Woohoo for sure, Angela! You must be so excited. I'm excited for you, too! It's great that you're welcoming the other soldiers back. Give extra hugs for us here at home. 

Hi Donna, I sent off two large flat rates to Garrett yesterday, one is full of snacks and one hygiene stuff.   I did just see him on AS so the packages should come rolling in now.    Several guys have signed up so hopefully very soon alot of their needs and wants will be met.   They will for sure know they are loved and will be cared for.      

Does anyone here know if there is a procedure where we could put $ into an acct at their PX they could draw on?  Hard to believe they couldn't charge stuff for a while, they sure know where to find them on pay day!    Makes me mad the way they are treated when they are giving so much.

CHRIS - thanks for all the info and I'm so happy for you that your son is now out of there!!    I've been sending for most of the 15 months as well, (I used to post under a different name, was gone for a while, and had to change the name) but I still got some new ideas from your list.  Who would have thought they could use used dental picks?     I have sent the little individual plastic ones.  I have a good dental connection at a cpl offices and will be asking for those.  They already give me brushes/paste/floss.   Give your son a big ole granny hug from me when you see him and pass along my family's thanks for a job well done.   Feels good to breathe again huh!       Hugs to you too,    Anita 

Wish I could be there with you Angela, big hugs to them all.

WOW, didn't sign on last night and so much news today, and all of it good!   Thanks everyone for keeping us posted on all the latest.

Anita

Thank you much for welcoming the soldiers home. Our son is one of many soldiers returning to Italy. Because of the distance we can not be there:(, it makes it a little easier to know someone is there letting them know how loved and honored they are. Thank you again.

http://www.nato.int/isaf/docu/epub/pdf/isaf_placemat.pdf

Deborah Hello!

Thanks for the link to ISAF map.

door

Ang -

Thanks for going out there and welcoming the guys back to Italy.  My son should be in the next group to arrive later this week.  If you happen to be out there, give them extra hugs and if you happen to see the name "Torrey" give him a great big hug from me. 

Hi Angela,

I think you should be nominated for some type of support award.  You are just too good!  Thanks for doing what you have been doing and are continuing to do.  I am sure that your husband is very proud of you and grateful to have such a supportive wife.

Blessings,

Vicki 

Ft Hood, has a web site www.hood.army.mil/hoodgarrison and help phone number  1-800-342-9647.  Be prepared to have your son's social security number ready to get his address .Ask Ft Hood who your son is assigned to and his address.   When my son was in afghanistan I did not know there was a 1st Bn and a 2nd Bn.  duh, I'm a civilian, all I knew  was the 173rd airborne. Be sure and   sign up at the frg web exclusive to  your son's unit.  Go to www.armyfrg.org click find an frg, then click on Texas. You will then click on the Unit your son is with(Ft Hood has alot)  Fill out the form,  again you need your son's social security number to register  as a soldier's  family member.  After you complete the information they will email you your user name and passcode.  If you do not get one within a few days contact them again.  phone number try to send FLAT RATE  boxes available at your  post office. These boxes ship faster because of their size and priority status. Letters arrive s-l-o-w-l-y so don't mail them seperately, stick them in one of his packages. They love letters cause they can read them over and over and carry them with them.  The frg is a GOOD SOURCE OF INFO, it has letters from the commanders, maps of the firebases, and  pictures of our sons while they were in afghanistan. You can start a scrapbook for your son using the frg's letters and pictures and maps.

As to money in their account for the PX....there is no PX.  I use to mail my son cash hidden in one of his packages.  I use to send $1.00 BILLS ONLY.  Maybe 20 one week and another $20.00 in another package.  I would not have to do this very often. Maybe every third month.   My son said he could buy from the locals.  A propane tank sells for $50.00 as does a live monkey. Yes, they have bought live monkeys from the locals....I guess they needed to have more fleas around them!!!  Afghan cigarettes taste horrible but the soldier do buy them.  My son had an afghan cell phone and use to buy minutes($40.00) with his cash. Afghan cell phones can only use afghan cell minutes brought from the locals in cash. They sometimes hire locals to do odd jobs, thus the $1.00 bills. Every once in a while a soldier will go to a camp that has ATM's and  stuff to buy but those times are far and in between. I read the army comes by  occassionally with ATM's  but the soldier's have to be home to use them...they cannot be out on patrol or at an outpost. 

Another new contact posted today (7/30/08)

SPC Kieth M. Jeter (U.S. Army/Afghanistan) 35 males/no females.

--Marilyn

When the soldiers post, do they have a checklist that they work off of? I notice that some of the soldiers introduce themselves and tell a little about their surroundings and others just write a list of needs. How does posting work on their end?

Angela

If you go to the Soldiers Apply Here page and scroll to the very bottom, there is a link to the text version of the form they fill out. You can read it, doesn't hurt anything. :)

Thank you Sybil. It took some doing, but I did get us registered on the FRG site last week. I registered for my son, Garrett, then added as many family members to his list as I could think of.

Thank you for your post about the money and the situation for them. I thought it was strange when Garrett first told me about this - was thinking I misunderstood somehow. You confirmed what he said. 

That was great information about the things they can use the cash for. Monkeys!! :-)

Donna 

Anita you are the best! I sent you a message. Thank you for your support. I will pass on your message to Garrett.

Donna