Well, we’ve got an ‘Ass-Worship’ thread and a ‘Strikers’ thread so how about a ‘worthy-cause’ thread? The purpose would be to answer questions and relate experiences about helping soldiers on the front lines.
I have adopted 2 soldiers and it is easy and inexpensive. First do a Google search and find a non=profit that will connect you with a soldier. I went through www.operationac.com. They will give you an e-mail and an APO/FPO for a soldier. You may then write to him/her and send occasional packages. They don’t ask for much, usually things like socks, Gatorade powder, batteries and the like. I have my Cub Scout troop help as well as my high school students and the kids love it. Many of the soldiers are very young, no family, and all are very appreciative of ‘stuff from home’.
So, how about it guys? If you can afford a couple of hundred bucks a month for supps, can you afford $50 every 3 months for a soldier defending you and I?
Having been deployed a few times, I want to say thank you for posting this. I can’t begin to describe how cool it is to get a box in the mail with all kinds of goodies from someone you don’t know. Being deployed sucks. Being shot at sucks. Being lonely sucks even more.
we were adopted over the holidays. it was awefully nice. Fleece blankets were a big hit. Pretty much anything individually wrapped (or single serving packages) that couldn’t be crushed (jerky, hard candy) was great. Letters were really nice too.
[quote]TriGWU wrote:
I am currently waiting to hear back on the solider I adopted.[/quote]
i’ve never heard from mine but i’ve been writing to him since jan/feb. i hooked up with a group called soldier’s angels. lots of the folks there say that you may never hear from the soldiers, sailors or marines that you adopt…but to keep sending stuff anyway…cause they may not be in a place and/or have the time to write. i know its not much…but i hope to convey to at least one of our people out there fighting… that those of us back home think about them, care and pray for them.
[quote]drilldaddy_99 wrote:
Having been deployed a few times, I want to say thank you for posting this. I can’t begin to describe how cool it is to get a box in the mail with all kinds of goodies from someone you don’t know. Being deployed sucks. Being shot at sucks. Being lonely sucks even more.
I am currently deployed in Iraq. I have been shot at with small arms and rpgs, they’ve tried to blow up my hummvee with and IED, and last night my squad and I had to walk through a lagoon filled with human and animal shit. But being lonely here sucks. I am an adopted soldier, and getting a care package always makes you feel better. I just want to thank everyone who has adopted a soldier. It means alot to us. Thanks
Another go way to adopt a solder is to find a Chapelan and send the care package to him and he will share with his company. Being a former Marine and having spent my time in the desert, here are some good suggestions: individual kool aid packs with the sweetner already in the packets. (Water gets very boring) Another great item is baby wipes. You can go to a dollar store and get plenty of these to send. Also, alot of down time so something like cross word puzzles and such as well.
This thread shows that there are some really great people in the Nation (no self-flattery intended at all)! Please, guys, let’s keep it going for the men/women over there.
Now for a funny story: At Christmas, I told my family that I didn’t want anything for myself – give me stuff I can send to a soldier. So, I got some stuff and several boxes of Tampax! The person who gave me these said how there are lots of women in the service (true, about 27%). Well, the sergeant who got these wrote back to tell me (a) no women in the company (b) some donkeys got in with their equipment. Tampax is perfect for cleaning up donkey s–t!
So, point is: no matter what you send, someone will use it!
Thank you everyone who has or is ‘adopting’.
One important thing: you may not hear from the soldier for extended periods. I want to emphasize to keep trying. Being in a war zone, these guys move a lot or the e-mail goes down due to a terrorist attack. Be patient; try every couple of weeks. They are very appreciative that you are trying to make their lives a little better! Hang in there!!
Hey Guys,
Need some help! I’d like to have as many of our soldiers adopted as we can. Any ideas? I’ve thought of posting this on a different forum, but don’t know which. Maybe right next to Vegita’s Ass Worship thread? At least it might be more visible to the T-Nation.
BTW: I have no kind of financial interest or what-not in any of this – in case someone wonders why I’m so ‘gung-ho’ for adopting a soldier.
Funny how things work sometime. The past few days I have been thinking of ways to try and do something that could be of some sevice. Then this thread somes along. I am awaiting my email now. Thanks for posting this.
[quote]JPBear wrote:
I just signed up and I cannot wait to get my soldier’s info.
I had to give my Canadian address so I hope they don’t have a problem with Canadian’s adopting American soldiers.
What is the best way to wrap up a package? [/quote]
After you e-mail the soldier to let him know a package is in the mail (they are understandably leery of packages from strangers!), use strapping tape on a plain-as-possible box. There are the rare thieves who would snatch a box containing boots, for example, so a plain box is best.
Then, go to the post office, insure your package (it is cheap), send it priority mail. It will get there much faster, for a few extra dollars. You will have to fill out a manifest list of the box’s contents.
