....you try to win prizes at the county fair that your boys will like!

I won a funny prize - a 'grow your own tree' kit! The best part was the junkie in me coming out; my friend rolled her eyes, thinking it to be a dumb prize.....but my response? "My soldier will LOVE this!"

It's just a packet of seeds, a pellet of dirt, and a little pot. I've been corresponding with a soldier who misses Colorado and the trees. Not much greenery at all in Iraq. I know this seed won't really grow into much before December, but I thought I might pair it with some mini ornaments and Christmas goodies anyway----he'll at least get a giggle out of it! (Maybe I'll include a mini fake tree too, that might 'inspire' the live one to grow up fast!?!)

 I 've seen those Sandy. You bet the soldiers will love it!!

Hope you all have a great weekend!!You all deserve it!!

Candy

Today's my first day visiting the AS site and forums... and even though I may not be classified as a 'junkie' in your traditional sense, I have to say I'm 100% addicted to these forums. Theres alot of good people on here, and just browsing through all the threads makes short work of my 8-hour shift :)

3rdToursaCharm:

Today's my first day visiting the AS site and forums... and even though I may not be classified as a 'junkie' in your traditional sense, I have to say I'm 100% addicted to these forums. Theres alot of good people on here, and just browsing through all the threads makes short work of my 8-hour shift :)

Welcome to the forums, SPC Mooney. And thank you for your service to this great country we all call home. There are, indeed, a lot of good people on here, and it's supporting the troops such as yourself that makes us all tick. In every letter I write, I sign off with "Keep your head down, keep your chin up, and if you figure out how to do both at once without actually standing on your head, send a picture. We'd like to see that. STAY SAFE!" So consider this my letter to you...blah, blah, blah, nag, nag, nag, STAY SAFE!!! (I know, I know...if the Army thought you needed a nag, they'd have issued one... )

Y'all keep doing what you do so well, and we will keep doing what we do until every one is back home safe and sound with their loved ones.

Ms Tracy

"You must be an AnySoldier Junkie if you read, re-read, and refresh your own dedication from theirs."

I agree.  I have four guys getting ready to go back over (tours 2 for 3 of them, tour 3 for 1) and I just pulled out my notebooks with their correspondence from previous tours to freshen my memory of what kinds of goodies I should send to them this time around.  They really do re-inspire me over and over again.

You get up on Saturday morn. and watch the clock to make sure you don't miss the Taco Chat!  I logged on and then kept running back and forth between chores to make sure I didn't miss anything.  My youngest needed the computer so I minimized the screen until time.  She notices and says,  "Hey, mom, I didn't know you get on a Marine Chatroom!"  She knows she's not allowed in unsupervised chat areas.........

you help the post office worker through the customs process.

 Thanks for everything you guys do, SPC Mooney! You guys are the best!!!!

Hold on. I don't want to put a damper on a fun thing, but I think it's illegal to send or receive soil or seeeds across international borders. You might want to check. I know I requested sand from Iraq and my BIL said no way, no how.  Coming back from Russia I wanted to bring some lupine flowers and couldn't. Seriously, look it up first.

Hi there everyone. I am currently a soldier in the US Army. I have close to 7 years in with over 80% of those years out of FT Wainwright AK with the 172nd strykers. Anyways, I am sort of a junkie or was but I think you need to hear this story. This has to do with my brother who was blown up in an IED in iraq. He has survived, but it has been very painful ever since... I was in the field getting ready to go back to iraq again when I got the phone call. I was the first one down to walter reed and it has changed me in a lot of ways. It is by far the hardest thing to deal with ever.

http://www.chelseastandard.com/stories/091108/loc_20080911004.shtml

It saddens me that a lot of my comrades/friends didn't come back but at the time you really can't think about it with bullets and bombs going off. It isn't until your out of it that it starts to take a major toll. Just 1 article out of thousands I am sure. 

 Hello there and welcome  to this forum. We always welcome and love to hear from you serving our country. Thank you for sharing this story. It makes me so sad to hear and see what you all go through over there. We can't even comprehend. Just know we at AS and worlwide support you all that our serving!!Thanks for dropping by. Take care and God Bless you troops and america!!

Candy

Hi tepheret,

Your brother is quite a man!  Please give him our best and tell him that he is backed by a bunch of junkies!  Please tell your parents that we are very proud of their sons and thank them for raising such heroes.

Vicki

What a story.  I have said an extra prayer for your brother AND for you and the rest of your family.  You inspire me.  Tell your brother he has our humble thanks and all our very best wishes for his continued recovery.

You must be an AnySoldier Junkie if....   instead asleep abed, you're 0900 out by the foggy Pacific listening to the stories of recovering wounded warriors participating in the local 2008 Road to Recovery (R2R) Challenge (a 7-day, 420-mile biking event for injured vets cruising several VA & miltary sites from SF VA medical center to the West Los Angeles VA)  ------ and, without forethought, you find yourself looking around this amazing group for "your" AnySoldier.com penpals.  You search their faces, shake their hands or prosthesis, feel their hearts, realizing each woman and man were are all "my" guys.  http://r2rriders.com/     http://intheirboots.com/solutions_veteran-advocacy.php

Thank you AnySoldier.com  - thank you so much.

you're shuffling stuff at home to accommodate some maintenance work, and you realize the FRB-2 will store the cookies in less space than the bulk carton they originally came in.