What do soldiers need?

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 & AAA batteries
• Craft kits
• Scrapbooking crafts
• Books (mysteries, action, drama and science fiction are popular)
• Magazines – new or nearly new – (Sports, News, Entertainment, Travel, Nature)
• Decks of cards
• Small hand held games
• Crossword Puzzles
• Baseballs
• Baseball gloves
• Soccer balls
• Basket balls
• Volley balls
• Squirt guns
• Frisbees
• CD’s
• DVD’s
• Blank Cards
• Stationary, Paper
• Pens
• Letters

Please keep in mind that all food items must be in the manufacturer’s original packaging. NO chocolate ~ 110 degree heat and chocolate do not mix well. M&M’s are fine.

We also need Ziploc bags for packing items; these are great not only to make sure that potentially leaky items don’t make a mess but also for the soldiers to keep sand out of their things while in the desert.

Want to help?

Ship items, with your name, address, and phone number to:

Soldiers’ Angels
112 Greenhill Road
Ramseur, NC 27316

Birmingham VA to host 2009 National Veterans Golden Age Games

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.”

…

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 for participation, and the visually impaired and wheelchair bound can compete in separate divisions.

They need volunteers to help the games go smoothly. If you are interested, please call Patricia Fetzer at 205-933-4396.

Magnolia Festival results and pictures!

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 of occasional tent fly-away attempts (the wind was unreal!), things went very smoothly and I’m definitely looking forward to going back next year! I’ve been looking at my calendar of local events and I don’t think there’s anything really going on until August or September, so I’ll be looking for other ways to get the word out about Soldiers’ Angels.

Suggestions are MOST welcome!

I have the pictures up here, so please feel free to hop over and take a peek!

Note: my daughter was in the karate demonstration, so like any proud mama I took lots of pictures!!!

How many go unloved?

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 the booth about Soldiers’ Angels and what we do — there are so many here who want to help, but have no idea where to go or how to get started. I had a large stack of cards with the Soldiers’ Angels web address and our mission statement on them, and gave out every single one.

A few stopped to look at the binder of pictures and testimonials I had. One that the binder contained was this:

“Mail is more important than even hot showers or hot food. When I was in Fallujah, the mail center received about eight shipping containers every two days; three were filled with letters. People at home probably have no idea how much their little cards, letter and goodie bags boost morale. Countless walls around Iraq are wallpapered with cards and letters. Soldiers and marines especially love the cards from kids. There is nothing better over here than reading two-dozen cards from kids who can barely hold a crayon. If a kid sends a card, rest assured that card will be stuck in a wall somewhere, and it will bring a smile to many a soldiers and marine.”

- author Michael Yon, Moment of Truth in Iraq

It’s such a simple thing and yet it means the world to someone a thousand miles away. If you are interested, please visit www.soldiersangels.org and help us support those who are deployed throughout the world defending and protecting the freedoms we cherish.

(x-posted to my personal blog)

Send personalized cards to military moms overseas

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 of these women have been away for as long as 15 months at a time. Events will be held at four installations experiencing high rates of deployment — Ft. Bliss, Ft. Riley, Ft. Campbell, and Ft. Stewart. Hallmark is hosting the events to give children a chance to personalize and mail their cards in time for them to arrive on Mother’s Day, May 11. Of course, these cards can’t replace the joy of seeing their child face-to-face, but hopefully they will be away for them to connect across the miles.

It’s a great idea! Visit the Hallmark site for a demo: www.hallmark.com/addyourvoice

Bessemer reserve Marines to come home

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 battalion spokesman, said Charlie Company is expected at Camp Lejeune, N.C., “at some point next week” and should be back in Bessemer before month’s end.

Great news! Hooaah!

Farewell Party at Ft. Rucker for the 46th – APRIL 19th

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 you are with SA and they will give you the discounted rate.

So far we have about 20 confirmed Angels that will be there. This is going to be a huge party!!! The count for soldiers and families is 368 plus or minus. I know that there will be 70 PGR in attendance and the military liaison to Governor Bob Riley will be attending. AND a local radio station inadvertently informed the public that they are invited and welcome to attend!!!

The FRG has planned this to be a luau and the following is the itinerary they have in place:

5 – Greetings
5:30 – eat
6 – limbo & dance
6:10 – luau performance
6:10-7 – luau activities
7 – awards ceremony
7:30 – luau performance
7:40 – kids performance
8 – enjoy luau activities

I know there will be fireworks on the lake as well.

Fort Rucker isn’t far from places in GA, FL, and MS so you Angels are welcome to come as well!!

…

There will be an area where SA will set up tables for crafts for the children, sign up for the soldiers and potential Angels.

I will be the one in the corner praying we have enough food!! Smile I’m wearing my black SA t-shirt, short dark brown hair, glasses and pleasingly plump! Seek me out because I have a feeling I will be like a butterfly and flittering all over the place tomorrow!

Sounds like a good time to be had by all! Thanks, Lori, for the details and all your hard work!

New bill proposes tax credits for supporting troops

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.

Reminder: Magnolia Festival

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!

Bama Guard unit to deploy to Afghanistan

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, repairing schools and improving roads in Mosul and outlying areas.

Lt. Col. David Ward, the battalion commander, said the 877th should have similar tasks in Afghanistan.

“We’ve got a challenging mission,” said Ward, who added that soldiers from other state Guard units will be working with his battalion.

In contrast to Iraq, where thousands of Alabama Army Guard soldiers have served in more than 40 units, far fewer Alabama Guard soldiers in a handful of units have served in Afghanistan since 9/11.