 (sarcasim, lol) I have gone months waiting on a package from a friend or loved one. I have a slight advantage though as most of our care packages are simply put up on our Jets that are coming downrange for swapouts, so if I time it right I can have things sent from home in about a week. Hope all is well and keep your head down Soldier!! God bless all the troops deployed, and thank you to all the Vets in this thread for your service. I am doing my best to help keep this country free by continuing the hard work you have done.

[jimmydep]

Oifvet, thanks for updating the list, One thing my son say's is they have enough baby wipes for now.



Thanks guys

Jimmy

[jimmydep]

PM with address in Iraq sent to Sherardp and Raidersrule76 .......

Thank you for sending packages to our troops




Jimmy

[TroyD]

Actually, I'm going to chime in on the mail thing......OD mail, ordinary mail, goes to the APO at Newark where it is flow, under contract (DHL had it in 2007, may be a different carrier now) to Bahrain where it is, for OEF/OIF distributed out, via air, to a few different hubs. The contract specified that the mail had to get from Newark to Bahrain in 48 hrs and then 48 hours to the different hubs....it's then moved via convoy to the FOBs/COBs etc. THAT is where the hold up is.....that said, when I was in Iraq, at FOB Sykes which may not have been the end of the earth, but you could damn sure see it, a package from Charleston was 6 days, like freaking CLOCKWORK.

BDT

[wutadumsn23]

Actually, I'm going to chime in on the mail thing......OD mail, ordinary mail, goes to the APO at Newark where it is flow, under contract (DHL had it in 2007, may be a different carrier now) to Bahrain where it is, for OEF/OIF distributed out, via air, to a few different hubs. The contract specified that the mail had to get from Newark to Bahrain in 48 hrs and then 48 hours to the different hubs....it's then moved via convoy to the FOBs/COBs etc. THAT is where the hold up is.....that said, when I was in Iraq, at FOB Sykes which may not have been the end of the earth, but you could damn sure see it, a package from Charleston was 6 days, like freaking CLOCKWORK.

BDT

Hmm, may also be location thing though, but I was speaking more on the lines of the Military side, not the commercial side. Those "rotators" or "freedom birds" are pretty regular, but wether or not your package actually gets on the Jet before it takes off over the pond seems to be a timing issue. I and my friends have ordered many a product from stateside and it usually takes 2 weeks or so to get them in Kyrgyzstan. Don't get me wrong I am not in any way complaining, two weeks isn't bad it's just one of those things where you have nothing else to look forward to and seeing the weekly mail come in via 747, C-5, DC-10 or otherwise, it is a bummer when your package isn't on it, lol. Probably the distro hubs like you mentioned.

[oifvet0608]

I am on what used to be a remote FOB about an hour south of Baghdad so I can only speak for myself. The mail system here is very good and when I was in Baghdad it was very good as well.

It takes approximately 2-3 weeks to get a package here form anywhere in the world. My wife will send me a package from Germany and it will take the same amount of time as it will take for my parents to send me a package from Morris, Illinois.

I'm not complaining about the amount of time that it takes to get a package nor am I complaining that the amount of packages we get (which have declined considerably). I am not even asking for a package (I gave my address so you guys would have an idea where I'm coming from on the matter at hand). What I planned to convey in my seemingly long post was information on what to send and what not to send, I just have a issue with using a lot of useless words when I speak (maybe I should be a sportswriter).

For those of you that would like to send care packages there are some useful sites:

www.anysoldier.com
www.operationcarepackage.com
www.supportourtroops.org

There are many others...google that $h!t, www.anysoldier.com is the best in my opinion (they cover all facets of the military).

Thanks again guys!!

[nooshinjohn]

outside of the gate there are plenty of hot chicks. Allot of them from PI, and and Brazil, to include some other places. Most of them working the bars as you mentioned.

In particular, there was a bar in town that did not have the Philipino's working there... It was owned by an American retired Marine and his Japanese wife. When I was there, his daughter had just started to take the place over...

[jimmydep]

For those of you that would like to send care packages there are some useful sites:

www.anysoldier.com
www.operationcarepackage.com
www.supportourtroops.org

There are many others...google that $h!t, www.anysoldier.com is the best in my opinion (they cover all facets of the military).

Thanks again guys!!

I use anysoldier.com when my son and nephew are stateside.

Oifvet, if you give me your address in Iraq, I'll add you to the mailings that we do.

Thank you for your service, more of us appreciate it than you know.

Stay safe

Jimmy

[oifvet0608]

My address is at the bottom of my first post in this thread. I'm here till November. Thanks

Vet

[jimmydep]

My address is at the bottom of my first post in this thread. I'm here till November. Thanks

Vet

Anything in particular you'd like??

[oifvet0608]

To go home and have "quality time" with wifey. I'm not kidding but you asked...sorry.

The best stuff to send is sunflower seeds, magazines, job offers, drink mixes (haw. punch, crystal light, etc.), dried fruit, other non perishable/non microwavable foods


Thanks, Vet

[jimmydep]

I spoke with my son yesterday, it seems they were on some high priority, high risk missions in Northern Iraq, so the C.O. has asked us not to send anymore packages to them, this means they are coming home soon (and 1 month early)......My son will get the address of another Marine stationed at this combat outpost (what the Marines call a Hell Hole) so we'll be able to keep sending packages to them.

Thanks to all of you who sent packages already. If you have a package ready to send PLEASE HOLD ON TO IT do not send it to my sons address in Iraq.

Ill post the new address of another Marine as soon as I get it.

oifvet.....I'm on vacation right now, so I'll get those items out to you when I return next week...I'd send your wife over but I don't think she'll fit into one of these flat rate boxes.....sorry.



Thanks to all

Jimmy D

[oifvet0608]

She is quite small but you're right!! Thanks for the laugh. I have been to many of those "hell holes" in previous trips and I don't wish that on anyone.

The best visual I could give an outsider would be the scene in "Rundown" when you see those people mining. Not that extreme but you get the idea.

Thanks Jim, I know it sux here but family back home has it just as hard as we do...take care and I hope your son gets his a$$ home soon.

[TroyD]

Hmm, may also be location thing though, but I was speaking more on the lines of the Military side, not the commercial side. Those "rotators" or "freedom birds" are pretty regular, but wether or not your package actually gets on the Jet before it takes off over the pond seems to be a timing issue. I and my friends have ordered many a product from stateside and it usually takes 2 weeks or so to get them in Kyrgyzstan. Don't get me wrong I am not in any way complaining, two weeks isn't bad it's just one of those things where you have nothing else to look forward to and seeing the weekly mail come in via 747, C-5, DC-10 or otherwise, it is a bummer when your package isn't on it, lol. Probably the distro hubs like you mentioned.

Mail is mail....ALL OD mail goes commercial. We don't do OD mail anymore. If someone is telling you that your mail is coming in on a C-5, C-17, 747....they are full of ****. It doesn't happen that way.


BDT

[greymatter]

If you guys don't mind I'd like to add some stuff...

I am a former "Hollywood Marine" (1371, Demo, 54th Amphibious "OOH RAH") currently in the Army (yes, the Marines are better) and this is my third deployment to Iraq (currently in the sandbox as I type). The first deployment (2004) we had softshell trucks with pallets and sandbags, slept in tents if we were "lucky" and generally sucked at life. We didn't really know what carepackages were unless we were at the USO in Kuwait for R&R or something.

The second deployment (2006) I was attached to 1/5 CAV in Baghdad. We were living in a school that got blown up by a big friggin' bomb and we rarely saw care packages then but when we went to the FOB the company would give us enough boxes to fill a 5 Ton.

This deployment, although much safer than the previous two is the most boring. You guys may or may not have heard this but "fighting boredom is harder than fighting the enemy" and most attacks/exchage of gunfire last a few minutes so we resort to spending all of our hard earned money on amazon.com or other sites to get things to keep us busy.

All we are really asking for is a little mail every now and then to keep our minds and bodies occupied. A letter or book is often times better than food or most other items we get in boxes. I have been in country for 9 months so far and I have received [B]2[B] care packages, not counting boxes from my wife and other family members.

Stuff to send:

Books and magazines
Letters
Crossword puzzles
Baby wipes
Razors
Non perishable food items that do not require a microwave
DVD's or music (if you're feeling generous)
Toiletries Do not send soaps unless it is in a plastic bottle, bar soap and such items make food taste like soap and that sucks


Do not send:
Bar soap
Chocolate (it was 126 here yesterday)
Microwavable food items
candy (it makes us fat, the majority of us that can, spend 1-2 hours at the gym per day)
Beanie Babies (for some reason every care package I get has a beanie baby in it, I guess we can throw them at the kids...?)


Also remember most Marines/Soldiers/Airmen/Seamen have some form of ADHD, PTSD and alot of other acronyms that I am too ADHD to mention so don't send things that require more than a few days to complete. We get sidetracked, we forget.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of you for your support. I can't count how many times I have had a thank you from the members of this forum/family. I/we thank you right back, your taxes pay our paychecks.

Thanks again, Vet


SPC Faller, Jason
HHC 172SB
FOB Kalsu, Iraq
APO AE 09312

good post...makes a whole lotta sense.