Something that several people have asked lately: What do our soldiers need?

SA’s Shelle Michaels answered this question with a well-formed post detailing a lengthy list of items that our brave men and women need:

• Powdered Drink Mixes (the individual packets are best because they can be added to a bottle of water)
• Cookies
• Chips
• Pretzels
• Tuna in a pouch
• Beef or chicken or turkey jerky
• Cheese spread (no aerosol cans please)
• Ramen Noodles
• Snack Cakes
• Gum
• Nuts
• Granola Bars
• Pop Tarts
• Dried Fruit
• Trail Mix
• Pistachios
• Raisins
• Red licorice twists
• Tootsie Rolls (both the candy and lollipops)
• Peanut Butter
• Triscuits
• Wheat Thins
• Canned Meats – No Pork Products
• Hard Candy – Individually Wrapped
• Face Cleansing Pads
• Moisturizers
• Wet wipes
• Eye Drops
• Lip Balm
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Soap
• Body Wash
• Shampoo and Conditioners
• Deodorant
• Sun Block
• Foot powder
• AA

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Courtesy of the Birmingham VA site:

The Birmingham VA Medical Center has been selected as the host site for the 2009 National Veterans Golden Age Games. The games will be held from May 31- June 5, 2009.

Courtesy of The Birmingham News:

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Military veterans age 55 or older who receive health care at any VA medical facility are eligible to compete.”

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The featured sports in the games will consist of swimming, bicycling, golf, shot put, discus, 10-meter air rifle, table tennis, dominoes, shuffleboard, horseshoes, nine-ball, bowling, checkers, and croquet. Each event has seven age categories

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Well, for my first “official” event, I think things went very well. I had plenty of fliers made and came home with just a few left. I had a huge stack of cards with the Soldiers’ Angels mission statement and web address on them, and every single one of those disappeared! (I guess it makes sense … those cards are small enough to fit into a pocket or purse without too much fuss or folding, and the fliers had a TON of information on them!)

Mental note: print more cards next time!

With the exception(…)

It’s no secret I’m a huge PostSecret fan. One of the postcards listed in today’s edition broke my heart:

From hearing from my own adopted soldiers, and friends and family who’ve served or are still serving, I can only imagine how that soldier feels. It’s got to be one of the worst things in the world — feeling forgotten, unloved.

I hope whoever that card was meant to reach got the message. But how many others are out there feeling the same way?

At the Magnolia Festival yesterday, something struck me as I explained to those who came by(…)

Via Shelle Michaels at Wingtip 2 Wingtip, Recordable Cards with Music from Hallmark are being released in time for Mother’s Day. These cards allow the sender to add a personalized voice message, which is followed by a prerecorded song. You can tell Mom exactly how you feel with the sound of your voice and a song.

Per Jon Gray:

Hallmark has launched for military moms overseas. They’re partnering with the military to help children at four military installations mail their recorded messages of love and support this Mother’s Day through the donation of the new Hallmark Recordable Cards With Music. Many

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Breaking news from The Birmingham News:

About 140 members of the Anti-Terrorism Battalion, a Bessemer-based Marine Reserve unit, are expected back in the U.S. next week after completing a tour in Iraq.

The reservists, with the battalion’s Charlie Company, hail from battalion sites in Jackson, Miss., Tallahassee, Fla., and Chicopee, Mass. The unit’s ranks also include about 33 Alabamians.

Charlie Company has been in Anbar province since September, attached to the 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment. Its mission has included protecting convoys carrying supplies and prisoners, searching houses, patrolling streets and manning checkpoints.

Master Gunnery Sgt. David Holladay, a

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Courtesy of Lori, Soldiers’ Angels Southeastern US VA Team Leader and CTL, there will be a farewell party for the 46th Eng. Btl. at Fort Rucker tomorrow, Saturday April 19.

Per her post to the Alabama forums:

The party will start at 5 pm and will be held at Lake Tholocco on the west beach. If you are attending, please be sure that you have your drivers license,tag receipt or registration and proof of insurance to get on base. I have made arrangements at the Jameson Inn - 334-774-0233 - if you would like to stay the night on Saturday. Tell them

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Courtesy of Shelle Michaels and the SA Blog, there is a bill being introduced into legislation that would give Americans up to a $500 tax credit for their role in providing support to US troops and their families. Credit for the idea goes to Catherine Dalton, a Soldiers’ Angel member and Indiana University Kelley School of Business professor.

Great idea, Catherine!

Read more on the bill at the SA blog.

Good morning! This is a quick reminder that I will be running a booth at Gardendale’s Magnolia Festival this upcoming Saturday, April 19th, from 10am to 5pm. I will be handing out information on Soldiers’ Angels to anyone who’s interested and giving out coloring pages and stickers to kiddies. If you’re so inclined, please feel free to come by and say ‘Hello!’

For information, a schedule of events and directions, visit www.MagnoliaFestival.org

I look forward to meeting some of you!

A large Alabama Army National Guard unit will be deploying to Afghanistan next year. The 877th Engineer Battalion spent nearly a year in Iraq from 2003-2004, and with several hundred members, was one of the largest state National Guard units to deploy to Iraq. It will be the largest Alabama Guard unit to serve in Afghanistan, and will be the second Army Guard unit from Alabama to have a second tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Courtesy of The Birmingham News:

While in Iraq, the 877th was based in the northern city of Mosul, and its mission included building military facilities,

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