I just requested someone's name the other day who said that he and his group were living in a stable made out of rocks and mud with absolutely no electricty...in the 100 degree heat and also when it rained the roof leaked in on them...I hate reading those posts!!  The address was "Korengal Outpost, Afghanistan".  An interesting name...so, I googled it.  WOW..no wonder they are asking for laundry soap and washboards...definitely no laundry service up there!!  The Korengal Outpost looks so remote..there really didn't even appear to be roads into it...more like muddy foot trails!  I wonder how they even get their mail?  Anyway, I sent a box and then later was reading another soldier's post from a remote area saying that someone had sent him an empty bucket, a laundry rope, laundry soap and clothes pins in a care package.  GENIUS!!  I thought this was such a great idea for a care pakg. for the people in those truly remote areas....this guy said that laundry soap and baby wipes were like "gold".  I am off to buy an empty bucket and fill it with "gold" today and then off it will go to the Korengal Outpost...I hate doing laundry here...I can't even fathom doing it on a mt. side in a war zone with a bucket and washboard!!!!!

That was quite an amazing update wasn't it!  It may not be much fun living it right now... but I can imagine what sorts of stories they'll have for their grandkids!

Did a search for "stable" and found two very similar contacts, posted a day apart.

There are 35-40 of them in the platoon, so it may be that two of them signed up without being aware of each other.  Or they could be intentionally double-dipping. Can't say I blame them much, given their circumstances, but...Marty, if you read this, you might want to follow up.

One of the soldiers who served in this area is doing a gallery showing of photos he took while he was there.  This one is beautiful.

Did a search for "kop" and "korengal outpost" - and found a 1LT who registered for 180+ troops in similar circumstances - also out of Italy and also with an end date of 8-08. There has been a fair amount of response to his post.

ceecee

Did you see the post about the washboard place who sends the whole kit and has free shipping to the military war zones?

Gran

No!  What site was that?  Thanks for letting me know...I didn't even know they had washboards anymore!!

http://www.chadhuntphotography.com/07/pages/afg_6.html

Is that our mail?

 PS... It's just so odd this would come up- because one of my "video box packages" went to KOP for hopefully July 4... something makes me doubt they get their mail as fast as the guys in Iraq do.

http://www.columbuswashboard.com

You can do a search if you want to find the post.  I don't recall who or where, but they said that they would send the whole kit and kaboodle with free shipping to the troops.

Gran

KOP:   I sent a package to one of the contacts from Korengal.  I got a very nice email back.  It sounds pretty tough there, and they can use all the support they can get.   If there are several of them signing on, they sure can use everything we can send and more....         I sent my package Parcel Post on June 5th and got a response back 6/23.  He also said they need   socks and foot care items...Most don't have A/C, electricity, running water...Pat

thank you...it is really nice to see a company reaching out to help service people in need.  Actually, this afternoon I went to our dollar store and bought a bucket, a wash line, some scrub brushes, clothes pins and detergent all for $5!  What a great bargain...I love the dollar store!  I thought I might add some clean, new socks, baby wipes and it will be good to go...if i can find a box!!  Whoever thought I would be sending a bucket and laundry supplies to strange men I have never met:)!!!!  Not me!!!!

OH!  If you feel strange sending laundry supplies, just wait until you start buying UNDERWEAR for them!  LOL!!   You'll find yourself doing lots of things you never thought you would, but that's where the love comes shining through.  It's funny, the things that "normal" people might consider a little odd, just come as second nature to us junkies!

Phyllis

that is exactly what I was thinking! I bought more of those $3 2 pk hanes underwear from Boscovs and my soldier that wrote me was so glad to get teh boxer briefs I sent before! My husband said ' Let me get this right.. the soldiers are getting BRAND NEW nice boxer briefs from you and I get what??? "

 

I just smiled and said "love ya honey!"

Hi Laura,

Please let us know what it cost to send the package.   Did you get a washboard too?

Lynn,

In our senior years, and with Hubby having some health issues for the past several months, I have been pampering him more, so I actually got several packs of the 2-3 pk. underwear in two sizes,  plus some of the Docker's socks and let him have first pick of the ones he wanted.  He felt special, and said that the Docker's socks felt sooo nice and thick and soft compared to the cheapos he usually got, so he was very happy.  Sometimes little things DO mean a lot!  He doesn't mind buying cars from the state auction lot so that we have enough to send the Soldiers, but he does like a little comfort.

As I type, he is out running errands and stopping no telling how many times to check out what he can find for our Soldiers.  He loves to find bargains, so I do the searching, lists and packing most of the time and he does a lot of the shopping and mailing.  It works like an assembly line most of the time.  He's a keeper - full of compassion for man.

Gran