Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Parcels for the Troops

Parcels for the Troops

If you wish to send parcels to the members of the Battalion in Afghanistan please read the suggested items listed below. You may check with your Post Office if there is an advantage in using their ‘Flat Rate’ boxes and on filling out the Customs Form which is required. Be sure to check the box “Treat as Abandoned” which is located in the lower right hand corner of the form. This will insure that the contents are distributed to the troops should the recipient no longer be at the given address, although in this case an alternate will be designated by the Company CO. The names and addresses listed were provided by LTC Benson to insure parcels shipped will be distributed properly to the soldiers of the listed companies. If you wish, you may send parcels during the next twelve months to these companies. You know it will be appreciated.

Suggested items:
Food/Snacks
Applesauce
Candy
Cereal (individual serving packages)
Chips (small bags – spicy mix) / Pretzels / Trail Mix
Canned Meats
Coffee/creamer/sugar/stirrers
Cookies of all kinds – especially chocolate chip(*) Peanut Butter / Crackers
Dried Fruit / small cans of Fruit (with pull up tab)
Fruit cups
Fruit Rollups
Granola Bars / Power Bars / Trail Mix
Gum
Hot Chocolate Mixes
Individual powdered pres-sweetened drink mixes – ea. for one bottle of water
Jell-O cups
Jerky / Slim Jims
Nut/Fruit Bars / Nuts / Raisins
Popcorn (pre-popped)
Pudding cups
Sardines / Tuna or Chicken in cans or moist pouches / Vienna sausages
Sunflower seeds
(*) Chocolate should only be sent from October through February. It may melt in other months.

Toiletries
Baby powder / Foot powder / Body wash / Conditioner / Deodorant / Dental floss / picks / Q-tips Toothpaste / Toothbrushes / Mouthwash / Lip balm / Lotion / Facial tissue (travel size)
Hand sanitizer / Nail clippers / Shampoo (in plastic bottles – small sizes) / Razors (disposable)
Shaving cream (Aerosol cans prohibited by USPS / Soap (bars) / Plastic soap container/
Toilet paper (travel size)
Wet wipes – in soft pouches with plastic lid (such as ‘Cottenelle’ packs of 33 pack per pack and/or ‘Pull Up’s 25 per pack). These can be carried in side pockets of trousers

Games
Air pumps / needles for balls / Balls – deflated – basketball / football/ soccer ball / Volley ball
Clue / Dominoes / Monopoly / Phase 10 / Playing cards / Poker chips / Risk / Scattergories /
Scrabble / Skip Bo / Sorry / Taboo / Trivial Pursuit / Uno / Yahtzee

Miscellaneous
Paper back books / Board games / Puzzles / Music CD’s / Hand held warmers – for Winter months /
Magazines (recent issues) / Post cards (blank) / Puzzle books (cross words, sodoku, etc.)
Stationary / Envelopes

Based on experiences you may have had in shipping parcels to soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan you may add items based on preferences expressed by these soldiers.

Let me know what they are so we can add them to our list. If possible add a note in
your parcels identifying you as a member of the 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion Assoc. Please inform me of your shipments, but not the content, so we can report the number of parcels shipped each quarter. Also add the Association’s name in your return address so the Sergeants know right away where the parcel came from. You may ship any of these items in bulk form for ease of distribution.

We recommend using the USPS ‘Flat Rate’ boxes which are 12 inches square and 4 inches deep. Shipping such a box will cost $10 plus a smaller amount depending on your Zip Code. A filled out Customs Form must be submitted with the parcel. In the lower right hand corner of the form is a place for designating (checking off) is you want to parcel returned if the recipient cannot be located or was transferred. Please check off the lower box stating that you wish that your parcel is not returned to you. In such cases the content will be distributed locally. Those participating should let Bob Fiedler know. One parcel a month should suffice. This is all voluntary.

Each parcel sent must be addressed to an individual soldier according to USPS and Army
Rules and not just to a Unit. The addresses given us are:

CSM Geddings 1SG Therkesen
2nd Engineer Battalion 40th MAC Company 2nd Engineer Battalion
Camp Spann Camp Spann
APO AE 09368 APO AE 09368

1SG Brown 1SG Armstrong
HHC Company 2nd Engineer Battalion FSC Company 2nd Engineer Battalion
Camp Spann Camp Spann
APO AE 09368 APO AE 09368

1SGT Meyers
595 Sapper Company 2nd Engineer Battalion
Camp Mike Spann
APO AE 09368

I am hoping this program will be a big success.
Only you can make it so.

Bob Fiedler

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