Please note:

This website was set up to get parcels to Australian Soldiers/Sailors/Airmen/Airwomen deployed overseas.

You are welcome to cut and paste information and use it to support sending parcels to our service members serving overseas, however, when you do cut and paste please link back to Ocean Sky & Khaki to acknowledge OSK, and so that people can find the blog themselves.

If there are questions one of us will answer if you comment on a post at the blog.

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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Operation ASTUTE officially ended

The Australian Defence Force has formally concluded Operation ASTUTE in Timor-Leste, with all troops and equipment returned to Australia.

Read more here.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi! I'm new to this & I have a question about sending postcards to the soldiers. Do we just send our postcards to above addy? If so, what are some nice ways to start off the postcard? Dear soldier? Or just hello> I dunno..... :O)

kae said...

To send postcards, use the address headed "Postcards Only" in the column on the right.

Talk about what's in the postcard if it's somewhere or something that you are familiar with.

It doesn't have to be formal, Hi there would probably be OK to start a postcard to a stranger!

Anonymous said...

Thanks :O)

Auntie Dinnar said...

It was interesting to read in the book A Fortunate Life about a soldier who was sent a gift parcel, and received some socks. Inside their was a note that wished him well and hope he got home safely.

rusti said...

Hello Kae,

Can you please tell me the correct address to send a parcel now to Afghanistan? My sister also wants to send this week....;...Is it to
“An Australian Soldier”
Op Slipper
AFPO 13
Australian Defence Force
SYDNEY NSW 2890
OR
An Australian Defence Member
AFPO 60
Australian Defence Force NSW 2890

Thank you
Rusti

kae said...

Send it to

An Australian Defence Member
OP Slipper
AFPO13
Australian Defence Force SYDNEY NSW 2890

The AFPO60 address was an ANZAC Day mailing address.

Don't forget, nothing for the dogs and make the parcel unisex.

kae said...

Please read the ANZAC Day 2013 deadline post for details on parcel contents.

rusti said...

Thank you Kae for your quick reply, my sister is standing by, parcel in hand waiting, so that's great, and yes I do know about not sending to the dogs.

Cheers and thanks again
Rusti

Anonymous said...

Hello, anonymous again lol :O)
Something I didn't think about when sending the postcards, is there supposed to be a city in the address? The poor lady at the post office was a bit confused 'cause it didn't have a city or country or anything & I had to tell her it was local. Anyway, I'm finally getting around to writing out some more today, woohoo! :O)

kae said...

Hi Anon
What address did you send the postcard/s to?
The address for Afghanistan is:

An Australian Defence Member
OP Slipper
AFPO13
Australian Defence Force
SYDNEY NSW 2890

Anonymous said...

I used this addy:
Messages to the troops,
R1-5-AO56
Russell Offices
Department of Defence

kae said...

Sorry, Anonymous.
My mistake, that will teach me to not pay attention!
Russell offices are in Melbourne.
The address doesn't have a city or town on it, either.
I suspect that the number on the first line is how the mail finds Russell Offices.

Anonymous said...

Cool, I'll stick it in my notebook :O)
Oh, by the way, my name's Leah lol! I just don't have a google ID whatsit :O)

kae said...

Hi Leah

Yeah, those id thingies and all the passwords drive me nuts - at my age I have CRAFT*. And it's getting worse the older I get!

I just checked, the address has changed!!

Messages to the Troops:
Media Section
39 Personnel Support Battalion
Building 217
Randwick Barracks NSW 2031

I'll have to update the column on the right!

*Can't Remember A Flippin' Thing.

Anonymous said...

Aw dammit lol. Out with the liquid paper.....

Helene said...

Hi,

I came across this site by accident (looking for info on girls sending parcels and letters to soldiers in early 20th century wars).

I know our personnel get properly fed and equipped and probably have families sending them massive amounts of extras.

But, if they actually want other people to send things, I'm happy to participate. My late father was a career soldier and served in Vietnam, at the evac hospital in Vung Tau in 66/67. I grew up in army villages and I am now a social worker at the old Repat Hospital in Heidelberg, Melbourne. In my 'spare' time I'm completing a history thesis on Australian Veterans of the Korean War. So, yes, more than happy to give to servicemen/women.

I note that the parcels are not addressed to any person. Are they just handed out indiscriminately? Or does the CO or Chaplain try to direct them to people who don't get much from other sources?

Just let me know what's best and I'm in.

I'd send postcards and emails too but can't think of anything to say that wouldn't be lame.

kae said...

Hi Helene

Sometimes the contents of the parcel are split between the members of a platoon, if someone gets something they don't fancy they may swap with someone else (someone doesn't like a certain type of lolly they'll swap for something else or give it to their colleagues).

You can address a parcel to the Chaplain for distribution. You can send magazines and books to the hospital (Tarin Kot appreciate whatever they can get as reading material).

Good Luck!!

Helene said...

Thank you, Kae, that's very helpful.

I was planning to take a heap of paperbacks to the charity bins, but will now go through them with a view to sending appropriate ones to the hospital.

Yesterday when shopping, I picked up a bottle of Tabasco, some good cappuccino sachets, powdered cordial sachets, little boxes of sultanas, muesli bars and lollies. I also went to the post office and bought a couple of boxes. I can post the first one today.

This is a great idea, very simple and inexpensive, yet shows our people in service that they are thought of and appreciated.

Thanks for providing the inspiration and information.

Helene.