Packages to Our Troops
As we did last year, we collected items to be sent over to Iraq just in time for Easter. Well, for some of our troops Easter (not to mention Christmas) came a little early...
THANKS TO EVERYONE
FOR SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS(click to enlarge)
First Presby Member 1st Lt. David Diffenderfer serving
in Iraq was looking for ammo and booby traps and
found something else that kept licking his face.Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God
Peter 2:16
25 Boxes !
$500 in shipping !!
Great job !!!Everything from snacks..
to car magazines..
to toothpaste..
to thank you letters written by a grade school classroom.The troops really enjoy all of your generosity and reminders of home.
(click images to enlarge)
Specialist Justin Scott with AnySoldier.com packagesFrom: "Justin Scott" <justin.t.scott@us.army.mil>
Reply-To: <justin.t.scott@us.army.mil>
To: <hon3434@hotmail.com>
Subject: Thank You for Your Support! (From Your AnySoldier.com Contact - Pictures Attached)
Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2007 01:59:02 +0300
Dear Alicia,
Hi! I recently received your packages in the mail as part of the AnySoldier.com program. I would like to offer my sincerest thanks and gratitude for your support and the things you sent. I have shared the contents of the packages with my fellow Soldiers. They also offer their appreciation. Thanks for taking time out of your day to gather those items and send them to us. Like I mentioned on my AnySoldier.com page, participators in the AnySoldier.com program are true supporters of the troops. So you my friend are a patriot!
Some info about me, like you already know my name is Justin Scott. I am 26 years old and I was born in Williamsburg, Virginia. I graduated from Manteo High School in Manteo, North Carolina. I'm originally from Newport News, Virginia but in my late teens my mom moved to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She now lives and works in Garner, North Carolina just outside of Raleigh. During my senior year I talked with an Army recruiter about the possibility of enlisting. And then on March 1, 2000 I enlisted in the Army's Delayed Entry Program. Just a couple of weeks after I graduated I was sent off to Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. It was an experience I will never forget. It was there that I transformed into a disciplined Soldier and left my civilian habits behind. After Basic Training I was sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia where I obtained my military job skill training as a Signal Support Systems Specialist. I was there for about six months. Then after Fort Gordon I shipped off to my first duty station in the real Army at Ray Barracks in Friedberg, Germany. I was there for two years and absolutely loved the country and culture, a very unique experience. I then received orders for my next assignment at Fort Hood, Texas. It was at Fort Hood when I deployed to Iraq for the first time, 14 long and mostly hot months. While in Iraq I traveled from Baghdad to Taji to Fallujah to Babul. I spent most of my time as an assistant network administrator for our battalion headquarters. I got to see and do some great things when I deployed. I met Geraldo Rivera while I was in Babul and I reenlisted on July 4, 2004 inside one of Saddam's presidential palaces. The deployment also stood as a true test to my character. But I am grateful for the things that I've learned and experienced thanks to the Army. Shortly after coming back to Fort Hood I went back to Fort Gordon to obtain a second job skill, one which I reenlisted for. I spent about seven months in training to become what I am now, a Satellite Communications Operator/Maintainer. After obtaining that job skill I was sent to Fort Riley where I am home stationed now. I am part of a newly organized Infantry Brigade Combat Team that was a little over a year old when we deployed in February. I am in a Signal company under the Brigade Special Troops Battalion (BSTB), 4th Brigade, 1st Infantry Division ("Big Red One"). My platoon's mission is to provide network connectivity and communications for our brigade headquarters. There's no definite time length but we were told this deployment could last anywhere from 12 to 18 months. Let's hope it's sooner rather than later.
Our living conditions could be considered mediocre at best. This camp is a giant mud pit when it rains. Mud covers all the roads, ground, everywhere you walk. It really makes it a nuisance to get around. But luckily this is only during the winter months since Iraq receives something like 80% of its annual rainfall during the winter. The rest of the time it's generally hot,dry, and dusty. And when I say hot I mean HOT! It's not unusual to See temps reach above 125 degrees on a daily basis during the summer. We just try to stay in the shade or indoors when possible and drink lots of water. Luckily a lot of the camps in Iraq come equipped with air conditioning for the tents and buildings. But sometimes they work overtime in the summer to keep things even moderately cool. There will also be times when they have to shut down power to service the generators. When this happens it's only a matter of time before those tents and buildings turn into ovens. Right now my unit is living in Army issued tents that sleep about 25 people on a somewhat comfortable basis. My living area consists of a 6'x6' space that is divided by green ponchos and filled with bags and foot lockers for storing my stuff. I sleep on an Army cot which is about half the size of a standard twin-sized bed. I managed to buy a small foam mattress from a local Iraqi shop here on camp, it makes the cot a little more bearable. We were told that we would be moving into housing trailers in the next few months. We'll see if this really happens, I have my hopes up. The chow hall here is pretty decent but still a far stretch from good old home cooking. They try their best to accommodate different cuisines and make the food taste American. It's not that bad of a camp, I try to make the best out of it.
As for the future I plan on serving the rest of my enlistment term. Then getting out in 2009. I intend to work for DataPath. They are a company based out of Duluth, Georgia who provide satellite communications equipment and support for commercial and military use. I would eventually like to settle around the Raleigh, North Carolina area and someday purchase a home there. Home buying is a bit intimidating to me and confusing at the same time. I'm trying to get educated on the whole process and learn the Many different facets that come along with home buying.
In my spare time I like to play the drums, attend concerts, go to amusement parks, and just have a good time with friends. Soldiers work hard so we like to play hard too. I'm really into live music. My favorite band is the Dave Matthews Band, I absolutely worship them. I've seen them a few times in concert. I also really enjoy computers and technology. Some can describe me as a gadget freak because I like to mess around with the latest tech toys.
Like I said earlier thank you so much for your support. It's hard to describe just how difficult it is to live and make do out here. There are daily struggles for most of us, whether it is coping with being away from family or dealing with the stressors of work. Knowing that there are great Americans back home that care and are thinking about us makes us forget about our surroundings, even if only for a moment. There are some who serve that agree with the war and then there's some who serve that don't. It's not our position to take sides but rather to fulfill our obligations to serve this country and carry out the orders of those elected officials appointed over us. I'm just doing my part, as little as it might be, to give back to the country that has given me so much.
I don't want to make this too long, oops too late, hahaha, but I just wanted to let you know that your support hasn't gone unnoticed. Every Soldier from 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company, 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion sends their gratitude and thanks for giving us something to look forward to daily at mail call. Take care and hold down the fort until we come back home!
Respectfully Yours,
Specialist Justin Scott
US Army
P.S. Attached to this message you will find some pictures I thought you'd might like. The first one is me posing with the packages I've been receiving from AnySoldier.com supporters, 13 in one day! The second picture is me opening a package, don't worry I share. The third shot is of a fellow Soldier opening up a package, see I told you I share! The fourth picture is of the Army Post Office on the camp where all the mail arrives. And the last picture is of the equipment that I operate, a transportable satellite terminal trailer.
Specialist Justin Scott opening package
Sharing goods from home
Army post office in Iraq
Transportable satellite terminal trailer
Cody Shinavier's 3rd Squad
Cody Shinavier before a missionFrom: "Cody Shinavier" <codyshinavier@gmail.com>
>To: hon3434@hotmail.com
>Subject: Cody Shinavier (Any Soldier)
>Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:43:50 +0300
Dear Ms. Comer,
Thank you so much for your support. The package was great. I put the box out and the stuff was gone in hours. We appreciate it immensely. I will hand out the letters from the school kids, we all like reading them.
So you enjoy traveling? Do you ever make it over to Michigan? That is where we are from. I'm from a little island just south of Detroit. I can't wait to get back home and see my family. We enjoy watching movies here, too. If I'm not on mission, doing first aid, or at the gym, I'm most likely watching a movie.
If you would, express my gratitude to your boyfriend for his service. If it wasn't for the things he did then, I wouldn't be able to do the things I do now.
Well, I should get going, I have to clean up a bit. I hope to hear from you soon. Once again, thank you.
God Bless,
Cody Shinavier
P.S. I included a picture of me and one of a squad I take care of. I will send more periodically. Feel free to send some my way too if you would like.
I received a handmade thank you card in the mail from Sgt. Felicia Graham. Inside she wrote a note and included a typed letter. Below, is a copy of that letter.
Note inside the card: "Thank you for all of your support. We are proud to serve our country for Americans like you all. SGT. Graham"
Alicia Comer~~~
I would like to say thank you for all of your support. The letters and boxes that you have sent are a big morale booster for my soldiers and I. They all look forward to the mail call because they know if I receive something then they will be receiving something. I usually just let them have the whole box without opening it, which they like because others will open them and pick out what they want then give the rest away. So basically they know with me they will have a chance at a box all to themselves. I just ask them for the addresses and letters so I can return a thank you letter of some sorts. I know it feels good to receive boxes and letters over here, but I also know it feels good to know your stuff is making it out here and it is appreciated. So again thank you for your support.
Thank you,
Sgt. Graham, F.
From: Fernandez Victor SPC 119TH ICTC
Victor.Fernandez@cedar.arfor.army.mil>
To: "'hon3434@hotmail.com'" <hon3434@hotmail.com>
Subject: THANK YOU
Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2007 07:27:14 +0400
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
MY NAME IS SGT FERNANDEZ AND IM JUST WRITING TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW HOW THANKFUL WE ARE FOR THE CARE PACKAGES YOU GUYS SEND. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING FROM YOUR TIME TO DO STUFF LIKE THIS. WHAT WE DO WE DO IT FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND FOR OUR FAMILIES. IN THE NAME OF ALL 119 ICTC (DET) I REALLY WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
ATT; SGT FERNANDEZ
119 ICTC (DET)
APO, AE. 09331
The following letter was sent to me in the mail the other day from SSG Nakkisha Streat. She was a receipient of one of our care packages.
April 5, 2007
Dear Ms. Comer,I would like to take a moment and thank you for your kindness and generosity. My soldiers and I appreciate the time you took to show your support for us. We are pleased to be serving the men and women of the United States. You and all of your friends and family have made the hardship of being away from loved ones a little easier with your show of generosity.
I would like to take a moment to introduce you to the members of my team, whose lives you have touched with your kindness.
First off, there’s me, SSG Nakkisha L. Streat. I am 34 years old, soon to be 35 in a few days, a mother of three, and a native of Richmond, VA. I spend most of my free time over here writing home or reading a book of some sort.
Next, there’s SGT Crystal Austin-Wong, a very quiet but demanding leader. She hails from Manassas, VA. She’s quite the artist, and spends a lot of her free time in a corner drawing or painting. She also has a passion for animals, especially horses, and I recently found out that she’s a championship rider.
There’s SGT Darrion Perry, the comedian of the group. He’s from Little Rock, AR. We can depend on him for atleast 2 or 3 humorous antics throughout the day.
SPC George Patterson is the quiet one in the group. He is also our “gadgeteer.” He keeps us updated on the newest gadgets from cars to computers. He’s from Jacksonville, FL.
And last but not least is PFC Kendra Crawford, our Southern Belle. Being new to the Army, I was surprised that she adapted so quickly to being deployed. She has and she often adds the fire and spirit that this team needs. Being from Columbus, GA, we often heckle her about her deep southern drawl.
I hope that this gives you a little insight and puts names to the lives that you have managed to touch over here. And again, I say thank you. God bless you.
Sincerely,
Nakkisha L. Streat
SSG, USA
Hello,
I have attached the most recent handwritten letter I received in the mail last week from SSG Jeff Meade. Included in all the boxes was a letter thanking them and alittle bit about where the packages came from. (Hence the reason he talks about his brother being an accountant).
Hopefully he does send the camera!
Alicia Comer
4-6-07
Dear Alicia,
Thank you so much for your thoughts & the care package. I am stationed here at Camp Anaconda but my unit has teams spread out and we have 4 teams in various camps around Baghdad. So I have been down there several times. I just came back from 15 days leave and your package was here when I got back yesterday. One of my brothers used to be an accountant but got burned out on it several years ago. Quit, joined the Marines, and is now in the pizza business trying to figure out what he wants to do with the rest of his life. Folks like you back home make life easier over here knowing you support us. I really appreciate you. God bless you.
P.S. I will fill the camera & send it back.
June 11, 2007
Alicia Comer
7459 Lighthouse Pt
Pittsburgh PA 15221
Alicia,
It was great to get a letter from you. I am sorry that it took me so long to write back. I have been so busy here running missions and just trying to get ready to finally leave. It will still be a few months but there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel. Well a little about me, my name is Aaron, I am 24 and I am a Sergeant in the Massachusetts Army National Guard. I am stationed in a place called Taji in Iraq. I drive a truck called a PLS. You can see what it looks like on www.m1075.com . It’s just north of Baghdad. In three days is my one year anniversary at being gone from home. I am married to a beautiful woman named Lisa and we have two cats, Gary and Peaches, and a new puppy, Bella. We got her from the shelter when I was home on my vacation from Iraq. I live in a town called Wareham. Not sure if you have heard of it, it is often referred to as the Gateway to Cape Cod. It’s a great town and we just moved there a few months ago while I was away. Thank so much. I hope to hear back from you soon. I enclosed my email address if you would like to let me know that you got my letter.
Sincerely,
SGT Aaron M. Pacheco
1060th TRANSPORTATION COMPANY
TAJI, IRAQ
AARON.M.PACHECO@US.ARMY.MIL
|
Featured News & Events |
in the year of our Lord