For a more meaningful Fourth of July-- Help out a soldier

[TexasLawyer]

Send a care package or even just a letter to a serviceman or woman currently in Iraq or Afghanistan. There are LOTS of soldiers writing in every day to AnySoldier on behalf of their units or platoons. Some of these kids come from broken homes, so they don't get much support from their families.

Mailing a package to a military APO or FPO costs the same as U.S. domestic postage. So a letter is just $.41 cents. My family and I have been sending packages for a couple years, and it's very gratifying.

Just a couple of today's entries on AnySoldier:

(to get the soldier's address, enter your contact info., and AnySoldier will send it to you)
http://www.anysoldier.com/WhereToSend/

Sgt. Grotegeer writes:

10 Jun 2007:

I work in the hospital in Kandahar and our wounded soldiers are treated here, before they go to other hospitals. We cut their clothes off to treat many of their injuries.

We are looking for assistance with Boxer shorts, sweatpants (cheap ones), t-shirts, and phone cards so they can call their families.

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

***************
SFC Houston writes:

10 Jun 2007:

The PX here is very small. personal hygiene items are very scarce. I am requesting for my platoon. We have 110 and 220 voltage but mainly 220 with some Soldiers living in tents and some living in little trailers. Female Soldiers need things such as baby wipes, hand sanitizer, shampoo, etc. Towels, shower gel, socks, lotion, mouthwash, (tolietry items) are really needed.

My unit is from Savannah GA and many of the Soldiers work long hours.

Thank you for your support.

[peace13]

1. Thanks for this.

Peace, Kim

[grasswire]

2. the military doesn't have clothes for wounded soldiers?

What the hell is going on over there? Where's the money going?

[TexasLawyer]

7. you would think that they would.

I've seen all kinds of requests for things, like bedsheets and pillows, which you would think would be handed out to the soldiers. If the soldiers don't come with a pillow, many times they have to wad up their flak jackets or some other piece of cloth as a substitute.

[bobbolink]

11. Exactly my response... only said with vehemence!

No clothes, no way to call relatives, friends.

Just a torn body and wrecked mind.

:mad:

Suggestion: Print these lists, and stick in windshields of every car with the friggin' Support Our Troops shit.

:nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke:
:nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke:
:nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke:
:nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke:
:nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke:
:nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke:
:nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke: :nuke::nuke:

[knitter4democracy]

14. They don't have enough scrubs, either.

Check the site for a medic unit's list. They always list scrubs. Some units don't have laundry service, and they only get three sets of scrubs, so when they get trashed in surgery or whatever, what are they supposed to do? Ick.

Socks. They don't have enough socks. Sunscreen. You'd think they'd have that, but no.

[EFerrari]

3. We live under the illusion that our service people are cared for.

They aren't.

Thank you, TL, for helping us stay connected with them.

K&R

/oops

[Morgana LaFey]

13. The care and outfitting they get reminds me of

some rag tag military comprised of loyalists from some broken down third world country -- some vanquished, utterly defeated country. It's not quite that bad, but they're not being adequately respected by the people they serve in this administration, and they're not being adequately or appropriately supplied or remunerated or cared for afterwards. These are NOT signs of a healthy country or a healthy national economic picture.

[tom_paine]

4. K & R

[eShirl]

5. K&R!!!!!!!!!!!!

[peace13]

6. Kick this for our soldiers doing the job asked of them.

Remember, support and get them home!! Peace, kim

[Gabi Hayes]

8. how bout a care package to one of the thousands of Iraqi families whose lives

our government has destroyed?

[peace13]

9. I understand your point.

I work daily to bring the troops home. I contact my congress people and try to encourage them to do the right thing so that we can get out of Iraq and address the hell that we have wrought on the Iraqi people. Supporting our soldiers does not in any way diminish the plight of the Iraqi people. If you have an address for care packages to Iraq civilians DU would be a great place to post that. Be a part of the solution. Peace to you, Kim

[knitter4democracy]

15. There's Afghans for Afghans. I don't know of a similar group for Iraq.

http://afghansforafghans.com

Great group.

[TexasLawyer]

10. From PFC Leach. posted today

11 Jun 2007:

my unit lives in tents with a 220 power supply we don't have a px only local national shop so hygiene products are hard to get and so is snack food because the dfac {dining facility} is only open for certain hours during the day. We sleep on cots and they are the most uncomfortable things in the world.

We only get to go to a base with a px once every other month so any comfort items will help also we could really use hair clippers the one set that i brought with broke last month and nobody else has a set thank you for your support

[peace13]

12. Americans with their heads in the sand,

think service in the US military is a way to go to college. Go figure.

[tomreedtoon]

16. Question about publicizing this...

I'd like to put out little flyers like this. But I'd like to word them like this: after listing the things that our soldiers need, and the address/contact information, I'd like to say "Your help is needed, because thanks to the Bush Administration's cutbacks on military support, our men and women in service can't get them."

Think this is fair to say?

[Decruiter]

17. I need some help here. Have you tried going through the VFP for

trying to help them? Our soldiers need help at home.

[Decruiter]

18. Why are we not delivering these lists personally to each and everyone

of our CongressCritters? Why are we just filling the orders and saying oh, well?

Fill the request, then go to your Reps office with the receipt.

This is outrageous, but what's new? Just part of "their" "shock and awe" campaign. Are you in awe Yet?

[peace13]

19. Good point.

Fill the request, deliver the receipt and write it off on our taxes. One way to start a revolution.