Soldiers in Iraq need help

[DLCTEX]

In reading DavidFortier's article "The Little Black Carbine" (May/June Rifle Shooter). He states that the troops of the"3-7th Cav are short on weapon cleaning supplies. They could use 5.56 mm, 7.62 mm bore patches, bore brushes,cleaning brushes, and most of all Break Free CLP. A few of your old gun, car, or computer magazines or perhaps a local newspaper tossed into the box would be much appreciated, too.
If you are willing to help out send it to: Any Calvary Trooper,C\0 SFC Lugo,2nd. Platoon, B Trp.3/7 Cav. Unit 5972, APO AE 09378."
Here is an opportunity to support our troops in a tangible way. I will be sending a box in two weeks, if you want to do it that way I will include it and give you credit for your part, or send it to the above address. My address is:
Dale Clawson
16689 FM 2697
Wheeler, Tx. 79096

[Scrounger]

Dale, I think I can fill up a $9 box with gun magazines and get it going next week. Thanks for the reminder.

[Alchemist]

Hey guys,

USPS has a new flat rate box for APO/FPOs only...a little bigger and I believe it is a litte cheaper rate. Worth checking out.

I'll send a package to the troops too. Gotta take care of the country's guardian angels. My wife frequently sends packages to loved ones of people she meets through her job as a pharmacy technician. Some other favorite goodies of the troops are:

Beef jerky
Drink mixes (powdered Gatorade, lemonade, etc)
dry roast nuts
Ramen noodles-believe it or not
tuna
smokeless tobacco
sunflower seeds
baby wipes
hand sanitizer

One question...Can packages be sent "To any soldier" without being returned? I heard that it had to be to a specific individual. The wife is always sending the packages to a specific troop.

Might have to send it to "Johnnie I. Forgetizname" of "Hamburger Hill" fame. [smilie=1:

Alchemist

[timkelley]

Alchemist, you are right about the any soldier proabition, that is why these are sent to any trooper, CO: SFC Lugo. When it's done this way Sgt Lugo (probably a Platoon Sgt.) is the addressee and he then knows to give it to the Troop who needs it the most or whose turn it is. The whole thing is talking to the Army correctly, works good.

[Bad Water Bill]

Dale Back in 1958 we had the same problems. Buy your own T paper also. Took a cruise to the med. 87 cents a day to feed you. I worked nites ( 4 PM till 8 AM) our supper was 2 slices of white bread 1 slice of cold salt pork, ( the wooden bbls were marked 1944 ) a glass of powdered milk, a scoop of powdered mashed potatoes. Been there needed help so I will be sending you 10 K 17/22 cal cleaning patches. They work great on all of 5 different cal 22 rifles I own, wish it could be more but a SS check only goes so far. The people I am getting them from are paying the postage as a way of showing their support. My M O will be going to her tonight so you should recv them in a week or so. BWB:castmine:

[mcassill6933]

Might have to send it to "Johnnie I. Forgetizname" of "Hamburger Hill" fame. [smilie=1:


Best to have any mail addressed to a specific, real person. When I was over there we had to give the postal unit on our FOB a by-name list of the people in our unit so that they could be sure to get mail to the right place. Name not on the list, it may not get delivered. Send it to the platoon sergeant, first sergeant, commander, or whoever, and if they are worth spit they will make sure it gets put to good use. Or if you know a specific soldier, just send to him/her. Everything gets shared over there anyway.
Mark
Former Army Captain

[Alchemist]

Thanks to noclue & Mark...I somehow missed the C/O SFC Lugo in Dale's post. The "Johnnie I. Forgetizname" was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek humor...guess I bombed on that one. :groner:

The APO only flat rate box is the same size as the $12.95 box, but it's discounted to $10.95 to APOs. The box is about 1/3 larger than the regular flat rate box.

[mtnman31]

Emails and messages stating that troops overseas are short on common supplies are very disturbing to me. Having been to Iraq twice, I know first hand that you may not always have everything you have available to you at home. At the same time, people are not going without their basic necesities. Troops overseas have available to them EVERYTHING they need to perform their duties. If a soldier is having a hard time getting cleaning supplies, he should NOT be writing home and asking for the supplies. He/she needs to address their chain of command. Relying on the good will of family and friends is not going to fix the problem. If they are short on cleaning brushes and CLP they need to get their unit to order that stuff for them. Believe me it is not a money issue or an availability issue; more likely that someone simply forgot to order the stuff or didn't keep track of what they had on hand. Once their chain of command is aware that they need supplies, they will get them.

In no way am I saying to not help these guys out. I am saying that they need to do their part to help themselves out as well.

When it comes to sending care packages with random goodies in them, it is best to find out specifically what a person wants/needs. We had boxes full of unwanted candy, cookies, healthcare products, etc. Looking back it is funny what some people sent. I know intentions were well meant, but what is a guy in the desert going to do with twenty pounds of peppermint candies. Drink mixes went unused because why go to the trouble of mixing something up when you can get a cold drink from the chowhall or the store. We literally had 200 punds of toothpaste, and miles of dental floss that someone sent out. We ended up sending much of what we received to the local schools and towns. What we couldn't get rid of went into the trash. The exchanges and stores at the bases have just about everything a soldier could need or ask for. Your best bet to make a guy happy is to strike up a new friendship and find out what they NEED or can't get in country.

[Scrounger]

I figured they'd have all the military equipment they needed so I'm thinking treats and entertainment. I just asked the mail person to bring me one of the special APO Priority Mail boxes tomorrow; i must have 10 dozen Priority Mail Boxes here but not that one. Ain't it always the way? I'm going to send some gun magazines and paperbacks, peanut butter and hot sauce, and use Ramen for packing material. I thought about throwing in some dehydrated beer (if there were such a thing) but figured that was on the prohibited list like it was in Saudi Arabia. Then I thought, the circumstances are different, no good, thoughtful commander would deprive his troops in a conquered country. Then I thought, no good, thoughtful commander would send his troops in there anyway, he'd just rubbelize the damn place. Well, we do what we can to help, we don't punish the children for the sins of their Great White Father. People who did that in the Viet Nam era could not be more wrong.

[Bad Water Bill]

Dale :-D The charming young lady at " Lisa's Gun Cleaning Plus Lotsastuff " just notified me that the patches have left the Dallas P O heading your way. When I asked her about a price on the patches for the troops Lisa VOLUNTEERED to ship the package as a show of her support. No I have never met the lady but she shipped on my word that the check was in the mail. No she does not know I am giving her a bit of free advertisement but I think anyone that still operates in the good old American way deserves some Honorable mention. :drinks: I will be checking on used paperbacks for the G I s in Iraq. The last time I mentioned sending books to the store owner they said IF SOMEONE WILL PICK UP THE POSTAGE WE WILL DONATE (they have approximately 750 K books and no room on the floor). :drinks: BWB:castmine:

[Scrounger]

I'm putting together a box today. I have some of the Flat Rate Priority Mail boxes to send to APOs and FPOs and I am disappointed in their size. They are possibly a little smaller than the $9 box; to APOs they cost $10.95. I had gathered up enough stuff to fill 5 or 6 of them, unrealistic on my part, I guess. I will send it all but over a couple of months, not all at once. This one will go to the unit Dale (?) gave the address of, but in the future I'll send to the unit address of some local boys if I can find one.

[DLCTEX]

Thanks for the response guys, I stopped by Bass Pro in Memphis on the way home and picked up cleaning patches, bore brushes and Breakfree CLP. I will add some books and goodies. If anyone else is sending something for me to include, let me know and I will hold up shipment until it comes, or send another box if we fill one up. DALE

[Scrounger]

All right, Dale, walk me through this:
1. Address you gave does not fit format on Click-n-Ship.
2. There seems to be a customs requirement which is not spelled out very well. Nothing in my box on the "no-no list" but seems like there is a lot more paper work to be done. Why can't I just label it gifts and let it go at that?

[DLCTEX]

I only have the info from the article in Rifle shooter magazine. I will check with my son's GF tomorrow as her son recently was returned from Iraq after being wounded. Maybe she can enlighten me. DALE

[rockrat]

dale, do you make it down to Shamrock often? Might be going through there in the next day or two and could stop by and make a donation. Have to go to my best friends funeral, so have to round up things for the trip. and not alot of time to stop by the store and shop.

[dmftoy1]

Dale, I just put an order in to Midway and shipped it to your house directly. (12 bore brushes, and 12 bottles of CLP) Sorry I can't do more but things are a little tight lately. Midway says it should be at your house by 4/25 . . . .I'll get you a tracking # as soon as I can.

Have a good one,
Dave
(Son of a Master Sergeant US Army, US Army Air Corp, USAF)

[encoreman]

mtnman31 I will have to disagree on the part that they have everything they need. A friend at church just got back from Iraq on the Turkish border. He said they had 1 hot meal a day and they cooked on a hot plate and 1 microwave. They were not near a base to get 3 hots and everything they needed. Just wanted to clarify not start an argument. We definetly need to support our troops and keep them in whatever they need to keep them somewhat comfortable. God Bless them All!!

[Scrounger]

I just sent a package today but not sure I did the Customs Declaration right. What the H is that, Americans sending things to American soldiers and having to go through Customs? Wasn't like that in Viet Nam, Korea, and other places we sent them to die. Somebody needs to do something about that.

[DLCTEX]

Postmaster says aerosol can of Break Free is no go. Gave me Customs papers but didn't know much else. Wife says I left them on her desk at town, so it will be tomorrow night before I can get back to them. I may have to call Washington for info.
Rockrat: sorry to hear of the loss of your friend. You can leave items with Toby Brooks at the news paper office or the Market Square/Thriftway grocery and they will hold them for me. I will be in Cheyenne, Ok. all day tomorrow but will be available on Tuesday night or Wednesday all day. My cell phone number is 806 334 0401, would like to meet you. Call me and I'll run over any time after tomorrow 6:30 PM.
dmftoy1: First box is full, so we'll start the second one and send it also.
Bad Water Bill: Lisa's box arrived today, cleaning patches galore! Thanks everyone, DALE

[dmftoy1]

As promised here's the UPS tracking #: 1Z6772470370190081

[mcassill6933]

Drink mixes (especially Crystal light in the small packets) and candy were VERY popular items where I was at.
Mark

[OBXPilgrim]

By the way "mcassill6933" - in case no one has told you - welcome to the site & thanks for your service in defense of our country!!

"welcome to the site" - geez, I still don't feel right writing that - as if I think of myself as one of the old timers or something.

Anyway, these guys have helped me a bunch here & I'm sure they can anyone that's willing to listen. But, welcome!

[DLCTEX]

dmftoy 1: Got the package from Midway today, I will include it with items from funds from Rockrat and some magazines. You guys are awesome. Thanks a million. DALE