windplex
12-16-2005, 12:41
It warms my heart to read all these troop supporting responses!
Please allow me to share with you a way for you to help our troops taht will also be the very best gift you can give yourself!
Background: This week I dropped off a van full of books. Most are for the deployed troops and some for children of deployed troops who are financially strapped and cannot afford gifts.
I had the great pleasure to catch up with my friend who is an acting Master Seargent and who served in the first Gulf war and in Iraq as an Airborne Ranger.
It all started when I met him and his wife. I approached them in a store and thanked him for his service -- he was wearing his camis. I explained that I had just that morning donated to this military troops drive. Hius wife told me that she was the Family Readiness Group Leader (FRG)for the local Army Base and asked if I would like to donate to her group (FRG. I said yes and dropped off my donations later that day. As she and her husband and I spok it occured to me that I could work with her to do a donation drive with businesses and schools and friends -- since I learned that she was prohiited to contact anyone outside the military for donations.
I did a drive last year and this year. Both times we were able to get a school involved to give new toys from children to the children of deployed troops. I asked all the businesses I worked with if I could post a list of items that the deployed troops needed and found a coordinator at the business to work with. Some of the businesses were more than happy to give and gave generously. The list of needs is long and diverse so one can give what feels right for them.
My partner, the Family Readiness Group Leader / Mobilization Deployment Assistant (MDA, Army Reserve Family Program Office Leader sent out color "certificates of appreciation" from her office to all people and organizations who gave and this made it easier to ask them to participate next year, as well as letting the businesses show their generosity and for all to feel good.
So in conclusion, I say we support the troops in every way we can, here are some of my ideas (not in order of importance):
1) Troops appreciate being thanked. They read and hear the news for 12 to 18 months of their deployment, while they are over there, and it is all negative. While they know that 90 percent is positive in Iraq. They fear Americans believe all the bad press and want to be appreciated, thanked.
To quote one high ranknig Iraqi: Conditions in Iraq are terrible; And they have never been better!" Think about it.
Our troops benefit every time we say thank you.
2) Adopt a sniper and help him save American and Iraqi lives;
3) Donate books, CDs and DVDs to help them pass the little time off that they have; DVD players if you can afford it. NO vcrs -- they don't have them there.
4) Donate postage so they can be shiped packages -- no the us military does not pay for military care package shipping;
***5) Find out who is the Family Readiness Group Leader (FRG)is at your local base and hook up with him or her.
***6) Find out who the Mobilization Deployment Assistant (MDA, Army Reserve Family Program Office Leader is and hook up with him or her.
***These people councel troops and their familly's as they seperate during deployment, and to meet all thier family needs as best they can. However these offices receive zero funding from the military, or government, except for training the Leader. And the Family Readiness Group Leader (FRG) and Mobilization Deployment Assistant (MDA, Army Reserve Family Program Office Leader (MDA) CANNOT SOLICIT DONATIONS from businesses or civilians since they are government orgainzations. they do fund raiser among the troops for other needy troops! Certainly some of us can help is the troops can help other troops!!!
***This is where you can really make a big difference in people's lives -- You can do what I have done and find out from the base FRG and/or MDA what the deployed troops and their needy family's need. And then you can work with local schools and business and your friends to fulfill those needs with new or lightly used items. Trust me they will be extreemly appreciative for any help you give them! And you can give yourself no better gift than to give your time and help for our troops who are in need!
Thank you for taking the time to read and consider this suggestion!
Brian
Please allow me to share with you a way for you to help our troops taht will also be the very best gift you can give yourself!
Background: This week I dropped off a van full of books. Most are for the deployed troops and some for children of deployed troops who are financially strapped and cannot afford gifts.
I had the great pleasure to catch up with my friend who is an acting Master Seargent and who served in the first Gulf war and in Iraq as an Airborne Ranger.
It all started when I met him and his wife. I approached them in a store and thanked him for his service -- he was wearing his camis. I explained that I had just that morning donated to this military troops drive. Hius wife told me that she was the Family Readiness Group Leader (FRG)for the local Army Base and asked if I would like to donate to her group (FRG. I said yes and dropped off my donations later that day. As she and her husband and I spok it occured to me that I could work with her to do a donation drive with businesses and schools and friends -- since I learned that she was prohiited to contact anyone outside the military for donations.
I did a drive last year and this year. Both times we were able to get a school involved to give new toys from children to the children of deployed troops. I asked all the businesses I worked with if I could post a list of items that the deployed troops needed and found a coordinator at the business to work with. Some of the businesses were more than happy to give and gave generously. The list of needs is long and diverse so one can give what feels right for them.
My partner, the Family Readiness Group Leader / Mobilization Deployment Assistant (MDA, Army Reserve Family Program Office Leader sent out color "certificates of appreciation" from her office to all people and organizations who gave and this made it easier to ask them to participate next year, as well as letting the businesses show their generosity and for all to feel good.
So in conclusion, I say we support the troops in every way we can, here are some of my ideas (not in order of importance):
1) Troops appreciate being thanked. They read and hear the news for 12 to 18 months of their deployment, while they are over there, and it is all negative. While they know that 90 percent is positive in Iraq. They fear Americans believe all the bad press and want to be appreciated, thanked.
To quote one high ranknig Iraqi: Conditions in Iraq are terrible; And they have never been better!" Think about it.
Our troops benefit every time we say thank you.
2) Adopt a sniper and help him save American and Iraqi lives;
3) Donate books, CDs and DVDs to help them pass the little time off that they have; DVD players if you can afford it. NO vcrs -- they don't have them there.
4) Donate postage so they can be shiped packages -- no the us military does not pay for military care package shipping;
***5) Find out who is the Family Readiness Group Leader (FRG)is at your local base and hook up with him or her.
***6) Find out who the Mobilization Deployment Assistant (MDA, Army Reserve Family Program Office Leader is and hook up with him or her.
***These people councel troops and their familly's as they seperate during deployment, and to meet all thier family needs as best they can. However these offices receive zero funding from the military, or government, except for training the Leader. And the Family Readiness Group Leader (FRG) and Mobilization Deployment Assistant (MDA, Army Reserve Family Program Office Leader (MDA) CANNOT SOLICIT DONATIONS from businesses or civilians since they are government orgainzations. they do fund raiser among the troops for other needy troops! Certainly some of us can help is the troops can help other troops!!!
***This is where you can really make a big difference in people's lives -- You can do what I have done and find out from the base FRG and/or MDA what the deployed troops and their needy family's need. And then you can work with local schools and business and your friends to fulfill those needs with new or lightly used items. Trust me they will be extreemly appreciative for any help you give them! And you can give yourself no better gift than to give your time and help for our troops who are in need!
Thank you for taking the time to read and consider this suggestion!
Brian
