Happy Father's Day SD!
I don't mean to get off subject but my husband and I have been gathering some stuff to send to the soldiers and I have some questions.
First, my brother-in-law sent some "snuff" Skoal etc. to us for the soldiers and I am wondering if we can mail these type of things to the soldiers. Also, can you use the flat rate priority boxes to mail things in to them?
We have magazines, liquid soaps, medicated powder, games and other things(we purchased a bunch in small sizes so that they could take them in their back packs) and such but I am wondering what are the rules for tobacco.
We know that some of them must dip or smoke and this would be a help to them.
Let me know if you know anything about what you can send and the cheapest way to send it.
Lisa
Hi...I'm just a reader here but my husband is in Iraq and I send him things in the flat rate priority boxes all the time. The smaller the boxes are the faster they seem to get there. I don't know about the "snuff" but I've never seen anything that said you can't send it.
It's nice of you to support the troops in this way so good luck with your project.
M
Lisa,
The rules are here.
http://www.anysoldier.com/
They have the updated rules. It used to be packages from unkown senders were destroyed without opening them.
But it's not like that anymore? They want destroy my boxes because we spent a small fortune on it and I would hate that the troops didn't get it. It's for them and we want to help.
Thank about the flat rate priority thing Annoymous.
Also SD and anybody out there that may be able to answer this question.
I have noticed that the needs of some of the soldiers are very basic such as toothbrushes, pillows, sheets and tylenol. My question is, why in the world isn't the military providing these basic needs to the troops?
We purchased lots of toothpaste but I didn't pick up toothbrushes. I can do that but I wonder why they aren't being provided, you know what I mean. I don't know how to send several pillows. I guess I could mail one at a time. Plus, some soldiers are requesting letters. I am not sure what to write. After all they don't know me. Any ideas?
Lisa,
On your first question of supplies.
The military is "by design" an authoritarian regime with a centrally planned economy. (The first and last rule of having an Army is maintaining control of the Army)
It suffers all the problems of authoritarian regimes with centrally planned economies. It did when I served, it does now, it will 100 years from now.
Somewhere, there is a manual that a given population of soldiers will use a certain amount of tooth brushes in a certain amount of time, and that is what is supplied.
The manual doesn't take into account the amount of toothbrushes used to clean guns in a desert environment. To change the manual will require studies and congressional hearings.
The amount of "Tylenol", or aspirin that the military stocks in based on a hypothetical number of headaches.
A "Full Battle Rattle" equipped soldier with body armor, water supply, ammo belt and gun is pretty close to 60 pounds. The manual doesn't take into account the amount of "muscle and joint" pain soldiers wearing 60 pounds of stuff will experience. Carrying a gallon of water and 22 pounds of body armor is new. It will take the Army a decade to adjust it's supply tables.
Sheets and pillow are supplied. When I served, I didn't know anyone who didn't go out and get their own sheets and pillows at the first possible moment. The Army issue sheets and pillows are designed to last 1,000 years. I don't think "comfort" was a consideration.
LOL....I see now. That makes sense. Come to think about it when the government local, state and federal responded here for the hurricane, most of us here at least muddled through things ourselves while waiting for them to figure things out!
They did but it took weeks and when they say be prepared to be on your own, they mean it!
Do you know what took the longest to get back up and running correctly besides electricity? WalMart and the trash pick-up! Since they used the high school for people to take refuge and for the military to set up, there were tons upon tons of trash. So when my daughter Jess and her fellow students were finally allowed to go back to school, there was a large HEAP of garbage about 20 feet tall and 50 feet long right where the kids walked in. It was the same everywhere you looked...people cleaning out frigs from spoiled food and picking up limbs and cutting trees...it was a sight and a smell! They did their best as did we all but it smelled really bad around here for a long time
So I see...toothbrushes it is!
Happy fathers day!
Oh so that is why the terrorists are getting edgy!
what do you think it will take to make them stop the insurgents?
There is rumor that they may implement shoot on sight anybody seen in the "wrong place" and maybe even a little shock and awe.
Lisa,
Shock and Awe is done. An occasional bomb on someones head...but that will be it. We are into the "real police work" stage.
The Iraqi's have an advantage that they can enter a Mosque or wherever without some PC problem.
Every month, another 8,000 ISF come on line.
It's been a race, but even AlQueda acknowledges time is on our side now.
Is this part of a broad based coalition counteroffensive?
Does the IA and US forces have enough troops to go on a broad offensive that would include parts of Northern Babil province, Diyala province, Ramadi and other parts of Anbar province, and selected parts of Baghdad? I’m not talking about Fallujah type operation, I’m thinking Mosul X 10 in simultaneous areas. If the coalition now has the troops, it would be a good time to do it. I doubt the insurgency could cover being pressed in all those areas simultaneously and would have to concentrate their efforts into a reduced area (Again).
My guess is the insurgencies most important play is Baghdad’s Western Suburbs. That will be the toughest place to face them. Factor in that the fact that Western Baghdad is a huge sprawling area.
Is this part of a broad based coalition counteroffensive?
Does the IA and US forces have enough troops to go on a broad offensive that would include parts of Northern Babil province, Diyala province, Ramadi and other parts of Anbar province, and selected parts of Baghdad? I’m not talking about Fallujah type operation, I’m thinking Mosul X 10 in simultaneous areas. If the coalition now has the troops, it would be a good time to do it. I doubt the insurgency could cover being pressed in all those areas simultaneously and would have to concentrate their efforts into a reduced area (Again).
My guess is the insurgencies most important play is Baghdad’s Western Suburbs. That will be the toughest place to face them. Factor in that the fact that Western Baghdad is a huge sprawling area.
Neo,
270K Iraqi ISF makes a 10/1000 troop ratio. The squeezing "jello" has no where to go.
It's all over but the killing.(Unless one reads the NY Times)
Well, we are about to float away here today! Rain, rain, RAIN! We needed it bu this is too much!
What about North Korea, SD?
What they are doing considered an act of aggression, right?
What about Iran? Are we going to throw money at them as an incentive hoping for the best and sit still while they aquire nukes?
Could you help me understand why we keep doing this dance.
“The squeezing "jello" has no where to go.”
Yes, I do recognize that the insurgency has no areas of real political control and cannot gather or move anything but a few carloads of terrorists at a time without attracting a response.
Also, I recognize that the Shiites are in the process of creating an area of relative safety in south central Iraq.
These are both very significant developments.
I would be careful to oversell it though. The terrorists still can consistently do damage and have support in a significant fraction of the Sunni population. I still think things will have to tighten up on the insurgency before the any segment of the Sunni population really feels secure coming over to the government side for good.
Are these terrorists or insurgents? Or are they one in the same?
How have we fought and won against rebel fighters in the past? Is it something that has to play out or is there more to it?
I am going to research that.
Okay, what I can gather from Chechnya, Liberia, Congo, Sudan and Darfur and others is that what we are doing is called peacekeeping. We are basically preventing a full out civil war but none-the-less we are fighting rebels or factions that are anti-government or against the government that is in place. Also, from what I gather these types of wars take years to settle and some are still in battle such as Bosnia...Chechnya still contend with the terrorism or rebel factions whatever you desire to call them.
These examples along with the the ones above don't comfort me much as they seem to be endless...
Congo, Sudan, Darfur, Somalia, Pakistan...
I am sure you guys already know these things about these places but I never paid much attention with life being busy. What has struck me is that how Bin Laden drew us into their world. And the duration and anger that goes with these types of battles seem so endless and so unusually violent (be-heading, killing of children etc., etc.) This is going to be a long war.
Here is another random thought. I know, I know
But what if this is as good as Iraq gets? What if this is peace for Iraq???
What needs to happen is they need to get the oil flowing again, the water and electricity up and going, plop down a couple of WalMarts and McDonalds or the like and don't expect that the rebels will quit their efforts for a while...
Re shipping to Iraq. The only way is the flat rate Priority Mail boxes, which are now about $8. Those get to the FPO or APO in a few days, then go AIR to Iraq. Our USMC son was in Haditha 9/05 - 4/06, and our packages consistently arrived in 8 - 10 days. UPS. FedExp or Airborne will not deliver to APO or FPO. If you sent via ground US Post Office parcel post, it goes by ground to FPO/APO, then by ship to Iraq - these take at least a month. Things our guys do not need - candy and processsed snacks, they can get these at even the most remote PX. You cannot send liquor. YOu can send lighters, and chew, but they can easily get smokes there. What they liked the most- first class letters with encouragement and news from home, cookies, fly strips and fly swatter, jerky, small things they can heat up - canned tuna, non frozen meals like ramen noodles, canned soup, babywipes. Twice we shipped a large box with bags of nacho chips, very green avocados wrapped in sealed plastic, salsa, etc - they loved their homemade quacamole. If they are at remote FOB, all they get is MRE's - either individual or larger family style. For Marines, register at www.motomail.us. This excellent service delivers text emails (no attachments or links), 52 lines max, in 24 hours. They are transmitted and printed and delivered locally.
Lisa,
For an insurgency to "win", or the Iraqi government for that matter, it takes the "active" support of a relatively small portion of the population and the passive support of the overall population.
The average Iraqi in the street isn't going to place his/her trust and confidence in US Forces providing security for the rest of his/her life. Doesn't matter how many soccer balls we hand out. At some point US Forces are going home.
Ramadi is the last city where US forces out number Iraqi forces.
Thank You John K. for the helpful info.
Dear S.D.,
My son was recently deployed from Kuwait to Iraq. It is horrible not knowing exactly where he is. Is there some way to identify their location ? He is with the First Armored Division, 1st Battalion, 35-task force...
can you help me?
Hopefully,
John's Mom
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