CJW,

Thanks for the reply.  Surmised that the outposts were harsh, but not that harsh.  

Cabinlady

You must be an AnySoldier Junkie if....  (as a civilian) you automatically salute the high & tights.

In a huge crowd of young men piling out of a performance venue, I'm saying Hi and meeting buds of all the boys I've known since they were tykes: hugs here, acknowledgements there, smiles all around.  My own son walks up to introduce his good friend, only a short time returned from theater and adds, "he's a Marine mom". 

"She knows" he said and smiled kindly.  I then realized, from the point I first saw them (and while they strode to me across the room), I still had my hand on heart. 

You said it sister!!!!!

Kathy - You betcha! particularly your last two paragraphs.  Thank you.

Kathy, I went back and re-read your post and laughed out loud about getting Maxim "just for the stories".  I've had the same temptation when "caught" by neighbors when catalogs from  LA Police Gear, Blackhawk, US Tactical, Brigade Quartermasters, Surefire, Sniper World, Ghillie Gear (etc.) all arrive at the same time.  Neighbors give me an odd look indeed - 'til I say, "AnySoldier.com".

...you place items very carefully on the floor at Wal-Mart because you know the tiles are 12 inches square. If something fits inside the tile, it will fit inside a large FRB.

CWP:

...you place items very carefully on the floor at Wal-Mart because you know the tiles are 12 inches square. If something fits inside the tile, it will fit inside a large FRB.

You get up at 5 am on your day off and haul a car full of items to a tent in the middle of the city, on a day that the forcasters have called for a 90% chance of rain-and stay till 3pm when they close the festival due to wind. All this so that your wife can share information on troop support with anyone that makes eye contact.

I think Matt and Randy (and Cedric-even though he isn't a husband-he stayed the whole day too) should get full Junkie status for their moral support to us women folk!

Heidi

 ...if you use a gift card you received to buy goodies for your troops in Afghanistan. :) 

(shhhh don't tell my sister!)

You know you're an AnySoldier Junkie.... when you've been holding back latte's, skipping lunch, (slowly) accumulating a special AnySoldier box for a coworker heading to his second deployment.   Packing it now thinking, these are the most useful things that I know of (for the heat).  I look around at "my" AnySoldiers" and "AnyMarines" who live on my bulletin board and blink a heartful thanks.  So grateful for their correspondence, their encouragement and my learning  - particularly now, while (again) it's so-so-so close to home. Sure do appreciate this website, fellow Junkies, Warriors home & abroad.     

I guess this qualifies...traveling an hour and a half with my husband to go to one of those outlet centers. You know with the Calvin Klein, Hilfiger, and all those kind of stores. I was more interested in the Super Walmart down the road and the dollar stores. You never know what you might find in a new neighborhood. 

You've gone on a trip and only sent postcards to "your" service members and not to family.

 ~~~You find nothing unusual about  whipping out your charge card at Walmart to purchase 50  bottles (sample size) of Irish Spring Body Wash.

~~~You can't understand why the bookstore clerk is  slowly backing away from the counter as you  put down Mens' Health, Motorcyclist, Tattoo , Guns and Ammo and Victorian Bliss magazines ~~~

~~~you feel the strong need to go to confession  after eating the GirlScout Thin Mint cookies that were in the To Send Pile~~~

~~~you realize,on a gray drizzly day,  that the sun is shining just a little bit brighter as you leave the post office  after mailing your last batch of boxes and love.