D is for delivery

The Daily Telegraph recently sent two journalists to Afghanistan for a month. They've posted a series of videos at the Telegraph website. One of them is entitled "Gifts from home", and it shows the troops receiving a fortnightly shipment of parcels, including one clearly marked to "An Australian Soldier" from Mr & Mrs Sparrow in Queensland.

Check out the video, and cheers to the Sparrows.

Since mail is delivered once a fortnight, I guess it can take 3 weeks or more for a parcel to get from Australia to the sharp end.

L is for "lots of lollies"

The Daily Telegraph ran a story a week back about the struggle to feed some of our troops in Afghanistan.

SOME of Australia's front-line troops in Afghanistan are well fed but many others continue to lose body weight as they struggle for calories.

Nutrition is a challenge for the task force and doctors at the Tarin Kowt hospital have expressed serious concerns about malnutrition among troops spending weeks outside the wire. Some Diggers have lost 15kg in a month.

I am pleased to say that I did a small amount to combat this problem last week by sending four boxes packed with lollies to one of the Operational Mentor and Liaison Teams, or OMLTs. That's nearly 8 kilos of Minties, Snakes, Licorice, Fruit Sours and other assorted sweet things that won't melt in the heat or crumble during transport.

Nilk came up with the marvelous idea of sending this particular OMLT a "group hug". There are about a dozen members of the team that we decided to "hug", so it was easy to work out that if we sent four boxes each (including Kae), every Digger would get a box.

I decided to concentrate on one thing - lollies - because by packing and sending four boxes at once, there should be enough volume and variety to keep everyone happy and well fed. Sharing one big packet of Minties between 12 doesn't go far - but four packs of Minties will.

The biggest challenge during this operation was hiding several shopping bags of lollies from the kids!

7SEP09 What to send/What not to send?

Mandie, a veteran care package sender has been looking for where to send packages to Aussies for a long time. I received an email from Mandie who has compiled a list of what to send and what not to send from her experience sending care packages to Marines and to someone she knew in Timor.

We'll start with this list and there'll be a link to this post on the side bar (see "Links to info posts in this blog"). It will have a date when it is updated so that when things are added we'll just change the date.

Suggestions for care package contents for service troops in combat zones

Send a letter with an email address and even a self addressed envelope so the troops can reply.

Ask about their living conditions and if they have fridge or microwave available to them then it is easier to know which food items to send, but do not worry if they do not use something troops have been giving it to the chaplain or another unit to pass out to others that might need it.

NO HOMEMADE Food items unless you know the soldier as they get thrown away.
If sending liquid or food products, place them in a snap lock bag 1st in case of leakage
Food
2 minutes noodles
Biscuits (no nut or choc)
Chewing gum (not sugar coated gum but stick gum for hot climates)
Coffee (individual sachets)
Cup of noodles
Cuppa soup
Disposable forks/spoons
Dried Fruit
Drinking choc (individual sachets)
Easy Mac
Individual Cereal boxes
Individual pull ring Tuna or sachets
Lollies
Long life milk (small packs)
Microwave popcorn
Microwave rice (reject shop $2)
Oatmeal (individual sachets)
Pepper (individual sachets)
Powdered energy drinks
Salt (individual sachets)
Sauces & Condiments like mustard etc (individual sachets are good, ask Macca’s if you can have some and why...)
Spices - to go with lamb/goat for example, rosemary, garlic, thyme, Greek spices
Sugar (individual sachets)
Tea
Trail Mix
Twisties (can also be used as packing in spaces in the box)
Wasabi peas
NO PORK AT ALL TO BE SENT

Hygiene
Aftershave (they complain they smell)
Air Fresher (non aerosol sprays & the cardboard card ones)
Baby wipes (bulk & travel size)
Cotton buds
Deodorant (non aerosol)
Foot powder
Hair Conditioner
Hair Shampoo
Inner soles
Lip Balm (chap sticks)
Moisturiser
Mouthwash
Razors (NOT the real cheap ones like Bic! Personally I use Schick and I’d only send those, we don’t want them cutting slashing themselves to shreds!)
Shaving cream (non aerosol)
Soap (normal & travel size)
Socks (black & white)
Talc
Tissues (medium & travel size)
Toilet paper (one roll in a box)
Toothbrushes (sometimes)
Toothpaste
If female troops then add the following
Female hygiene products
Gel or hair spray (non aerosol)
Hair ties
Hairbrush (only send 1)

Misc & entertainment
Batteries (as in 1st box if they need some)
Blank Cards (for troops to sent home)
Board games
Board games (some marines have a wonderful photo of them playing twister)
Book (try not to sent romance novels)
Cheap DVDs Please write on cover & disc in permanent marker “Aussie troops property” to avoid theft
Drawing Paper
Envelope
Footballs/Basketballs (and a pump)
Magazines (nothing rude)
Music CDs Please write on cover & disc in permanent marker “Aussie troops property” to avoid theft
Other sporting goods
Pen/Pencils
Playing cards
Poker chips
Sport sections of newspapers
Tennis balls (If you have tennis courts nearby you can buy second hand balls cheap – I got some from the University tennis courts $1 each, Slazenger and other brands)
Writing Paper

NO Alcohol
DO NOT SEND CLOTHING except socks

What not to send:

Aside from and in addition to any items prohibited by Australia Post the following are prohibited to be sent to AFPO13 Operation Slipper:

Aerosols
Alcohol
Cigarettes
Clothing other than socks
Pork
Magazines with naked women

If anyone has any more items to add please enter them in comments and they will be added to the compilation above. We will endeavour to find other items in the blog and add them, too.

Thanks again, Mandie!