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Hannibull, In a short and simple way i will explain why i give thanks to our troops
It is for risking their lives and giving up the everyday privileges to ensure the freedoms of Americans.
The military also works within our communities when needed. In time of emergencies they are called upon to help. They are always on the alert for such emergencies.
They cannot chose when and where they go when called upon. They have duties far beyond what any normal job requires.
We tend to forget these soldiers of today are basically the same soldiers doing similiar jobs as the soldiers of WWI and WWII. This is just a different time, a different era and they have been put in a different situation. That does not make them any less heroic. Without these soldiers we would not have the freedoms we enjoy today.
I do not believe we, as a nation, expect others to defend us. Thus, I feel, we need a military which includes our servicemen and women.
posted
It appears that many California military bases have a pretty good network of civilian volunteers to help serviceman with all kinds of needs.
If there are any serviceman that need extra help while in the states or on deployment, please do not hesitate to PM me. I will make a contact through the group i am working with or if for some reason they cannot help i will help locate someone that can. This particular group helps serviceman and their families with anything from taxes to food.
Please if you need help or know someone that does do not hesitate to let me know or try and find a group on your base.
These groups are there to help the military and their families there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for some extra help during these tough times.
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we send care packages to Iraq from here, but we don't have any bases nearby, most of the troops from MS are reservists, and our local unit is deployed tight now...
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise.
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posted
If I were very very wealthy, I'd like to travel to that part of the world and just spend a couple of weeks shaking the hands of as many of our boys and girls in Afganistan and Iraq as I could. (But I doubt that would be allowed, dammit.)
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I am sure most every base needs extra help of all kinds especially those families of deployed serviceman. This particular group i worked with was a group called Family Readiness. It appears they have 19 assistant centers through out California. I delivered some of the stuff myself so i know it went directly to the base.
There are many other organizations on different bases as i am sure you know and probably as good as this one. This group's first priority is servicemen and families and if they have excess food a local civilian food bank will get it if they are really short. I am sure it works back and forth working with the local community food banks.
I am going to try and find someone on the Camp Pedleton Base next year to try and and deliver some of these donated goods. I think at least 2 of the sources that were so generous this year are going to have more stuff through out the year. Hopefully some of there goods can go to Camp Pendleton and some to the local base. I tried Camp Pedleton last year but it seemed like the only contacts i made were groups with some type of affiliation, i prefer if possible a semi independent group.
It is really great that there are companies and indivuals out there willing to donate goods to help the military and food banks. Two companies have given approx. 5000lbs of food so far and hopefully more to come before end of year.
Those small donations really add up also everything helps so never think the donation is to small.
I made a little mistake this time. Some of the goods i decided to pick up in my car. They said they had a pallet so i thought i'll pick it up, 3 loads later and a car that was full to the brim every time. Next time i will borrow my brothers pickup truck.
I just hope they get all the goods to the serviceman that need it and keep it discreet.
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It appears that many California military bases have a pretty good network of civilian volunteers to help serviceman with all kinds of needs.
If there are any serviceman that need extra help while in the states or on deployment, please do not hesitate to PM me. I will make a contact through the group i am working with or if for some reason they cannot help i will help locate someone that can. This particular group helps serviceman and their families with anything from taxes to food.
Please if you need help or know someone that does do not hesitate to let me know or try and find a group on your base.
These groups are there to help the military and their families there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for some extra help during these tough times. _________________________________________________
I wanted to re-post this in case any military people missed it. I know allstocks has al-ways had some military personnal posting from time to time and family members.
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posted
It looks like one of the companies came up with some more donations for the serviceman and their families.
I have been in contact with someone up in the northern part of the state. I was almost to the point to look for another contact. It seemed liked every time i called i felt they did not really want anything. I was told otherwise by someone down here prior to the contact.
I got a list today of the goods and decided to call anyway. I guess this person must have assumed i was BSing in the prior calls. I gave them the list of goods and when i gave the pounds i thought this person was going to choke, they did not expect the numbers i gave them.
They must have thought i was going to give them 20LBS(still no excuse)and it would be an easy task to pick up. I guess that's why this groups should never assume the caller is full of BS.
There are going to be a lot of troops tired of vegetables, but probably a better quality than they usually get, not sure that is necessarily the case anymore.
I am glad i did follow through because the troops and their families deserve it.
I am tired of my car being at the transmission repair shop. I could not use my wifes car today so i was stuck home all day. Poor me and all of you on the board because i was posting more than usual. Better hope i get it out tommorrow like they promised, or you might be stuck with me most of the day again.
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I am glad i did follow through because the troops and their families deserve it.
sounds great iwish.
we had an RR visit from one of our reservists last week. her attitude is impressive. she's young and has no family to support, but all of us got the impression that (from her perspective) things are getting better for the troops over there.
-------------------- Don't envy the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise.
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posted
It has been an experience getting involved with this whole process again. Most of these volunteer groups do not really have a lot of experience in moving bigger donations. They are use to small ones.
You try and explain what they will have to do and suggest ways of doing it but they seem to not listen very well so they end up finding out the hard way. When they picked up the 2000lbs in LA. I gave them all the info. a contact number and name if they had any problem. I had to go somewhere that day but i knew i better take all that information with me because i knew i would get a call. It's lucky we have cell phones. Sure enough after receiving three calls we got their shipment released.
Now i will have to start the process all over again with someone new up North and a much bigger shipment if they can take it all. 28,000lbs. Maybe they have more experience but somehow i doubt it.
I just hope they understand about the IQF frozen goods or if they get real lucky it might have be frozen over which would give them a lot more time, because it freezes solid. That happened with the load down here, blesssing in disguise.
I am also concerned if they really get the part about allowing enough time to get it loaded and transport it without it having it un-thaw, the nice part is that i think they can use the troops to pick it up so they can get a lot of them if they play it smart.
One of the many things that did surprise me was that when they have their Christmas or Thansgiving parties that only the serviceman and servicewoman's food is paid for, the families food has to come out of private donations if i understood them right. In some ways it makes sense but then in other ways it makes none considering how much we spend on the war.
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I have to make a correction on the name of the group i have been working with it is not the Family Readiness Group. At the base i delivered the goods they were working with them and mentioned them, but are not part of that group, i asssumed they were. I think most bases do have a Family Readiness Group i believe they are part of the military though, my bad.
This project of mine has become more of a nightmare than i expected. I have the goods but getting them to the troops has not been such an easy task.
Unfortunately with many of these non profit groups, there isn't profit involved but there sure are salaries and some very good ones. Cash is usually better than goods.
With some of the people it's just a job and the easier the better.
I would guess there is a ton of stuff that would get to the troops if it was not so hard to donate and not so much money was taken out for expenses of these non profit groups.
I was told that in the past a lot of people have wanted to donate packages of items to send to the troops over-seas, but when they were told that the postage would have to be payed in order to be sent, they declined. Some could not afford both.
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It is that time of year which is the hardest time for troops to be away from home. For those troops that are in harms way it is even more difficult. I Wish them all a Merry Christmas and be safe.
I am re-posting BooDog's poem. _________________________________________________
A Different Christmas Poem
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
my daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
transforming the yard into a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
so I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
but I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
and I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
a lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
you should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.
To the window that danced, with a warm fire's light,
then he sighed and he said "It's really all right."
"I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
that separates you, from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
and now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son, in more than a while,
but my wife sends me pictures; he's sure got her smile."
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
the Red, White, and Blue... an American Flag.
"I can live through the cold and the being alone,
away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post, through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole, with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
or lay down my life with my sister and brother.
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
for being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
to stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
to know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
that we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
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