I finally got a SOLDIER !

[MamaFairal]

I am so excited and after i post i am gonna log off and write him asap :D

Thanks to the OP who hooked me up with this and i cant wait to hear back from him(i know it'll take awhile) but i am just so darn excited and cant wait to write and support him!

WHOO HOO i got a soldier! :)

* but now i have a weird question for anyone who has a family member in Iraq or and APO addy.......How many stamps does a letter take?? Its a APO addy and i dont know how many stamps to put on the envelope.....lol

[VALENA-)45]

You Go Girl. I Am Happy For You, And Him. Way To Go!!!!! Btw, I Don't Know.

[nanajoanie]

I'm so happy for you :) Now you can maybe even start to send "care packages" :) Mostly they beg for AA and AAA batteries. My son goes thru 5 a day in his radio and communication stuff plus his personal stuff. There isn't any electricity in the tents. Postage is regular since APO address' go to New York before being sent out. It's takes 1-2 weeks for a letter to arrive and closer to 3 weeks for packages. If you have any questions, you can pm me anytime about "over there".

[MamaFairal]

Thanks Nana i am so excited and cant wait to hear back from him and see what he needs.

I cant help alot being unemployed but i will send him what he request and support him always :)

Hey Nana~ happy Mothers day :)

[nanajoanie]

Mama - they have commissaries sp? everywhere over their for the soldiers. They even have Burger King and McDonald's. It's not like home but close enough. My first package to my son was about $50 worth of individually wrapped candy - CremeSavers, Tootsie Pops, Wurthers, gum, mints, Tootsie Rolls, individual bags of peanuts, and lots of batteries. I won't do that again because the postage was $39 for 22.14# of goodies. Don't send homemade baked goodies or chocolate. Store bought stuff has perservatives in it to keep it from spoiling. And chocolate would melt before it got there. Already 128 degrees daytime.

[MamaFairal]

Well Nana before i even hear back from him i am gonna start collecting the bags of candies and such and then get together just a small "i am here for you" pkg to send with my second letter .......sort of surprise him type of thing :D
I cant wait!

[nanajoanie]

Good luck Mama - you will be loved forever. And remember like cartoons, the soldiers really do share with everyone. And then they remember who gets the best 'care packages' :D What branch is your soldier in? Male? Female? My son is Army.

[jen-ron]

FYI~ I made the mistake and sent my DH a package full of hard candies, thinkin "its not chocolate, it wont melt" HA! LOL He got bags of melted and rehardened candy, it was a mess!! hehe My DH says that they fought over the canned ham my MIL sent him. And yes, they do have pork products over there, DH said that the Kuwaiti/Iraqi workers that worked in the mess halls would down pounds of bacon in the mornin after all the soldiers had eaten. DH and the other soldiers loved the dried fruit I sent over, so thats another idea for what to send over. Use your imagination! ;) lol Congrats on gettin a soldier! We have a friend whos brother is goin back over soon so we will be sendin him care packages! :)

Jen

[nanajoanie]

Jen - thanks for the idea about dried fruit :) Also made me think of BEEF jerky/meatsticks :)

[jen-ron]

Oh yea! lol Half the time he wouldnt get the stuff I would send him, the guys would be right there beside him, watchin as he opened his box and would grab stuff and run! lol So make sure you send extras, some guys dont get any packages at all. Oh and if you send something expensive, insure it!!! I sent him a portable little fridge, and he never recieved it and I didnt insure it, so if its worth anything at all insure it! LOL

[MamaFairal]

Thanks for all the ideas really

Nana~ to answer your question i have no idea what branch he is in. All i was told was his name, and that he is single and deployed till 3/05 :(
But he now has a new bestest friend=ME :D

[Army-Mom]

My son likes getting the protein bars, and dried fruit, we also just sent him a battery operated fan..as the power comes and goes..I am told that the snacks that are for sell where he is graham crackers and spam and he said that gets old fast...any kind of snacks would be greatly appecaited(sp?)..we just sent my son a big package of snacks, hubby went and got son lots of batteries and just mailed it out Friday...your soldier will love you forever you are making a life time friend for sure...
hugs,
Marcia

[MsLynn]

well if any of yall have family over there that knows someone who doesn't get packages, if they will get me an addy, i'd be happy to send them a package

[tsquared]

That is special of ya Mama...........most would just sit back and let these men and women fight for us and not care at all about them. You are doing a very special thing.

[Tracy'sMom]

well if any of yall have family over there that knows someone who doesn't get packages, if they will get me an addy, i'd be happy to send them a package

I second that. I got a soldiers name one time and wrote to him for 6 months and never heard back from him. :(

[thedragonlady]

It would be nice if some of you that had loved ones over there told them that some of us would like to "Adopt a Soldier". Several of you commented that your loved ones said there are soldiers who don't get packages. Maybe they could ask a few of them if they want packages and get some names for us. I would love to help a soldier.

[StormieChylde]

Yup, I think some names and addresses would be nice. I have nothing to do till the baby comes and would love to write to one.

[DivineMsDi]

OKAY MAMA! Glad they hooked you up finally! :D We have heard 2 times from our new soldier. He seems like a nice young man and I hope he is always well over there.

You just need to use one stamp (37 cents) if you send a card or letter. Packages have to go priority mail. They have several sizes. Go to the post office website and they will send you boxes and forms for free. www.usps.com
You need PRIORITY boxes and customs forms.

We are mailing our soldier a package tomorrow. I bought a few things at Target..some cookies, some cereal, some candy, and crackers. If you go to any "support" website they will tell you what they soldiers want/need. Even that one I sent you has info.

Just DON'T mix up soaps, deodorants, and that sort with food packages. They may leak into each other...ewwww.

Thanks for doing this, Mama. And anyone else. I have been doing this on and off for a few years.*** Some DO write, some don't. You have to understand this is not a penpaling/romance service. It is about positively supporting a soldier who MAY or MAY not ever reply. But you have to keep sending your weekly letter and monthly package.***

[Unicornmom77]

well if any of yall have family over there that knows someone who doesn't get packages, if they will get me an addy, i'd be happy to send them a package
:D :D :D

ME also please!! My email is below!!!


THANKS!!

~Wendy

[Blackberry]

I am so excited and after i post i am gonna log off and write him asap :D

Thanks to the OP who hooked me up with this and i cant wait to hear back from him(i know it'll take awhile) but i am just so darn excited and cant wait to write and support him!

How did you get a soldier? I want one :D If someone could let me know, like if you know of anyone who isn't getting stuff from home I would like to send him/her stuff. TIA.

Stephanie

[Angel~Chihuahua]

this post brings back so many memories. when i was in grade school about 4th grade or so i had a penpal in the gulf war who was a master sgt. i wrote to him and he always wrote me back, sent me pictures of himself, and when the war ended he even sent me his bronze medal he recieved. he said that he thought i deserved it more than him because i did such a great job writing him and keeping his chin up, i still have it to this day and i will never forget him. i would love to look him up and contact him. i even spoke to him on the phone when he got back home, he is married and has kids.. now maybe i'll look him up lol.

id love to write letters, send cards and packages to any soldier who needs it. if you have names and addresses please let us know!

[Army-Mom]

Sometimes they dont get to write alot of letters I have only gotten maybe a handfull myself and I am his mom, but he does try to e-mail and sometimes gets to call..it is very very hard for them to get time to write, like my son who works 12 on and 12 off, no days off. sometimes he has water and electric and then at times they may get to sleep if it cools off enough and the temp at times is 109 and with heat index it is even worse..my son has a room mate and I will ask him if he knows of anyone that doesnt get packages and if he would give me some names..when they do fall asleep they are always under fire (hard to sleep with someone always shooting at ya) it is very bad over there.
hugs and prayers,
marcia

[jen-ron]

You dont have to send packages Priority though they do recommend it due to the heat, I fought with the PO over that one! lol Also, do NOT put your return address on the outside of anything being sent over, orders from the Military!! If the mail gets intercepted then they will have your address and they can send antharax or bombs or anything through the mail. Your addy will have to go on the customs forms though. IF they say you "have" to put it on your packages tell them per military orders, you arent supposed to. Yeppers, we fought over that one too! lol Our friends bro goes over towards the first of June, if anyone wants a penpal and doesnt have one I can get addies then. Thank God, my DH is home so I no longer have any addies to give out. Your support will trully mean alot to the boys and girls over there. :)

Jen

[MamaFairal]

Apply for your own soldier at:
www.adoptaplatoon.org

and apply and then they call and do a phone interview and then email ya a soldiers name and info....be patient taeks about a month :(

PLEASE apply and support our soldiers who fight to keep us FREE!

[MsLynn]

like ARMY-MOM wrote, i know they are busy and i don't really care if they can write back or not, it would be nice, but i don't care i just want to know i'm making things more bearable for someone who doesn't have someone to help

[DivineMsDi]

Jen-Ron
Thanks for that additional information! I was just mailing my packages based on what they said on the website...You would know more with a hubby in the military!! :D

[jen-ron]

MsDi~ Your welcome! Sometimes the PO just thinks it knows more than it does. ;) lol Tyrin to help others advoid the same mistakes I made. The first time I sent a letter I forgot and put our return addy and when DH got it and finally got to a phone to call he ripped me a new one. lol OMG and think of what sendin a box at 25 lbs at Priority rate would cost you!! :eek: lol If ya'll have any more questions feel free to ask, either me or DH will (hopefully) be able to answer it. ;) :) :D