Hello Everyone!

Many blessings to you and those you support.

I have had more than one contact dropped.

For whatever reason I felt at the time back in February I promised a light armored regiment that I would be with them in spirit for the full length of their deployment and I would not leave them.

I had never done that before or since. It must of been something in that discount brand soda that I bought that day.

I was still in the planning stages of handling the different group. They were my new - largest at the time ( 150 ). I had figured how to work the numbers on a low budget. Once I had it figured out I had more packages ready to go.

I was on a mission and then when I went to the site I read the ten day dropped contact notice.

I knew that they weren't Fobbets and went outside the wire so I estimated some delays in replying or posting.

As their contact was still on notice and not dropped I went ahead and sent a package off real quick.

Then the address expired but I had a promise to think about so I searched the internet for any information and found someone asking for support for his brother soldier and the search engine had a match on the address. He had asked for people to support his brother.  I wrote him and explained the situation. I sent a package to him explaining that I made a promise to stay with the group in spirit until they returned home. That my contact had been dropped and I would continue with him until my contact came back.

I found out he liked Calvin and Hobbs cartoons.

My original contact came back and later I sent Calvin and Hobbs books I found to the group to pass around and read.

Well they came home and life went on and the other day I received a card in the mail from Carlsbad California. It read:

   Please excuse my tardy gratitude. I've been back from Iraq now for close to a month. All Marine Rugby, moving - in, post - deployment leave, and catching up with family have slowed me down in giving some much needed thank you's for your encouraging letter and thoughtful care package. My platoon greatly appreciated the goods. Men and women like you make a long combat deployment a lot more tolerable. Thank you so much

******* ***** 1st Lt USMC

Your contact may be dropped and you may have to hold off sending a package but write them even if it is a simple note just in case they are busy and there is some reason they can't get to a computer. Send them what they really need, a letter of moral support. Who knows it may just be what they need to sign up as a contact again.

Blessings, door

Artis Addison just posted!  He's been out of touch because of no internet.

Pam 

 Artis Addison just posted today - it said something about no internet available the last couple of months - so that is what happened!

When I see my contacts on the 50 day notice I send a letter or postcard and tell them update if you can, a couple of them have, and a few have just dropped. I just go on and pick the next contact figuring that maybe they either got all that they needed or just don't have time to mess with packages anymore.

I have had 3 contacts dropped from the site..but I still get snailmail every other month.   One of them recently just got internet working pretty regularly.  I never stopped sending them boxes (2-3/20x14x10 a month for each group-there's 20 guys in each group..a lot of rumbly bellies & stinkiness-their word-going on).  Anyways, with their first contact back with me (was fortunate enough to hear from them), they'd already told me it would be hard to get internet..so I was forewarned.  Here's my thing..as long as I'm not getting any box returned, I assume it gets to the intended recipient/s.  I always have it as forwarded to either chaplain or CO.  Just dumb luck on my part, hm?  So, yeah..I am always optimistic & send even with no word back. 

I just read this mail you posted in 4-21-08.  Internet in Iraq is a hit or miss.  It depends on where you are, your mission requirements, little things like the satelite not working because of high wind.  It's a lot different here, there's no major company providing internet, it's a bunch of smaller companies with less than perfect service.  Some people have antennas on long metal poles that tip in bad weather.  That's the easy part, mission requirements may keep us away for long periods of time.  Trust me, when we recieve packages, we are excited, no matter how bad the day is, it perks us up.  When people come back for mail runs they're literally jump and yell with excitement when we recieve packages.  It's hard to explain, it brings out the little kid in us?  The other part that makes it interesting is the contact, it takes someone has a heart of gold to do what your doing, I know someone is very happy and they are thankful! 

Thank you for what your doing for us,

Joe