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Twas a Night in December

The fine folks at BlackFive shared this holiday message from our troops, courtesy of DoD’s Emerging Media:

Christmas deadline quickly approaches for shipping packages to troops overseas

I saw this today in The Birmingham News:

Sheila Benson didn’t waste time getting holiday packages ready for troops serving in Afghanistan, because she knows there isn’t time to waste.

Benson, chief executive officer of Employment Screening Services, which provides companies with information about prospective employees, last week had employees stuff Christmas stockings for 80 soldiers serving alongside her son, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Loring Shaffer Jones IV.

The stockings contain candy, soap, beef jerky, lip balm and letters of support from fourth-graders in teacher Dana Pate’s class at Oak Mountain Intermediate School.

Benson said she originally planned to send care packages to the few soldiers her son said likely would have no presents at Christmas.

“The more I talked to him and found out how many were unsure they’d get anything, we decided to adopt the whole battalion,” Benson said.

Benson said she hopes the public knows there is scant time to get mail packages for troops in time for the holidays.

Although Christmas is still 48 days away, the U.S. Postal Service recommends holiday care packages for soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan be mailed by Friday. They should be shipped no later than Dec. 4 in order to arrive by Christmas.

“Time is running out,” Benson said.

When shipping holiday packages to soldiers serving anywhere overseas, the rule of thumb is the earlier the better, postal officials said.

“You never know what may happen in terms of winter storms or transportation issues,” said spokesman Dave Lewin. “And, the earlier you mail, the service you receive will be more economical.”

In the article’s comments section, Kelly Graber added:

Here are some great websites to help get you started. Please help support our troops!

http://www.adoptaussoldier.org
http://www.soldiersangels.org
http://www.USO.org
http://www.booksforsoldiers.com
http://www.redcross.org/services/afes/0,1082,0_321_,00.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5609689_use-mail-program-soldiers-troops.html

Thank you, Kelly, and all the ladies involved for all that you do!

Alabama Ft. Hood soldier intends to deploy to Iraq

Posted today in The Birmingham News:

An Alabama-born Army officer who was shot three times during the Nov. 5 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, still has his good days and bad days, but he had a good one over the weekend when he rode on a float in the Saturday Christmas parade in his hometown of Eclectic.

“I had a wonderful time,” said Warrant Officer Christopher Royal, who was the parade’s grand marshal. Royal said he wanted to do what he could to support civic improvements in Eclectic and would be back in town next week to talk about that with local officials.

By mid-January, Royal, 37, will be following events in Eclectic at an even longer distance than he is now. He expects to be on his fourth deployment in Iraq.

“I plan on deploying … in January whether I’m at 100 percent or not,” Royal said Monday during a telephone interview while he was driving back to Fort Hood. “I’ve made provision to deploy and … I’m trusting God that that’s the right thing to do. I feel it’s the right thing to do because if it was the wrong thing, then he would have took me completely out of that realm. But he did not, he allowed me to be able to perform as a soldier, so I am going to continue to be all that I can be.”…

Read the full article here.

God bless you, W.O. Royal!

Help for the Holidays

This winter, an estimated 140,000 U.S. military personnel will be serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, in combat environments or in support of combat operations. Some will be on their 4th or 5th deployments–spending yet another Holiday away from the loving arms of family and friends. We want them to know that they are remembered, that we are thinking of them during the winter Holiday Season, and that we are grateful for their service. Since we can’t all wrap our arms around them in person to show how much we love and appreciate them, Soldiers’ Angels needs your help to make sure each one of America’s heroes is Wrapped in Holiday Spirit.

Wrapped in Holiday Spirit & Blankets of Belief

Please help us make sure that our deployed Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines this Holiday Season know: “We haven’t forgotten you, we support you, and we believe in you!”

Handmade “Blankets of Belief” form the heart of the Soldiers’ Angels Wrapped in Holiday Spirit care packages for the 2009 Holiday Season. These special Blankets are designed to tell America’s service men and women, “We believe in you.” When deployed service members receive a Blanket of Belief, they know that somebody back home remembers them, that somebody labored over a handmade blanket with love and belief in them. Along with the handmade Blanket, each Wrapped in Holiday Spirit care package includes a collection of yummy snacks, socks, and a holiday card with a personal note of thanks and support.

Many Ways to Help

• Spread the word with a general info flyer, or a flyer about sending holiday greeting cards [pdf files].
• Make a Blanket of Belief (we have a no-sew-option!)
• Donate a complete care package (you can now donate in honor of someone) or contribute hot chocolate packets toward care packages — select “Any Hero” for shipping address
• Donate other care package items: gum, candy/health bars, Tootsie Rolls, and white or khaki athletic/boot socks. Please include a note inside each box that contains your name, address, phone number, and an itemized list of contents with estimated value. Click here to purchase bulk items at a discount rate and ship directly to Soldiers’ Angels.

Soldiers’ Angels
Wrapped in Holiday Spirit
4408 PanAm Expressway
San Antonio, TX 78218

Soldiers’ Angels
Wrapped in Holiday Spirit
112 Greenhill Road
Ramseur, NC 27316

Soldiers’ Angels
Wrapped in Holiday Spirit
914 Tourmaline Dr
Newbury Park, CA 91320

Help cover the cost of shipping 140,000 care packages overseas

Soldiers’ Angels
Wrapped in Holiday Spirit
1792 E. Washington Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91104

140,000 Care Packages!

Please help Soldiers’ Angels place a gift and personal message of support into the hands of each deployed military man and woman this December. Help us tell them, “We believe in you!”

We are committed to providing Wrapped in Holiday Spirit care packages to every Soldier, Sailor, Airman and Marine deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. That’s around 140,000 gifts to purchase, assemble, and ship halfway around the world! This is a big challenge but with your support and our wonderful group of hard-working volunteers, it can be done!

“I am part of [an] Air Control Squadron deployed to Iraq. I would like to thank your organization for the care package I received on Thanksgiving Day here in Iraq. The contents were very thoughtful and useful, and I greatly appreciated it. I would also like to thank the young ladies of Brownie Troop 547 in Buxton, Maine for their Christmas card.

Being away from our families and loved ones at this time of year is a definite hardship and this package has helped deal with the stresses of deployed life. Thank you again and God Bless you.”

Captain A.B.

“To those that have taken their time to prepare the packages for soldier’s here in Iraq: Thank you so much for the kind Christmas thoughts. Please see the attached. Happy holidays!!”

MSG Hyer

Tremendous thanks to Business Christmas cards leader Prudent Publishing for their generous donation of cards for the care packages for the third year in a row!

Soldiers’ Angels is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and donations are tax deductible. Please consult your tax adviser for details.