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Adopt-A-Soldier Program
Hi everybody!
In addition to our upcoming new arrival, my husband and I decided to take in another life form into our family...a US Soldier in Afghanistan! DH's company has enrolled in the Adopt-A-Soldier program where company employees send personal care packages to soldiers in the Mid-East. At any rate, I was wondering if anybody here had any loved ones serving our country overseas, and if you could give me any suggestions as to things that might be useful or enjoyed (we have a list of some suggestions, but I was just wondering). Also, I noticed on the weather forecasts that Afghanistan is getting a little chilly at night...do any of you know if caps, gloves, quilts, etc. are needed? I can't imagine that the military would let their boys go cold at night, but I imagine it would be nice to have a cooshy quilt or something to come back to. Please let me know your thoughts on this. We send out packages every month, so if any of you are interested in throwing in an item or two, please let me know! I hope to hear back from our guy soon, so maybe he can offer more info on the subject as well (I think any article of clothing in black is safe). Thanks for your help! Allaya Links to C-Company pictures: http://www.wdc.com/en/company/community/sas/news.asp |
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"Allaya Diep" wrote in message
news:9FXeb.5434$La.360@fed1read02... Hi everybody! In addition to our upcoming new arrival, my husband and I decided to take in another life form into our family...a US Soldier in Afghanistan! DH's company has enrolled in the Adopt-A-Soldier program where company employees send personal care packages to soldiers in the Mid-East. At any rate, I was wondering if anybody here had any loved ones serving our country overseas, and if you could give me any suggestions as to things that might be useful or enjoyed (we have a list of some suggestions, but I was just wondering). Also, I noticed on the weather forecasts that Afghanistan is getting a little chilly at night...do any of you know if caps, gloves, quilts, etc. are needed? I can't imagine that the military would let their boys go cold at night, but I imagine it would be nice to have a cooshy quilt or something to come back to. Please let me know your thoughts on this. We send out packages every month, so if any of you are interested in throwing in an item or two, please let me know! I hope to hear back from our guy soon, so maybe he can offer more info on the subject as well (I think any article of clothing in black is safe). Thanks for your help! Allaya Links to C-Company pictures: http://www.wdc.com/en/company/community/sas/news.asp Allaya, Kelley (dd#2) and Steve (dsil) both served 7 months there, and here's some advice/and/list of ideas: Birthday cards to send home to loved ones. Christmas cards to send home to loved ones. US postage in increments of $3.70 (priority mail stamps) " " " " " " " " 37cents (regular book of stamps) Mosquito repellant with DEET. DON'T send anything religious... ONLY family members are "allowed" to send Bibles, Testaments, etc. HTH, Noreen -- STRIP *tease* to email me. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.522 / Virus Database: 320 - Release Date: 9/29/03 |
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I belong to Ellens group anyway and to SOM
cheers......Cher "Noreen's Knit*che" wrote in message ... "Allaya Diep" wrote in message news:9FXeb.5434$La.360@fed1read02... Hi everybody! In addition to our upcoming new arrival, my husband and I decided to take in another life form into our family...a US Soldier in Afghanistan! DH's company has enrolled in the Adopt-A-Soldier program where company employees send personal care packages to soldiers in the Mid-East. At any rate, I was wondering if anybody here had any loved ones serving our country overseas, and if you could give me any suggestions as to things that might be useful or enjoyed (we have a list of some suggestions, but I was just wondering). Also, I noticed on the weather forecasts that Afghanistan is getting a little chilly at night...do any of you know if caps, gloves, quilts, etc. are needed? I can't imagine that the military would let their boys go cold at night, but I imagine it would be nice to have a cooshy quilt or something to come back to. Please let me know your thoughts on this. We send out packages every month, so if any of you are interested in throwing in an item or two, please let me know! I hope to hear back from our guy soon, so maybe he can offer more info on the subject as well (I think any article of clothing in black is safe). Thanks for your help! Allaya Links to C-Company pictures: http://www.wdc.com/en/company/community/sas/news.asp Allaya, Kelley (dd#2) and Steve (dsil) both served 7 months there, and here's some advice/and/list of ideas: Birthday cards to send home to loved ones. Christmas cards to send home to loved ones. US postage in increments of $3.70 (priority mail stamps) " " " " " " " " 37cents (regular book of stamps) Mosquito repellant with DEET. DON'T send anything religious... ONLY family members are "allowed" to send Bibles, Testaments, etc. HTH, Noreen -- STRIP *tease* to email me. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.522 / Virus Database: 320 - Release Date: 9/29/03 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.522 / Virus Database: 320 - Release Date: 9/29/03 |
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Allaya,
If my memory serves me right, the guys and gals need hats to go under their helmets to keep warm. I know there is a group somewhere that does hats and they may be able to give you more suggestions. Hugs, Nora |
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My older sons unti was sent over to Iraq the end of January...they're home
now, but were told they may have to go back : (. The biggest thing: wet wipes....eye drops, toothpaste, tooth brushes, deoderant, foot powder, comfort items such as: candy, gum, koolaid, ramen noodles, magazines, puzzle books, soap, plastic ziplock bags -they keep everything in these because of the fine sand that gets into everything- cookies, snack type foods, note paper, envelopes, stamps, pens, pencils......hope this helps give you an idea....thanks for thinking of them! Marie C. |
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Allaya wrote:
snipsnipsnip At any rate, I was wondering if anybody here had any loved ones serving our country overseas, and if you could give me any suggestions as to things that might be useful or enjoyed Allaya - For making warm items and more goodie ideas, go to the website listed in my sig and check out ideas given at the Ships Support project. It was started to send warm things to personnel on ships, but has spread to include umpteen ground units and some air units, so the info there will cover your new adoptee. (and congratulations, btw! g) Reading through the responses and pix posted from the ground troops should help, too. It's updated as to what kind of reactions different items get, so that's a way of keeping track of what's popular at any given time. Beware of many patterns on the web specified as ok for the troops - lots of them have turned out to be useless or not allowed by TPTB. See below for suggestions, that'll give you some idea. As to one specific item you mentioned - quilts - I remember those and afghans came up in discussion on the SS list some time ago. They aren't a good idea, alas. Mostly because of the bulk, when it comes to ground troops. Admittedly, plenty of units are now staying relatively put; but still, at any time they may have to pull up stakes and move, fast. And for those ground forces that don't have a regular station, they're traveling most of the time - on foot. You can't carry an afghan or quilt along when you're lugging an 80-lb. pack, rifle, ammo, etc....which means anything else gets dumped. If your guy's one of them, think wilderness hiking trip with huge backpacks - already full - plus hunting gear (and no 4-wheel drive to get there in), dry camps, mostly cold food, showers once a month if then, and no conveniences whatsoever. For God knows how long at a time. Basically, what's been most popular in knitted/crocheted items for Ship Support - for both sailors *and* soldiers - has been hats and slippers. Plus sewn cool ties for the hot summer months, should he still be over there next summer - likely. (the latter being long, narrow tubes of fabric filled with a few tspns. of those crystals for plants that absorb water - a big help in high temperatures. you can find patterns on the web. they're worn around the neck, and longer lengths like 50" or so are best, if I remember right. tight-woven cotton fabric is best, no fancy prints. include instructions on how to use; they have to soak them in water before wearing. he may be skeptical at first - assure him that both ship and ground forces have raised hosannas about them in temps of 100+.) And while the military does try, our guys *do* get cold in winter. Apparently military-issue hats and gloves aren't as good as home-made ones. Plus they don't get issued any kind of night-time footwear, so some sort of sturdy slipper is nice - gives 'em a chance to get out of those danged boots without getting frostbite. That being said...here's a list of things the guys don't like, have problems with, and/or the military won't allow except during off-duty or special times; and some pointers on what they *do* like/need: --The guys don't like 'girly' colors. (i.e., pink, lavender, yellow, etc. *definitely* not white.) And dark colors are best; you're right on the black. Others usually ok are navy, dark gray, deep fir green. Black is probably best for any on-duty wear. Maybe *desert* camo colors, in tans, grays, browns--check with your guy if he can wear that on duty or not. (no woodlands/green/snow/blue type camo colors.) Boring, but they can at least wear them with uniforms. And not get shot at because they're showing up on the landscape. (on the Ship Support site you'll see naval personnel wearing all sorts of hats in bright colors. this is only because they usually have a Silly Hat Day, when they're allowed to wear such, for morale. ground troops don't have Silly Hat Days.) Off-duty, some brighter colors, such as red, or team color combinations, can be ok, but you'll have to check. Problem with checking is that the poor guy may not have time/access to get back to you for a long time after you ask, so it's safest to go with the darks. --No hats w/pompoms or any kind of topknot, frills, bulky stitch patterns, etc. Hats with anything on top, *or* turned-up cuffs won't fit under a helmet. Nor are they regulation. Hats knit with bulky yarn won't fit, either. Hats should be close-fitting; no berets. Yes, he'll probably be wearing a hat off-duty a lot; but if it's a choice between one ok for duty wear, and one that he can *only* wear off duty, guess which may get dumped if they have to move? Even if not that mobile, does he have *room* to store things? Also, hats 'n such need to be able to be stuffed into a pocket; another reason for not using bulky yarns, as well. Earwarmers started out being popular, then not. (if I ever get my old computer hooked back up, I have a file on it of a pattern for a knit watch cap I designed specifically to fit under a helmet--no double cuff, 1x1 rib where the usual cuff would be, stockinette for the rest, tight gauge. lemme know if you want it, I'll send it to you. or post it here. I need to move the rest of my files to my new computer, anyway, that'll give me a push. g I think someone here on rcty may have gotten it already, if anyone remembers?? whoever you are, if you've got it, feel free to post it. I copyrighted it but released it for any type of use and free distribution, just keep my name with it. so spread it around.) --Concentrate on warmth and sturdiness. Lacy, openwork, or fancy-stitch knit or crochet items aren't useful. Ditto granny-square items. (and are too girly. g) Go back to the old-fashioned kind of knitting/crocheting at gauges that seem awfully tight to us nowadays, on smaller needles, with worsted or finer weight yarn. US #6's, #5's or even #4's are good, depending on how tightly you knit or crochet. --Acrylic is good, because it can stand up to careless washing and drying anywhere. (everyone would probably wash things first anyway, but just in case--don't be insulted--if you or anyone donating ends up using Red Heart pounders, do make sure to wash those items before sending. it's actually pretty soft after you wash it once, especially with some vinegar in the rinse cycle. but before washing the first time, bleaaaugghhh!) If you use wool yarn that's not superwash, include basic instructions for handwashing - under rough conditions. Some hint like the fact that scrubbing a wool hat/socks briskly, or washing them in whatever, if any, laundry services he may rarely have access to, will guarantee that he gets to donate said item(s) to a deserving local child wearing a much smaller size. g Make sure to specify handwash *only*; they do it with stuff when they can on long patrols, anyway, so he shouldn't faint. But if he does get near any laundry facilities, his stuff will get dumped into one big pile, and they use *industrial*-type machines. No gentle cycles or low-heat drying. If you don't tell him, he may forget and toss a pure wool item in there. Oh, and anyone in the military shouldn't be allergic to wool; if I remember right, being allergic to it is one of the things that gets you washed out. Basically, stick pretty much to pure acrylic, or pure wool, unless you know for sure how a blended yarn will stand up to rough use. --Slippers - they don't like any of the square kinds that you fold to sew together into shape; they fall off too easily. (and look girly. gg) Something thick with a decent cuff of at least 3" to 4", that'll stay on, is what they want. This is about the only thing where doubled/tripled or thick yarns knit on big needles is ok. Just make sure you can't poke a finger through it easily. --Socks - Thick yarn is ok if you're using a sock pattern for slippers. But if you're really knitting socks, then they have to be in finer yarns so they can actually be worn with military-issue boots. And it'd probably be a good idea to find a real, live soldier - with field boots - to test 'em out on locally before mailing. --Gloves - the fingerless kind seemed to be popular, what few were sent out. Mittens, no, not even for off-duty. --Scarves - not too popular. They catch in things. Ask about a neck gaiter instead. (tube to be worn round the neck. make sure it'll stretch enough to go over the head when he pulls it on.) --Men's medium sizes are, not unusually, the most needed. Hats, 20"-22" around; slippers/socks, 9"--10-1/2" long. Remember they've got military haircuts; don't make hats *too* big. --Don't pin anything together for shipping. If you need to keep things together, tie them with a strand of contrasting yarn. --Re Noreen's comment about anything religious - even little notes stuffed in saying 'God bless you' or 'Our prayers are with you' and such - they mean it! Don't. Marie's list of goodies was excellent - a few additional hints: --Keep everything in original packages. Get travel-sizes. --Nothing that's going to melt or get runny or stick together. (chocolate, gummi bears, any soft candies, etc.) --Jerky seems to be hugely popular almost any time. --Sometimes hot drink mixes, especially cocoa, are popular. In summer, some of the units wanted pre-sweetened Kool-Aid. (sugar's hard to come by. water is easier.) --As Marie said, they really love Ramen. And they stand up to shipping better than things like Cup O'Noodles and such. Weird-shaped packaging is a pain and often gets crushed/broken open. Last - the contact with someone back home means a *lot*. Many folks in the military don't have any family at all. One big thing that's been said by CO's on the ship list is that for many kids, stuff from the list is the only thing they'll get for Christmas. They may not have time or be in a place where they're able to acknowledge everything, but they sure will appreciate it. Monica CMMPDX2 at aol remove 'eat.spam' to email me --------- "No, that isn't me you saw - I'm not here, I'm incognito!" (Me, Myself & I) Support our Troops!! http://www.wtv-zone.com/kjsb/bataan.html |
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In article 9FXeb.5434$La.360@fed1read02, "Allaya Diep"
wrote: At any rate, I was wondering if anybody here had any loved ones serving our country overseas, and if you could give me any suggestions as to things that might be useful or enjoyed (we have a list of some suggestions, but I was just wondering). Also, I noticed on the weather forecasts that Afghanistan is getting a little chilly at night...do any of you know if caps, gloves, quilts, etc. are needed? I can't imagine that the military would let their boys go cold at night, but I imagine it would be nice to have a cooshy quilt or something to come back to. Find out for sure where they are. Baghdad is still hot, Afghanistan is not, for instance. Foot powder, foot powder, foot powder. Regards, Ranee -- Remove do not and spam to e-mail me. "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man." Acts 17:24 |
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My first husband was in the British Army and there were a few things that he
always asked for when he was away (which he was for almost half of our marriage) - even though he took a stock with him, they'd eventually run out and supplies were always harder to come by the further away from the main base they were. Mostly he wanted really thick socks (not to wear under his boots but to wear at night - feet get cold even if the temperatures don't go that low and army blankets never seemed to be long enough for the taller soldiers! Boiled hard sweets (that won't melt) and are individually wrapped - a couple of packs of those were always appreciated. Writing paper to write home, with envelopes- something they always ran out of and always loaned to friends so eventually they all ran out! And definitely something to read! He once took a handful of Readers Digests for the journey that his mother gave him- short pieces of writing are easier if the lighting is variable or there are likely to be periods of inactivity - he told me that they were passed around the platoon until they fell apart. A pack of playing cards to pass the time, and socks, socks and more socks (depending on where they are, laundry can be difficult and if they are damp and sweaty then a clean dry pair can really cheer you up!) For some reason non-regulation socks always got lost. Maybe because one regulation sock looks much like another so it doesn't matter if it goes walkabout. He'd always come home with one of each pair of socks that I'd sent. And like someone else said, they have to be able to take a pounding when it comes to washing so the treat-delicately stuff won't last long. Toiletries were always needed - especially shaving soap (in bar form, not aerosols) and disposable razors. Mostly what he loved was to be sent a large tinned fruitcake but I guess that would be difficult to send to the chaps in Iraq. I sent mine all over the world courtesy of the British Army as the wives could often get a big box sent out collectively. Mostly what they want is letters though- even from someone they have never met. It's awfully lonely out there and so many of them don't have family or friends who write very often. Just a chatty letter talking about what is going on back at home (wherever home is for you) can make them feel like someone somewhere gives a damn. Claire "Allaya Diep" wrote in message news:9FXeb.5434$La.360@fed1read02... Hi everybody! In addition to our upcoming new arrival, my husband and I decided to take in another life form into our family...a US Soldier in Afghanistan! DH's company has enrolled in the Adopt-A-Soldier program where company employees send personal care packages to soldiers in the Mid-East. At any rate, I was wondering if anybody here had any loved ones serving our country overseas, and if you could give me any suggestions as to things that might be useful or enjoyed (we have a list of some suggestions, but I was just wondering). Also, I noticed on the weather forecasts that Afghanistan is getting a little chilly at night...do any of you know if caps, gloves, quilts, etc. are needed? I can't imagine that the military would let their boys go cold at night, but I imagine it would be nice to have a cooshy quilt or something to come back to. Please let me know your thoughts on this. We send out packages every month, so if any of you are interested in throwing in an item or two, please let me know! I hope to hear back from our guy soon, so maybe he can offer more info on the subject as well (I think any article of clothing in black is safe). Thanks for your help! Allaya Links to C-Company pictures: http://www.wdc.com/en/company/community/sas/news.asp |
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Ranee wrote:
The only caveat I'd give here is to find out where they are. My BIL was in Kuwait, and winter there is not that cold. He was still scorching in 100 degree nights a few weeks ago. Good point, Ranee! And once you find out a general idea, Allaya - then you go check out a weather almanac site to find out the average temps during the year. Such as the following link. (sorry about the long URL, but they seem to have hidden the link from USA Today's Weather Resources that supposedly would lead to this page...do you think I could find 'climate' listed anywhere? of course not!) http://www.usatoday.com/weather/reso...e/worldcli.htm Of course, if you use Baghdad for the city, it doesn't get down much further than an average low of 38F in January. But if they're further north, who knows? Guess you'll have to just ask exactly how warm items should be in a general way. I kinda get the feeling that writing something like, "Just where exactly are you, anyway, and what's the weather like?" could get you a visit from an armed squad of various nervous people on your doorstep in the middle of the night... Well, slipper/socks should be safe to start with, from what Claire said. Monica CMMPDX2 at aol remove 'eat.spam' to email me --------- "No, that isn't me you saw - I'm not here, I'm incognito!" (Me, Myself & I) Support our Troops!! http://www.wtv-zone.com/kjsb/bataan.html |
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