Stockings for Soldiers

[ModernSurvival]

OK this is from today's show for those who have not heard it it will work as follows.  John Willis at SOE Tactical Gear donated 15 "Tactical Stockings" (pictured below) for the Listener appreciation contest ( http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/listener-appreciation-contest ).  I am waiting on John to send a link where we can buy them as well.  I will give out all 15 in the contest in the next three weeks but when I saw them my first thought is we should stuff them full of goodies and mail them off to soldiers for Christmas and my brain spit out....

"Stockings for Soldiers"

Here is what I need you guys to do to help.

1.  We need someone to find a place or group that we can all send these too who can handle distribution to our men and women.  This is what we most need now because I have no idea how to do this.  Someone on the board must know a way to get this off the ground.  Basically we need an address of a group that will take care of handing them out who is willing to receive them.

2.  Participate!  Buy one or two (link coming soon) from John and stuff em and send em.  This will mean more then you can imagine, trust me, I have been there.

3.  Once we have it off the ground here, an address and a link to buy spread the word.  Just like ya'll did for the show, post a link to this thread, a link to the show where I talk about it ( http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/the-veterans-day-show ) and let people know how to pitch in.

That's it!  In this way we help out our first real sponsor who is a very creative entrepreneur and make a lot of soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen feel better during the holidays when they can't be with their loved ones.  I know I can count on you guys to help make this a success!

Here is what the stockings look like...

Pretty cool huh?  OK So I will post a link to buy them once I hear from John, can someone or someones please see about finding a place they can be sent to?

edited for spelling in title

[ModernSurvival]

OK the link to buy them one off is

http://www.tacticalresponsegear.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=202

They are 25 bucks but John said he can do a 20% discount off for quantities of 4-6 so some of you close to each other might want to buddy up or what have you.  I think John will have a page with built in discounts soon, I will keep ya'll informed.

[Tycoon]

lol, those are awesome.

[wcff3431]

ok jack i took a look into and found this so far
http://www.hardingcounty.org/Events-Attractions/Send%20a%20gift%20to%20our%20soldiers.pdf
it has a list of things i guess they send. i also have an email sent to another site asking for some info on how to get care packages to thr troops hopefully i will hear something today
guys i didnt know this but  Did you know that you can get free envelopes and supplies to ship items to U.S. Soldiers?
Request Free Envelopes & Supplies To Ship Items To Soldiers
Before you go on the hunt for boxes, tape, envelopes, and the like to ship items to Soldiers in the U.S. Military, consider the following:
The United States Post Office offers FREE shipping materials as part of their CareKit#4.
link to it here http://thefuntimesguide.com/2005/09/sending_military_overseas.php
it also, has other links at the bottoom of page addressing items, packing tips, and items you cant send
sorry i get editing this but i keep finding stuff this link has some on the mailing the packages http://www.howtodothings.com/careers/how-to-send-a-holiday-gift-to-a-soldier

[Tycoon]

Not sure if this will work but here goes. I have a business that just happens to sell SOE it's fasteners for their tactical gear. "I know, weird conincidence". I'm set up and able to ship UPS/USPS very easily. If somebody wants to provide me with the shipping info to make this process easy for my accounting gals I'll donate the appropriate boxes, packing material, etc. needed to ship.

[millerized1]

http://www.anysoldier.com

Damn, I'm setting here thinking about the whole thing, and I remembered.
Not enough food this weekend.
Menu bar across the top, how to send, where to send, what to send....
Should be easy.

[millerized1]

http://http://www.anysoldier.com

Damn, I'm setting here thinking about the whole thing, and I remembered.
Not enough food this weekend.
Menu bar across the top, how to send, where to send, what to send....

http://http://www.anysoldier.com/WhatToSend.cfm
http://http://www.anysoldier.com/HowToSend.cfm
http://http://www.anysoldier.com/WhereToSend/
Should be easy.

[ColdHaven]

I was looking at this site and it seems like a good way to send items. I am not sure if there is a way to send these items though them. I am going to contact them to see if they would be able to send these stockings to the soldiers. At the very least there is good information about sending care packages to soldiers.

http://anysoldier.com/

Here is a list of organizations sending care packages to troops.

http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/AmericaSupportsYou/send_packages.html

I was also thinking about contacting my local Red Cross and see if I could get some people that work at my hospital to donate to this. I am not sure if you want to just keep this within our community or not, but I thought that if I could get some others from here wanting to order these then I could get the Red Cross here to send them.

I will look into some other ways we can send this. Are we wanting to go through another agency or send this directly? I might contact the local recruiter and ask them if they know anything or not. I am sure they would.

[John Willis]

Tycoon--Shoot me an e-mail and let me know who you are. I am really drawing a blank as to who you are. Maybe you have me confused with some one else.

John Willis
www.SOEtacticalgear.com

[ModernSurvival]

I am for anyone and everyone getting involved my only real goal though is to have one location where people can send stuffed stockings and they will then get to our brave men and women.  I just think it has sense to have one primary destination for everything to go.  But heck ya anyone and everyone willing to help in anyway is welcome.

[Tycoon]

Tycoon--Shoot me an e-mail and let me know who you are. I am really drawing a blank as to who you are. Maybe you have me confused with some one else.

John Willis
www.SOEtacticalgear.com

Sent.

[John Willis]

Tycoon is good to go. If we can figure out a good destination to move these too we can make them. I will bring in another person or two if needed.

[keliz5000]

Operation Gratitude sends care packages and letters of support to U.S. troops deployed overseas. Operation Gratitude / Carolyn Blashek, 16444 Refugio Road, Encino, California 91436.

www.opgratitude.com/

This looked like a good place to send packages to soilders.  They give you a suggested list of things you could send too.  I found the link on this website, and there are also other organizations listed there too http://www.doonenicething.com/d1nt-ideas.php?cat=69

[Tycoon]

Tycoon is good to go. If we can figure out a good destination to move these too we can make them. I will bring in another person or two if needed.

Doesn't matter to me who we go with to ship these things but once you guys get this thing figured out let me know so I can start getting on the details for stuffing mine. John you can count me in for 20 stockings.

[ModernSurvival]

Operation Gratitude sends care packages and letters of support to U.S. troops deployed overseas. Operation Gratitude / Carolyn Blashek, 16444 Refugio Road, Encino, California 91436.

www.opgratitude.com/

I will contact them tomorrow and see if we can work with them on this, THANKS!

[Earth Monk]

Greetings Gents,

I have an idea I thought I'd pass by you.

I returned from Kirkuk Iraq about a year ago and it's a joint Base with everyone except the USCG there. Since it seems these things will be in a somewhat limited supply, but will be really cool (and coveted), I think I have a solution. The Chaplains on base really have a pulse of the current SITREP where they are. They know WHO specifically could benefit from the receipt of one of these. I checked with my unit chaplain today here in England and he said it would not be an issue to send the stockings to FOB Chaplains (then they would target individuals in need there).

This accomplishes two functions:

1. We don't have the logistical nightmare of finding folks who would really benefit from receipt of these stockings. The stocking will obviously provide a huge morale boost to someone who isn't really getting mail, recently lost a buddy there, or family/relationships back home. The Chaplain is aware of these folks and can/will deliver to the set criteria if requested. I know from my recent experience how wonderful it is to receive mail/boxes. I had a great support group back home and my overage went to the Chaplain for distribution. This system is already in place, free of charge and headaches, and most importantly... it works.

2. I can muster manpower here to forward the boxes to individual FOBs downrange in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mail ships free for me from here to there through the MILMAIL APO system, so my only expense is time and expertise. I'm willing to  part with both if you'll allow me to assist.

Personal vetting information and address upon request with IM.

By the way, great concept John and Jack, thanks for making it happen.

-Ras

[Ebbtide]

I also tracked down another idea or location to send the items to.

       A Recovering American Soldier
       c/o Walter Reed Army Medical  Center
       6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
       Washington,D.C. 20307-5001

We are using this same add to send out Xmas cards to them. Got the addy from our home school group.

[SymteX]

http://www.fisherhouseinc.org/

Im here in San Antonio and I know this place does a lot for the severely wounded soldiers who are in recovery from their wounds. These are soldiers that are at Wilford Hall Medical Center.

http://www.whmc.af.mil/

[ModernSurvival]

A member got in touch with me about a very remote unit in Afghanistan we could adopt with this.  I don't see us sending in hundreds as we are not that big yet.  These guys are way out on the tip of the spear and selecting a single unit will make it really personal.  Soon as I get shipping info I will post it.

[ModernSurvival]

OK we have a group of Soliders to Sponsor, send stocking full of Goodies to

1LT John P. Rodriguez
B Co., 1-26 IN, 3/1 IBCT
Korengal Outpost
APO, AE 09354

The best method to ship anything to soldiers serving there is the USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Box. The 12x12x4 box ships for $12.95 (same as in US) and the only extra requirement is that you have to fill out a Customs Declaration.

John will distribute them to B Company.  Here is some information about this group of guys we are sponsoring


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/27284450#27284450

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27284450#27304836

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27284450#27341613

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27284450#27374054

These guys have no PX, get everything delivered by helicopter, and are as isolated as it gets. They are truly in Indian Country.  Our listener (John Richardson known on the forum as jpr9954) has sent "care" packages to John and made sure it included stuff to pass around to the men in his platoon and he has always done a good job of distribution.

B Company, 1-26 Infantry, 3 IBCT, 1st Infantry Div. faces real battles  daily. They have only been in Afghanistan since July and have already had 6 KIA.  If any group needs to know you care it is this group.  So please, let them know.  One full stocking of stuff is not much to offer but I can tell you it will mean more then you can possibly imagine!

[jpr9954]

Jack,

Thanks for all you did to publicize this. I talked with his mom who lives in Gettysburg, PA today. Things she said the men really enjoyed were small, high energy snacks to eat while on patrol as well as hot cocoa and hot soups now that it is colder. In an earlier email, she had also suggested warm winter socks.

John is now the company XO so you can be sure that he will know which men get stuff from home and which don't and will act accordingly.

Again, thanks.

john

[millerized1]

2 ordered, will fill them and send them as soon as they get here.
Ain't much, but it's something.
Thanks Jack, for letting me remember my past.

[John Willis]

Here are what 20 stockings shipping over to Tycoon look like.



Here are what 20 ACU and 20 Multicam stocking look like.



We also put a link to Jacks pages containg stockings for sodiers on our front page.

http://www.originalsoegear.com/

John Willis
www.SOEtacticalgear.com

[James Yeager]

That last picture ios so blurry I expected to see a bigfoot in it. 

[Earth Monk]

That's the Multicam effect, it's some tricky shit!
Buy some and see for yourself!!

-Ras

[Tycoon]

Wish I could have packed them with some better necessity type items but I think they'll dig the snacks.

[ModernSurvival]

Awesome Tycoon!  I am sure they will appreciate it, I really need to post the pics of my wife, son and nephew and the stuff they packed up a few weeks ago to ship over. 

[Dirt Rider 3006]

Well better late then never.



I've got 3 Flat Rate boxes filled with stuff just waiting to be sealed up and sent on their way. We put in everything from cough drops to candy bars to tooth brushes to puzzle books and even some salmon and tuna steaks in sealed pouches. That box on the left will be topped off after my wife makes one more trip to the store this evening. Also, my wife sent out an email to all our family and friends about the Stockings for Soldiers effort and we got a few replies. One of our neighbors offered some cash to help cover the cost of shipping. To save on space I folded up the S.O.E. stocking and slipped it in next to the Mrs. Fields cookies in the left hand box.

After the holidays I plan on having my cub scouts getting some things together sending a package every month or so.

It's incredibly humbling as I'm sitting here warm and comfortable typing while so many of our soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen are out there sacrificing and risking it all to help keep us free.

May God Bless Them All And Keep Them Safe.

[Dirt Rider 3006]

Has anybody  received any replies from any of the soldiers of Bravo Company?I'dlike to send out another set of packages, I haven't received any feedback from the guys of Bravo Company. I enclosed a note with our email address and mailing address in each of the packages asking them what they would like in any follow up packages.

Anybody heard anything from them? are they still deployed?

[ModernSurvival]

I haven't heard back either?  I like you want to send more but want to be sure the stuff is getting there.