Spam the troops with care packages

[jm1776]

This idea is was inspired by the recent charity spam, the current tea bag thread and the current veterans out reach thread.

We should be able to send a few thousand? care packages to our troops in Iraq. There are some pretty nice sites we could use to facilitate this.

I'm looking at this one:
http://anysoldier.com/

You get a name and they leave notes about what their situation is along with the kind of stuff they need. (it's killing me just reading through a few of them) The site also tracks the number of times a particular address has been requested to minimize duplicates.

We include a personal note from a friendly neighborhood Ron Paul supporter. I plan to express gratitude for their service and to let them know while they are fighting for our Freedom over there, we are fighting for our Freedom over here. We are also fighting to get them home to their families.

I think this will only cost a few bucks each. And screw the MSM if they pick it up or not. Does this have traction?

- jim

[klamath]

This idea is was inspired by the recent charity spam, the current tea bag thread and the current veterans out reach thread.

We should be able to send a few thousand? care packages to our troops in Iraq. There are some pretty nice sites we could use to facilitate this.

I'm looking at this one:
http://anysoldier.com/

You get a name and they leave notes about what their situation is along with the kind of stuff they need. (it's killing me just reading through a few of them) The site also tracks the number of times a particular address has been requested to minimize duplicates.

We include a personal note from a friendly neighborhood Ron Paul supporter. I plan to express gratitude for their service and to let them know while they are fighting for our Freedom over there, we are fighting for our Freedom over here. We are also fighting to get them home to their families.

I think this will only cost a few bucks each. And screw the MSM if they pick it up or not. Does this have traction?

- jim

That depends on the morale of the troops. When I was over there you have to try and believe you are doing the right thing otherwise you might not be thinking clearly and end up dead.
If the general morale is "I just want to come home. I want out of this lousy place" it would be great.

[Razmear]

This could easily be spun in a Tokyo Rose light, use caution.

eb

[Elwar]

I wouldn't bring up politics or any personal agenda if you write to them. Just tell them that you appreciate them and you want them to come home safe.

I spent a year over there and it pissed me off seeing people talking about Iraq on TV with their own agendas, on either side, considering they had no idea what we had to put up with out there.

Of all of the things I got over there I liked these the most:
http://www.amazon.com/96-Liqueur-Chocolate-Crate/dp/B000CS1KBI/ref=pd_sbs_gf_2/105-3992383-7064438?ie=UTF8&qid=1187458434&sr=8-2

Also, a teacher had her students make drawings for the soldiers and I grabbed one that said "Please come home safe, you are my friend." by some little girl. Nobody else grabbed any of those pictures, but I liked that one.

They have a PX so they can buy most things they'd want, plus you can order things online so there aren't things that people are really wanting that they can't order.

Nothing on that site seemed particularly big as far as what to send, especially the Hooah! bar. They try to give those things out at the mess hall and nobody grabs them unless they've never tried one before. They don't taste good at all and they have the added bonus of making you constipated.

I say those little chocolate liquor bottles because alcohol's not allowed (though everyone has their own stash) but there's so little alcohol in the chocolate that it's let through and at least you get a taste of various liquors.

It is hell out there, I can't think of many soldiers that want to be over there other than the fact that they feel it's the best way they can contribute.

[jm1776]

Thank you very much for the replies. - Points well taken. - I'm sending mine with nothing but good wishes.

- jim

[McDermit]

The list of "what to send" on that site really sucks. As far as food goes, we loved getting any snack/junk food. Cookies that almost taste homeade are awesome. Mrs Fields are pretty good and hold up well. Individually wrapped, of course.

Candy that won't melt. Bottles of "listerine." lol. (emptied, filled with vodka and a little food coloring. taped up and stuck in plastic bags like all the other liquids you send.) GOOD beef jerky. My girlfriend used to ordering it 10lbs at a time on ebay and have it sent to me. it's called "bronco billy" old country jerky. best stuff ever, the guys would do everything they could to steal it from me.

depending on where they are, lotions, baby wipes, hand sanitizers, quality razors. for women, shampoos/lotions that don't suck. nail polish.

again, depending on location and available resources, board games, dvds, handheld video games, books, magazines, cds, hometown newspapers, footballs, nerf guns, super soakers, playing cards, etc. we had a group of guys that LOVED jumping rope. like.. schoolgirl style. lol. they just used a regular old rope that was all knotted up and acted like fruitloops with it. one of the guy's kids sent him a skip it, some frisbees, jacks, and other summer kiddie toys. everyone loved the stuff. bubbles were a big hit too. lol.


i was over kuwait and iraq during OIF 1 and OIF 2, so maybe the demand has changed. we didn't have computer access or anything, seems there's a lot more access now.. so stuff wouldn't be as hard to come by.