Sending Love to Our Service Members in Afghanistan

As I sit here and type it is around 2am Thursday morning in Afghanistan and some soldiers or Marines are pulling a long night keeping watch. They are probably thinking about the upcoming Christmas celebrations, wearing smiles imagining family and friends and eagerly anticipating the notes, photos, and little packages they will be receiving from back home. Perhaps they have pulled out a deck of cards and are passing the time, but you can bet they are all missing their spouses, their children, their parents, and their siblings. Some of them have children they have not yet met, and they will miss their son or daughter's first Christmas. For some of them, this is not the first Christmas they have spent in the dessert answering the call of duty away from the hugs and kisses of the ones they love. They are not in the comfort of their home listening to the sounds of Christmas, inhaling the smell of freshly cut down Christmas trees, watching the joy on the faces of their children as they run and play, and sniffing in the aroma of Christmas dinner in the oven. They are in a dry dessert with other dusty smelly servicemen eating whatever the government issued meal of the day is.  As this Christmas approaches, take the time to pray for, write to, and/or send a package to our troops. They can use all the encouragement we have to offer.  Today, I went to the store to put together some packages to send to Afghanistan.  Below are two boxes I packed. They contain many items our troops are always desiring and needing. Although my packages will not make it in time for Christmas, hopefully, they will be an encouragement as our troops start the new year.   I would encourage you to pack a box to support our troops as they sacrifice for us, and if you have children, be sure to get them involved. What a great way to appreciate our military while instilling in young minds the importance of gratitude and sacrifice this Christmas season.


Merry Christmas troops! We love you, miss you and hope you return home safely soon! 

Just some ideas for care packages to our troops:

peanut butter
pocket sized snack mixes
sunflower seeds/ peanuts/ trail mix
chewing gum
salt/pepper
protrien pouches (tuna, chicken)
energy bars
instant coffee
drink packets for water bottles
hand sanitizer
baby wipes
small portable alarm clocks
batteries
zip-lock bags
Purex 3 in 1 laundry sheets
stick up
shower shoes
travel size toiletries
foot powder
socks
t shirts
dark colored towels
disposable hand/feet warmers
eye drops
playing cards
books/magazines/US newpapers


Do Not Send: Pork products, alcohol, aerosol cans, flammables

To learn how to send packages visit the following websites:

http://www.ustroopcarepackage.com/ 
http://www.opgratitude.com/
http://www.Give2thetroops.org/

To email a service member: http://action.uso.org/action/sem-thank-you-holiday?sc=OM-gadw-p_Support-search_ThankYouEmail

To support our troops in other ways:
http://www.uso.org/