[wp_caption id="" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Troops with care packages"][/wp_caption] For all those shipping care packages to their beloved troops overseas, here is an important tip. Never mix edibles items with non edible ones because the temperatures in the desert can reach 100 degrees and more, which causes edible objects to absorb the scent of the non-edibles. So if your care package contains items, such as, freshly baked pastries and deodorant; your troop will be very disappointed when they taste old spice or secret in their ginger snaps. Just keep this in mind the next time they call or write with their list of things they would love for you to ship to them.

Click here to calculate shipping rates on your next care package now!

]]> http://beclever.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/branding-and-small-business/ Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:39:27 +0000 beclever http://beclever.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/branding-and-small-business/

Custom packing tape...

Originally uploaded by CleverGirlBek

Custom packing tape... Almost a year ago I was trying to find a way to use up my inked gocco screen in a practical way...

Eureka!

Custom packing tape... Ok, it's not tape- it's that fiberglass thread reinforced brown papery stuff, but it works like a charm and makes all of the outgoing packages look fabulous...

I am a packaging and branding geek (for those that had not noticed yet!)

I believe the giant roll from our local staples was around $10... I don't use a whole foot- only about 3 or 4 inches... I did the math- that's around $0.01 per package (I only use one strip per padded envelope) at most (actually it came out to $0.006/strip, not including the ink and time..but as the ink would otherwise go to waste and it only takes me a few minutes to do a pile of these I don't think the labor adds up to much in this case)...

Pretty easy, quick, and economical...
And a pretty touch when shipping an order...

I find that running one of these over a dampened sponge (I have one dedicated to this) does not take any more time than getting out the tape gun, unsticking the tape from itself, and changing the roll out... Instead I have a pile of these by my shipping area and before I put my envelopes by the door I slap these on the backs (to prevent pilferage during shipping as well)....

Go here to learn about this great cause (and maybe give a little something while you're there).

Now, I have written about some superior gift suggestions before. Highlights include using the $9.99 Target tote bags (assorted styles) as a SUPERIOR gift bag (and honestly, wrapping paper, tape and ribbons costs almost as much).  I have talked about stocking up on clearance jewelry and head-bands for small gifts throughout the year (birthday’s, congratulations, thank-you’s etc). Always superior of you to have a token present handy.

Today I want to talk to you about The Care Package. Or more aptly, the lost art of the care package.

You actually might not know what a care package is. You probably never sent one and I doubt you have ever received one. Back in the late 90’s, care packages became a national endangered species with the advent of gift cards (from the Latin gifticus cardicus). Back in the day college students would get care packages from family and friends. Mom and dad might include a roll of quarters for laundry, some trail mix and socks. Soldiers may still get care packages, now that I think of it, but mainly because a Starbucks card isn’t kicking it in Iraq.

Care packages are seriously superior presents. Normally they are sent to the recipient for no other reason than to surprise them with a few tokens. Sick people may get a nice care package, which is fabulous, but I also think sometimes it’s nice to give something unexpectedly.

I have a fabulous friend who works a ridiculously stressful job. In fact, during our last phone call she told me that she has lost 10lbs because she has literally no time to eat during the day. She works weekends – all of them and has had to hire dog sitters and house cleaners to run her life. She is at work from anywhere between 4am to 11pm every single day.

Now, yes my friend is very smart, and yes she makes a lot of money so she is lucky she can afford a dog walker. Many of us (moi included) don’t have this luxury.  She knows this. But she is having a hard time figuring out the whole life-work balance and isn’t sure that this is the way to happiness for her, money or not. And until she makes that decision (and after she makes it) I am her friend and I want her to be happy and stick it out. So I am sending a care package.

I know we all have friends (and maybe we are this friend) who desperately could use something to cheer them up. Not because they are seriously ill or lost a loved one, but because their fabulousness level has shot dangerously low. I think this is such a great idea and I know my friend will love it.

Care packages can have themes (Fourth of July?!, birthdays, coffee, Sex & the City) or they can just be a hodgepodge of stuff the recipient might enjoy. Anything goes. Now, my friend is fabulous. She is definitely a Superior person. So her care package has to be fabulous and wonderful. Not just socks and trail mix.

Here’s what I am sending.

First, and here’s where Target comes in: the Cynthia Rowley Beach Tote for only $14.99. If this isn’t the cutest beach bag – adorable. I am also raiding the $1.00 selection of 4^th of July beads, headbands, stickers and random accoutrements. Just as filler.

Inside the bag my fab friend will find a funky silver cuff bracelet that I found on clearance at a department store , and had saved for a rainy day. It should add a wee bit of glam to her business suit this summer.

Because she is a working woman in the city, the summer heat is going to wipe her out. I found these superior toilettes from Herban Essentials. The lemon scented toilettes are light, fresh and smell amazing. They are antibacterial and antiseptic. Perfect for after the subway or bus commuter, after a walk in the heat, or just use them to cool down. Sounds weird, but midday at work in the summer, take off your shoes and wipe your feet with these delightful angels. Sounds bizarre, but trust moi, it’s superiorly soothing to your feet. These aren’t cheap (you can purchase them at Whole Foods or online) at $15.00 for a pack of 20. But very posh, just like my friend. Comes in Lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus or a MIXED BAG! Love a mixed bag!

A puzzle for her and her hubby to do together. $4.99 for the puzzle and it’s a scene from our hometown. I mean, is that perfect? Plus its an activity that includes her significant other. And I know she doesn’t have time for a puzzle right now, but you never know. Puzzles are therapeutic.

A Starbucks card & a picture of my dog. Because she loves bothJ

Finally – the girl needs to eat. I wanted to be creative in what I sent her. I thought about baking mixes, but she really is too busy. I think I might send a pile of 100 calorie cookies packs. Not because she needs to lose weight, but because they are perfectly proportioned and easy to carry in a purse. But I don’t think this is a superior idea. Any other food alternatives you can think of? Something portable and NO preparation allowed... All ideas welcome!

I would love to hear any other ideas you might have for care packages or stories about receiving care packages. I really want to do something for a Sex & the City theme : movie gift card, Cosmo magazine subscription (since you can’t mail the real thing), microwaveable popcorn and a pair of shoes...sigh...maybe someone will send that to me...

Though blocked, there is no shortage of things to write about. I'm convinced that all blogs from Blogspot are blocked here. I haven't been able to get onto one since I checked out Nancy's briefly on Memorial Day. So to Mandy, Nancy, Emily and Nathan, and other Blogspot users, I miss being able to read your blogs and I click like a madman hoping that just once they will open.

And when you click, there's the Window's hourglass, or if you have Vista, the spinning circle. Both are equally enraging, designed by some 20-something computer geek to test the core of our being. I'd love to do a study on how many man-years are wasted each day by the whole world watching that stupid hourglass or the circle of infinity go round and round. Yet faithfully I sit there every night, salivating like Pavlov's dogs, and watch the hourglass & circle dance before my eyes. Sucker.

The internet is sooooooooooo slow here for the personal connections. I think the way the server works is that I type my blog and it goes to the service provider. They then take it, carve it onto a stone tablet, and then give it to carrier pigeons to fly across the Atlantic, where another man feeds the birds, retypes what was on the tablets and publishes it to Wordpress. Many times the birds don't make it, so I have to publish and republish the same posting over and over. Uggg.

It could be worse. We recently lost our first Soldier on the Baghdad team since I've been here. Someone's mom or dad, brother or sister, daugther or son, or friend would love to be watching the hourglass waiting on the next email from him. So I won't complain about that anymore tonight.

The message from chapel last night really resonated. You guys all threw in some great comments and perspectives. It gave me a lot to think and chew on and I know I have some re-prioritizing to do.

One more thing before I go. When care packages come, whoever gets one opens it up, scoops out the letter or pictures, and a few of the goodies for themselves. The rest of the stuff all goes to a table at the end of our little section. I've named it "The Altar", because this steady stream of Soldiers is constantly dropping off their offering onto "The Altar" for everyone else to partake of. It's piled with candy, magazines, books, someone even sent some Mary Kay (what's up with that?). But it's cool seeing all the generosity and then seeing it re-gifted over and over. People read the magazines and then return them or watch the movies and bring them back. It's good stuff. To paraphrase Philippians 4:14-20 "Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles...you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift but am looking what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply
supplied, now that I have received...the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

Thanks for your gifts of love and comfort. May you have a blessed day!

counting bears or bugs (the ones where you can make patterns with, sort, etc.), - you'd be surprised at how much you can teach with these!

nice musical instruments (tambourine, rhythm sticks, shaker eggs or homemade ones with various seed or beans or corn, jingle bell anything, slide whistles, kazoo, harmonica, etc.),

simple costumes, or accessories to costumes,

gardening equipment (gloves, little tools, watering can, etc.),

tepee or castle to read in (This company used to have a cheap tepee too, keep an eye out for its return),

the Identiflyer,

nice puzzles,

Faerie Tale Theatre ( a great collection of stories, but I got this collection a few years ago for 35$. I can't find it that cheap now! Keep an eye out on ebay I guess.),

flannel board & or chalk board, felt stuff to put on felt board (homemade is easy, cheap & fun - we’ve made shapes, people with clothes, etc. seasonal fun like a tree with little multicolored leaves to put on, pumpkins, snowman parts, flowers, etc. to teach seasons - felt comes 10-25 cents a sheet - just takes time to make),

lacing beads or cards,

cheap puppets & stage,

magnetic letters (lower case please - harder to find & more expensive maybe, but best for learning - they are going to use lower case a whole lot more than capitals in life!)

And of course books. I like to buy the ones that are more interactive because they're fun & the library generally doesn't get those kinds of books (The Jolly Postman type, lift the flap, pop-up, or scratch & sniff, touch & feel, etc.) or noisy books like Buzz, Buzz, Busy Bees where the batteries are dead in the library versions!

I'll probably add to this list later as my brain gets going. Also, a theme for the week sure helps a LOT for me to get excited about preschool learning as well as Grandma having a direction to go in buying & sending packages. We've had a lot of fun with this through the years. Another day I'll try to post the themes for the year. After doing that for eight years, we pretty much came up with a set schedule for themes that worked well & ended up being predictable every year. For those interested, stay tuned for more info.

In February, I organized a care package exchange with my fabulous veg*n friends. Care package exchanges are just like the secret Santa's you did in elementary school (religiously motivated celebrations of materialistic wealth in the public school system! Don't you love it?) but without the blatantly gender-specific toys that someone else's mother picked out from the dollar store . As organizer-in-chief of this event, I gathered up all of our addresses, tossed them into my secret Santa hat, and matched them into random pairs.** Then we each assembled a treasure box of goodies based on the likes and dislikes of our partners. We even have a name for our exchange--BBV's: benevolent baking vegefactors--so named because baking tends to be central to the care package experience, though it is not required.

Now, we know from previous posts that my two favorite things are pineapple and coconut. But my three favorite things are pineapple, coconut, and sending people letters and gifts. So, assembling a care package is absolute bliss for me. I had the pleasure of making a package for lovely Miss Laura, who writes the Vegan University column at tastebetter.com. As happenstance would have it, Laura and I have remarkably similar interests. In fact, I am not yet convinced that I didn't accidentally match myself up with myself. Specifically, we both like tea, scones, and Anne of Green Gables. This actually complicated matters quite a bit; while the package was a breeze to assemble, I secretly wanted to keep it for myself and pretend like it was lost in the mail. It was a trial, but I persevered.

The package looked like this:

Clockwise from the left, we have Really Good Vegan Raisin Scones, Kiss-Ass Molasses Cookies, a mug with an assortment of teas, a recipe box, a crocheted cupcake, coasters, and mini cookie cutters. Sadly, I hadn't the foresight or the willpower to take pictures of the package I received from Kelsi, my own BBV, but let me tell you, it was chock full o' coconutty goodness.

A thoughtful package can make a person's day. In an earlier exchange this past December, I received my package on what felt like the longest day of my college life: a five-hour Teach for America interview followed by several hours of studying for a final that same evening. But when I arrived home, I found a package from "Cali," my oh-so-benevolent benefactress. Inside was an assortment of goodies of the knitting, tea-drinking, and baking variety, including these handmade stitchmarkers:

The package changed my day entirely.

In conclusion, a reassessment of my favorite things in life is in order:

1. pineapple coconut

2. pineapple

3. snail mail

4. Anne of Green Gables tea

5. tea Anne of Green Gables

6. Colin Firth/knitting/running/red wine (about equal on any given day)

7. spreading happiness to the people I love with simple words and actions

8. cupcakes/Lost (again, about equal).

*Shipping and handling not included. Some restrictions may apply. Offer not valid with any other offers, discounts, or promotions. Valid within the continental United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

**Bold-faced lie. I created an Excel spreadsheet, assigned each participant a number, then used a random number generator to produce a second sequence of numbers. I then juxtaposed these lists to generate a set of pairings.

Who can resist the unconditional love of a pet? Be Kind to Animals Week – National Pet Week is May 4^th -10^th. Keep the love alive with regular check ups.

Remind your customers to take care of their pets’ health. Provide pet gifts for you customers and have your logo on the gift so they think of you when Fido is happily playing with your present. Chew toys, cat nip and pet wear are welcome promotional giveaways.

If you are a veterinarian send out postcards for your patients' owners to schedule regular veterinary visits. Consider offering customized pet care packages for dogs, cats, birds and any other animals you treat. If you offer pet grooming services offer special gifts with purchase.

Worried about the safety of your customer’s pets after all the stories in the news about unsafe products? For safe pet care products and edible treats check out http://www.petdreamers.com

Please comment here or e-mail them to info@kindnotes.com by March 3rd, 2008. Max. 15 words.

Several times each year, Lynn A. from California puts in a lot of effort to gather and prepare care packages for our troops. We'd like to show our support and work with Lynn to send them a little something that they can enjoy. Come back here in March to see the jars that will be traveling miles away to reach our soldiers. Below is an update from a soldier who received Lynn's care packages during the holidays. We hope to hear from many of you soon.

ah, well to my excitement i just took a picture of what's inside :D

Connie has baked, packed, and shipped more than 30,000 cookies.  She joined the national Treats For Troops group, an organization of individuals who spend their own money and time on sending these care packages to our troops, based in Hilton Head Island, S.C., in 2005. 

My husband was in the military.  From them he got the training and education that has helped him reach his career goals.  We wanted not only to donate to this worthy cause, but pass on the word of these tasty deeds being done for our troops and make it easy for you to show your support.  100% of the proceeds go directly to the Treat the Troops program.

Click on the image below to make your donation today.

Go here to read the details of sending "care packages to soldiers serving in a key unit in Iraq":  Operation Send-a-Box

Found via NRO The Corner.

Here's how you can help the effort:

How you can help:

Operation Send-a-Box aspires to send a care package to every soldier in the Sabre squadron over a one month period -- ambitious since there are over a thousand soldiers serving in this strategic location. The squadron's chaplain has agreed to distribute packages to soldiers who have not yet received mail from home, beginning with the lowest ranked soldiers.

If you'd like to send a care package to a soldier on the front line, please go to the post office to get a "flat rate" box, which ships to APO addresses for $8.95 per package. (The postage is the same regardless of weight or destination, but only USPS-produced flat-rate boxes are eligible for the rate.)

Every package must include:

1. Twin size sheet set.
2. At least one new DVD (movie or TV series released since November 1, 2007)
3. Personal hygiene items (shampoo, soap, toothpaste, shaving cream, deodorant, toothbrush)
4. Reading material (car and motorcycle magazines, Sports Illustrated, paperback book)
5. Gum, beef jerky, energy bars, Pringles, Powerbars, etc. (nothing that could melt in the desert)

You'll find the box fills up quite quickly, but please stuff it up with whatever else you think might be fun to receive.

Mail to:

CPT Benjamin Ellington, Chaplain
ATTN: Operation Send-a-Box
HHT 2/3 ACR
Forward Operating Base Caldwell
APO AE 09324

All packages should be sent between January 1st and February 15th.

They have this update on the page:

UPDATE: As of Day 2 of Operation Send-A-Box, we've already had 575 commitments! Still half the Squadron to go - keep those boxes surging!

Many groups and organizations here in the United States have been gathering and sending holiday care packages to our troops. This is a wonderful way of remembering and supporting them. What is even more wonderful is when the troops receive what they need. This happens when the people sending the care packages do their homework to discover what is necessary and what is not, because not all deployed personnel need the same things.

Here’s how it went with my daughter’s unit, currently deployed in Iraq: Several people had asked me what was she and her unit needed. So I asked my daughter to find out. Her unit is stationed "behind the wire". There is an exchange, a chow hall and other amenities. The needs of her unit are different from those of a unit that is regularly “outside the wire”. She sent me a detailed list, which I distributed to those who asked. Items were collected and boxes shipped.

I received a phone call from my daughter a few days ago. She mentioned all the packages her unit was receiving. A lot of the packages contained things that were not needed, wanted or necessary. I was perplexed since many of the packages she was speaking of were from groups who got her list.

It’s not that the troops do not appreciate care packages. But there has to be some disappointment when yet another box full of toothpaste arrives at a unit that already has enough toothpaste on hand to last for a couple of years. The best things they’ve received at my daughter’s unit are small toys like yo-yos and slinkies that supply simple entertainment, games and homemade goodies.

The lesson I brought home from this conversation: The value of a gift is determined by the receiver and not the giver. Listen to what people want. Even if they don’t say it outright, you can pick up on what they will value by listening to them.

I have received gifts from well-meaning people who just somehow miss the mark. Their intentions are good, but they give something I don’t need, can’t use or already have. Most of us have experienced this; customer service counters at retail stores are mobbed on the day after Christmas with recipients returning unwanted gifts.

Giving a gift just because it’s the thing to do is all too common. In doing this, are we thinking about the person receiving our gift? Will they be delighted or disappointed? What will make their faces light up? It’s something to think about, anyway, whether you are giving to a military unit or to your mom and dad.

Of course, you can always get them a gift card and let them pick out their own gift…

Not wounded, but making sure other Marines are kept from injury, are Chaplain Nieto and members of MWSS 272-IRP. Photo courtesy of MWSS 272 (deployed), USMC. 

While our Congress and the NBC television network seem determined to undermine and emasculate our military, we the people are rising up in determined support of our troops. Not only are organizations like Rotary, AYSO and church groups shipping holiday goodies to those deployed, but there's been a movement of individuals to send holiday greetings and statements of appreciation to our wounded.

This is a great idea, and I hope it blossoms into more than a seasonal trend. But a card addressed to "A Recovering American Soldier" cannot be delivered due to security reasons, making our good intentions go unfulfilled. Instead, here are two guaranteed options for getting our greetings and thanks delivered:

Operation Holiday Thanks

Operation Holiday Thanks is an effort by FoxNews to collect and send cards to recovering service members in military hospitals not only in the United States but also in Baghdad (according to E. D. Hill of Fox News America's Pulse in her broadcast this morning.)

Operation PAL™ 

Another opportunity is through MarineParents.com. It's known as Operation PAL™, and supports injured and ill Marines and sailors. Operation PAL™ has been in existence for awhile, and its web site lists specific individuals who are currently recovering from injury or illness. You address your letter to a specific individual and send it in care of Operation PAL™. A list of names is provided on the site.

Let's keep this thanksgiving greetings campaign going all year long. Whatever holiday we celebrate during the year, it's an occasion to remember the price of our freedoms that has been paid by our soldiers, Marines, pilots and sailors.

-Alvalyn Lundgren  

Samaritan's Purse also has a catalog of alternative gift giving ideas. Kids can give hot meals, blankets, story books, and other items to needy children all over the world.

 

U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) are asking their supporters to take action - and they don't (just) mean phonebanking or canvassing.  They're asking for folks to give back directly to their communities. 

Through Thanksgiving, the Clinton campaign will collect food for those in need this holiday season.

During Thanksgiving week and through the end of November, the campaign will deliver food and other items collected to shelters and pantries throughout the state.

“Serving the ‘least of these’ in our communities is the ultimate contribution to the common good. We are all blessed when we join together to offer a helping hand,” said Senator Clinton. “I am heartened that my campaign is joining with the people of New Hampshire in lifting up our fellow Americans in need as we enter the holiday season.”

All food donations should be non-perishable. Canned and dry foods in bulk are preferred. Toiletry items are also being collected.

Obama supporters are volunteering and collecting food while knocking on doors to spread the message of their campaign. 

Obama staff and volunteers will continue give back to the communities where they live and work. In Berlin on Wednesday, Obama volunteers will lend a hand to the local senior meals program. And while canvassing in Nashua on Saturday, supporters will collect canned and non-perishable food items to donate to the Nashua Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen.

Last night at the 5th annual Spirit of New Hampshire Awards presented by Governor John Lynch (D-NH), the New Hampshire Food Bank was honored with a 2007 Volunteer Program Champion Award.  One of the final thoughts shared at the end of the evening was from VolunteerNH! Exectutive Director Tim Dupre.  He reminded the crowd that the Food Bank, which serves as the central clearinghouse for food pantries and soup kitchens across the Granite State, faces a "critical shortage" going into this holiday season. 

Workers said this is the first time in the history of the food bank that it has been forced to rely on emergency packs. The food bank has used close to half of the 900 emergency packs so far.

"It basically consists of fruits and vegetables, canned proteins -- just to get us through before we're even more desperate," said Melanie Gosselin of the food bank.

Just imagine what would happen if each and every Presidential campaign - almost like a straw poll, except more friendly (and for such an important cause) - stepped up and challenged their supporters to participate in a statewide food drive competition to benefit the New Hampshire Food Bank.  Imagine how much food could be collected during the final weeks of November until the first-in-the-nation Presidential Primary!  Certainly ServeNext New Hampshire's team of AmeriCorps Alumni would be proud to help support any bi-partisan initiative like this that could yield such tremendous and timely results and raise additional awareness around the issue of hunger in our state.              

The two Democratic frontrunners are not the first to incorporate acts of service into their campaigns.  Both U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) have sponsored care package drives for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Former U.S. Senator John Edwards (D-NC) has been promoting his One Corps program across the country for over a year now and even served with supporters at Habitat for Humanity's Musicians Village in New Orleans on Saturday.  Edwards will stump at Plymouth State University on Monday afternoon, where frontrunners Clinton and Obama both addressed National Service within just days of each other last month. 

Student care packages are as part of the college experience as destroying laundry, fighting over the last beer, eating stale pizza and making your parents wonder if they are completely and totally wasting their money by sending their son or daughter to college.

Student care packages are the subject of countless hours of conversations among groups of friends trying to figure out who is next to receive a care package and what might be in it. In fact, some industrious college students have tried to figure out ways to coordinate the student care packages with their friends so they can be assured an endless supply of treats.

To learn more click From-mom

In TheScroogeReport's post late this summer, Military Veteran: Evangelism is a Dirty Word When It Comes to U.S. Sponsored Care Packages, Troop Shows, there were not any comments made in response to the opinion story. That was until yesterday, when Leo, submitted one.

As I wrote in that post, Michael L. Weinstein, author of With God on Our Side and founder of Military Religious Freedom Foundation is so blinded by his passion to separate “religion” from state, that he was successful in having a faith-based group drop plans for a care package to U.S. military members that included a Bible and a fictional Christian video.

In Weinstein's LA Times' piece, “Not so fast, Christian soldiers,” the article shows that he despises how anyone partnering with our government could even think of sending care packages to our military abroad that include, of all things, Bibles!

Weinstein's other beef is that evangelical groups visiting our troops with permission from the U.S. government is wrong.

Although I tried to profoundly rebuke Weinstein and his group's efforts in my own words, Leo, does a much better job. Here's his comment:

First - why am I responding? I have 4 tours - 2 in Afganistan, 2 in Iraq (this time). I am in the Air Force Reserves. I have logged over 70 combat sorties over both countries, shooting and being shot at. This gives me some right to say what I am about to say.

My guys know I am a Christian - they gave me the callsign “Preacher” at some point. When we launched night one in Iraq, THEY came to me and asked me to pray for and with them. When I launched crews, they asked me to pray for them and over their jet. I am not a Chaplain - I am a line crew dawg. We who were deployed loved nothing more than to get stuff from home…anything…broken cookies, candy, beef jerky, books - you name it. Nothing was desired more than packages from CHURCHES. From those in the US who we KNEW were praying, thinking, and loving us unconditionally. And, yes - they had BIBLES in them Bibles that were shared. Bibles that were flown with. Bibles that those who had never gone to church read often. Somewhere it was said “There are no atheists in foxholes.” Let me tell you - there are very few in cockpits either.

At no time was religion or faith a necessity for advancement in the Air Force - in fact, it is often seen as a detriment. There is total separation of Church and State in the Air Force - there is no need to proclaim anything for advancement. But there is GREAT FAITH. It rings loud and clear when the pressure is on. Whether or not people are willing to admit it at any other time - when the burners are lit, when you are cleared hot, when the safties are off - everyone KNOWS who God is, and where their salvation is.

I will get off my soapbox now. Our troops WANT stuff from home - it reminds them that others care and love them. Please, lets dump this junk of political correctness, and LET OUR TROOPS KNOW HOW WE FEEL ABOUT THEM.

Check 6.

Leo,
Thank you for your comment and thank you for your service to the U.S.!

Blessings,
Alexander

_______________

Related - Military Veteran: Evangelism is a Dirty Word When It Comes to U.S. Sponsored Care Packages, Troop Shows