Hello everyone, my name is Krista but most everyone calls me Red. My family of course still calls me by my given name but hey, they're family they can do what they want.

I live in "upstate" NY depending on where in NY you are. To the people in NYC we are upstate. To us, Albany is upstate. I stay home with our 5 children and my hubby works heavy construction in  NYC. Our lives pretty much revolve around his job but I wouldn't have it any other way.

 I found this site a few days ago. How awesome is this place! My children and I used to send packages to a couple of guys we knew but they have since come home. My daughter asked me if we knew anyone else to send packages to because she missed it. So off to the internet I went and found this place. I'm in packrat heaven. I'm forever finding things on clearance and buying them all thinking I can find someone to use it. A lot of it will actually be useful for this.

Each one of my children picked a contact and we are assembling boxes to ship out next week. The kids have invited the neighborhood over for an ornament making party  to go out with the December boxes.

Well, off the read the rest of the forums and compile my lists of "most wanted items" to print up and give to everyone I know. I'm sure I'll be around a lot asking questions while I figure out the best way to do everything.

Welcome to AS Red! You are really off to a quick start - isn't it great! You and your children already know how rewarding it is to send things to Soldiers in need, to boost their morale. It's  wonderful that you've exposed your kids the opportunity to give unselfishly, except for the good feelings inside. And now the neighborhood kids might get "hooked" too. My son goes to SUNY New Paltz - he's a senoir and graduates in the spring. It's beautiful up in that area! So different from Florida, where, if we have 4 seasons, then 2 of them only last a few days each! It's either very warm spring or very hot summer about 350 days a year!

See you around on the forums,

Jean

Hello.  My name is Tricia and my son is with the Big Red One serving in Afghanistan.   It is amazing to me how much you care about our soldiers.  I am glad there is a thread for the 6-4 as he is a part of that batallion.  My heart aches for the guys and to see you sending needed items is a Godsend. 

Hi Tricia, Thank you for your sons service and I wish I could write to everyone, and send them all they need. But we do what we can, but we want them to know we think of them and their families all the time.

Love to you and your son,Jackiexxx

Hi,  I just found this site today and am thrilled.  My son is serving with the 6-4 CAV in Afghanistan.  He spent a year on the DMZ in Korea, a year in Iraq, and now Afghanistan.  This is the hardest by far for my family.  The dificulty of communication is the biggest heartache for us but he calls as often as possible.  It is so nice to see that so many people care about our troops.  

Hi Everyone!

My name is Michelle and I live on the Florida Gulfcoast.  I was trying to find a way to support our troops and I found AnySoldier.  I am looking forward to doing some shopping tomorrow for my contact.  I hope to hear back from them with their Holiday Wishlists.

Hi Red, 11-b, and 6-4 Moms,  and everyone else who have introduced themselves that I missed.  So glad that you all have found this wonderful website that helps our men and women in uniform. 

The Forums and Chat rooms give us supporters, moms, dads, wives, and girlfriends, boyfriends, etc. a place to ask questions, hang out with each other , and help our troops, etc. etc, etc.   

Please thank you sons for me.    

Hey There to all my supporters,

My name is PFC HUGHES, I'm 19, originate from Colorado and am currently deployed to Iraq for a tour of 12 MOS. Its only been a week since i have been in-country and so far it has been good. This is my first deployment and I am experiencing a lot of new things already. I have only been in the ARMY for 14 MOS and already am accomplishing so much.

 My family resides in Colorado as well, and I also have two brothers. One who is also a service member in the United States Marine Corps in San Diego, CA.

 I grealy appreciate all your hard efforts to make us deployed soldiers feel at ease, while overseas. You don't understand how important it is to us to have people like you in our lives.

Thank You,

PFC HUGHES

Welcome and Thank you for your service PFC Hughes!!   What part of Colorado do you originate from??  My husband is from the Denver area and we lived there for a number of years. We have family that live in the Springs and some in Greeley.

I hope you know how important you are to all of us!!...If it weren't for you and others like you, past and present, we may be living very different lives. I thank you for stepping up,putting on the uniform and serving our country.. Stay safe, keep your helmet on and know that we have your 6 at this end. (If you haven't already signed up on the AS site, please do so. That way us junkies can remind you of home with our cards, letters and care boxes. I did see a PFC Hughes on the contact list, but didn't know if that was you!) 

 Hello and welcome  PFC Hughes!!! Thank you from all of us here for serving our country. Just know how important you are to all of us and how grateful we are to you for the great Example you are to us!!!

We are here and let us know if you may need anything or anyone there with you. We keep you all in our thoughts and prayers.

God Bless all our Troops and America who we all love!!!

Candygirl 

Thank you for your continuous thoughts and prayers. We greatly appreciate it. Its hard being away from everything and everyone. So when we have people back in the rear who care enough to write us and send us care packages it really hits home. I am a single female with no family as far as kids and a husband go, but my parents and siblings are def. number 1 in my life and it sucks being away from them. Also when you have another sibling who is serving as well. I miss them very much.

Your patriotism is wonderful.

Colorado Springs.  Colorado is a most def. a beautiful place. My family lives there. In a little area called Falcon.

Sometimes I feel like people forget what we are doing out here. Sometimes they don't understand that, just because the war really isn't here in Iraq anymore, the stuff we see and go through everyday is def difficult. Trying to help put stabilization in a country where we are hated is a hard task to do.

We are cut off from real life civilization for 12-15 MOS and when we come back, there is so much that we have missed.  Its hard to cope with. I mean its small things too. Movies, Music, Food, just everything. Clothing styles new laws etc.

Thank you for your prayers.

Thanks for the welcome everyone. I am so gald to have found this place. It will be nice to be able to start sending packages again.  I started when I was  young with sending packages of baked goods to my brother who was 101st airborn. My father was RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force)  until just before l was born, then we moved to the US. My Father-in-law was a Marine in the Korean war.  So we do have a military family background

My husband and I are trying to raise our children to understand the importance of our military and how special they are. To do simple things, like every time we see someone in uniform, we stop and say thank you. Our patriotism isn't something we pull out on the 4th of July and Veterans Day. It's something we try to live every day.

Yep, it's beautiful up here. I love this time of year. I actually grew up in Colorado and all we had there were evergreen trees. The colors in the Fall here are amazing. I'm so excited to get to know everyone here. Have a good one, Red

Nice to meet you PFC Hughes. My name is Red. I currently live in NY but am originally from Colorado. I grew up in Elizabeth, tiny little dot on the map just East of Castle Rock. I got engaged in the middle of the Royal Gorge Bridge.

Thank you so much for everything you and your family are doing for us.  Red

HELLO AND WELCOME TO ALL THE NEWCOMERS. WE ARE SO HAPPY YOU DECIDED TO INTRODUCE YOURSELVES. THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT OF OUR SERVICE MEMBERS