Anne Marie, your post about the laptop cracked me up.  I have the same problem!  We took one on our vacation to San Diego and it took me FOREVER to type emails to my contacts.  I think that for every correct letter I typed there were two typos.  Eek! 

 A very belated WELCOME to all the latest newbies.  I have been out of the loop for a bit with vacation and church camp, and catching up at home from both.  Now I'm swamped with getting ready for a couple of other big projects (including my daughter's wedding next month) and I'm scrambling to get my packages out.  I don't have much time to read the forum postings and it is making me nuts.  It's good to see there are lots of new folks joining up to help get the support out.

I'm SPC Young, and currently in Iraq.

I am 22, married and I have a 9 month old son.

I actually recieve care packages from people on this site and would like to help the other soldiers in Iraq as well as I feel I do nothing in return for the packages I recieve, though I make it a point to write a letter to anybody that sends me anything, whether it a card, letter or package.  That is just something I feel very strongly about.

I have been in Iraq for about 6 months and just arrived back from 2 weeks of leave.

I would be more than happy to answer any and all questions about care packages, what the troops enjoy or anything pertaining to my life, so by all means send me a message, an email or catch me on aim, which I am usually on about this time of day!

Welcome to the forums, SPC Young.  It is great to have you here and to benefit from your insights on what is good to send.  I have already read some of your responses to other threads.  We like to get that kind of information here so that we can best meet your needs.  As for doing nothing in return for the packages you get, nothing could be further from the truth.  We all benefit so much from what you do everyday and packages and letters are our way of saying "thank you" for that.  I want to offer my thanks here for all you do.

 Take care,

Donna

Again, sending you a REALLY BIG WELCOME on behalf of everyone here.  If you read closely and between the lines you would see that we all get a really big kick out of supporting you special people over there.  We are jazzed to go to the post office and mail a package or letter to you.  We are overwhelmed with gratitude all the time for what you do, but, especially when someone of your colleagues over there snatches a bit of time to drop us a line and let us know how you are doing and that the packages and letters arrived safely.  We love to share with each other cool items to send, bargains, and ideas.  It is our honor to be able to do these things for those who have sacrificed so much for us.  Remember, just being away from your home and family and partcularly that new baby, is a price which we could never adequately repay, so we love it when we can "repay" you in some small ways.  Does that make sense?

Again, take care and Godspeed.

Debbie

Welcome SPC Young.  Thank you for serving and yes you do plenty in return for the packages.  You are willingly defending our freedom. 

It is great to hear from you.  Isn't the internet amazing?

Take care, be safe.

Vicki  

New guy here.  Man, this place is addictive!  Just sent my first package today, headed for Afghanistan.  My son (7) and I are helping a few men there, and my wife and daughter have picked some female soldiers in Iraq to work with.  I'll see you guys around.

Welcome Goose!  That's GREAT that you're making it a "family affair"!    I think all guys/gals in the military LOVE to hear from kids, and I'm sure that yours will come-up with some great "treasures" to send to them. 

George 

Hey Goose!

Where is Maverick? Welcome to the forum.  It is great that you are involving the entire family.  I have to battle with everyone at my house because I don't buy them anything anymore.  I told them they can get a job and buy their own stuff, they are old enough!!!

Vicki 

hi everyone,

i am so very thankful that i found this site, a little over a year ago...

i love sending care packages to our troops, and emailing / establishing and maintaining contact as far as possible, some i have sent to for either several months or over a year are home or due home soon... 

i love my country and believe firmly that Freedom is not Free..  and try to do what I can, in my little world to help out...  help each other...

Thank you, Anysoldier !         

Just wanted to wish you a Happy Father's Day!!  and thank you for all the sacrafices that you and your family make while you serve our country. You are the best and we just love all of y'all....

Welcome Everyone!

Oh, Janet, Janet, Janet!  You are a whirlwind, girl!!  Congratulations on another wedding!!  Best wishes to you and your family!!

Good afternoon. I'm Nastassha but go my middle name Shakira (where Shaki comes from). I'm from Hollywood,Florida and I just joined today. I had been looking at this site for 2 weeks now and just today mailed out my first letter. I'm glad there's a site like this for the soldiers and civilians as well because  this way we can have a form of communication and at the same time make new friends under the circumstances.

Hi everyone,  My name is Dina and I live in Oregon.  My husband and I own a towing company, and we are addicted to supporting our troops.  My husband served in Vietnam, and he knows how important it is to keep morale up.  Although he can't believe how far things have come, and types of stuff we send:).

We started sending things ourselves back in in September.  We have 4 dedicated guys we support that we received from other sites, but as they rotate home, we are picking up more anysoldier members.  I found this site in November and was really excited because our bible study was looking to send care packages out.  We sent out about 6 boxes, and from then on 2 of us were completely addicted.

My girlfriend got her whole church involved and they send bunches o' boxes regularly. It is verrrry cool.  I usually send out boxes every 2 weeks to people on the site, and letters I try to do weekly, but depends on how busy work is.

Thanks for such a great site.  It is great when someone gives me something to send a little off the wall that I can search for it.  Also the community coffee suggestion off one of the blogs is great, and the moto mail.  Thanks for all the great suggestions.

Well today is a mail day, and I need to go pack boxes.

Thanks for the good wishes, Michelle.  This is a small (itty bitty) wedding so that helps.  But we are having a garage sale this week, which is going to tie me up for a few days.  Weeee!

 Shaki and DCTower - Welcome to you both!  DC, tell your husband THANKS.  I am certain our Viet Nam vets need about a thousand thank yous to offset the junk they had to put up with way back when...

Hey everyone.

I'm Bryn from Johannesburg, South Africa. I don't have any ties with the US military and I'm not an American but I just wanted to show my appreciation of all the hard work and sacrifice that your men and women have been putting in over in Iraq and Afghanistan.  So I thought I'd join the site and see what I could do to show that appreciation in a meaningful way.