I wanted to share this incase anyone else might be interested,
I was looking at the pictures of Stretches surgery again yesterday and followed the link to Chad the photgraphers site, who got back from Afghanistan right before Stretches surgery. http://chadhunt.bizland.com/blog/?m=200612
I was reading about when he was there embedded w/ soldiers (I appologize, I don't know much about the service, but i believe they are Marines) in the cold mountains. they don't have much as far as a base, like no showers, hot water ect and they are usually hungery since the MREs don't provide enough calories for what they do, several people that read the blog asked about sending care packs to the guys he was staying with, So if you contact him he will give you a name & address for you to send a pack to. I asked a few questions and they don't have much beside a tent w/ a little heat and electricity so they can watch dvds on ther laptops.
here is what Chad said about what is good to send, but basically from what i understand they would be grateful for anything.
"Keep in mind that these guys currently have access to beef jerky, gatoraide powder, soap, trail mix, pop tarts, hard candy, and bad paperback novels.
Think ?single serving? anything that can be shared, like a box of single serve instant coffee packets rather than a jar of coffee. A bag of Halloween size m&m?s rather than a huge bag.. Ramin noodles, small pen flashlights , a head lamp (also get the red filter), pocket knives, baby wipes, olive drab socks, cocoa mix, Slim Jims, homemade cookies. Magazines, DVD?s . Yes, DVD?s they all have laptops and they love those DVD?s. Surely you have a stack of used DVD?s you don?t need right?
When you ship it use the fed-ex size, U.S. postal service, priority mail box and expect it to take 1-4 months to get there. If you write a note, include your email address because they do have access to email, even if it is limited at times. Anything you send will mean more than you can possible imagine to these guys"
I keep looking at the pictures and thinking how young these guys are, and how cold they must be, Lyn
(here is something about that I found )
Meals for Marines in Afghanistan insufficient, report states
BY Bob Brewin
Published on Jan. 18, 2007
Marines deployed in Afghanistan are not getting adequate nutrition from the Defense Department's standard combat ration, Meals Ready to Eat, the Marine Corps Center for Lessons Learned (MCLL) said in its January newsletter.
Marine and Army troops deployed to Afghanistan conduct dismounted operations - meaning they walk instead of ride - in mountainous terrain and MREs do not provide enough nutrition for their mission, the MCCLL newsletter states.
As a result, "many Marines and soldiers lost 20 to 40 pounds of bodyweight during their deployment," the newsletter states. It adds that at least one solider was evacuated because of malnutrition and a 60-pound weight loss.
But medical evacuations from Afghanistan take far longer than those from Iraq, the newsletter states. Medevacs from the field to the next level of care in Afghanistan take 72 hours, while medevac operations in Iraq take 24 hours.
The Army Soldier Systems Center, which is responsible for development of combat rations, did not return calls from Federal Computer Week about the lack of nutrition in MREs by deadline.
I was looking at the pictures of Stretches surgery again yesterday and followed the link to Chad the photgraphers site, who got back from Afghanistan right before Stretches surgery. http://chadhunt.bizland.com/blog/?m=200612
I was reading about when he was there embedded w/ soldiers (I appologize, I don't know much about the service, but i believe they are Marines) in the cold mountains. they don't have much as far as a base, like no showers, hot water ect and they are usually hungery since the MREs don't provide enough calories for what they do, several people that read the blog asked about sending care packs to the guys he was staying with, So if you contact him he will give you a name & address for you to send a pack to. I asked a few questions and they don't have much beside a tent w/ a little heat and electricity so they can watch dvds on ther laptops.
here is what Chad said about what is good to send, but basically from what i understand they would be grateful for anything.
"Keep in mind that these guys currently have access to beef jerky, gatoraide powder, soap, trail mix, pop tarts, hard candy, and bad paperback novels.
Think ?single serving? anything that can be shared, like a box of single serve instant coffee packets rather than a jar of coffee. A bag of Halloween size m&m?s rather than a huge bag.. Ramin noodles, small pen flashlights , a head lamp (also get the red filter), pocket knives, baby wipes, olive drab socks, cocoa mix, Slim Jims, homemade cookies. Magazines, DVD?s . Yes, DVD?s they all have laptops and they love those DVD?s. Surely you have a stack of used DVD?s you don?t need right?
When you ship it use the fed-ex size, U.S. postal service, priority mail box and expect it to take 1-4 months to get there. If you write a note, include your email address because they do have access to email, even if it is limited at times. Anything you send will mean more than you can possible imagine to these guys"
I keep looking at the pictures and thinking how young these guys are, and how cold they must be, Lyn
(here is something about that I found )
Meals for Marines in Afghanistan insufficient, report states
BY Bob Brewin
Published on Jan. 18, 2007
Marines deployed in Afghanistan are not getting adequate nutrition from the Defense Department's standard combat ration, Meals Ready to Eat, the Marine Corps Center for Lessons Learned (MCLL) said in its January newsletter.
Marine and Army troops deployed to Afghanistan conduct dismounted operations - meaning they walk instead of ride - in mountainous terrain and MREs do not provide enough nutrition for their mission, the MCCLL newsletter states.
As a result, "many Marines and soldiers lost 20 to 40 pounds of bodyweight during their deployment," the newsletter states. It adds that at least one solider was evacuated because of malnutrition and a 60-pound weight loss.
But medical evacuations from Afghanistan take far longer than those from Iraq, the newsletter states. Medevacs from the field to the next level of care in Afghanistan take 72 hours, while medevac operations in Iraq take 24 hours.
The Army Soldier Systems Center, which is responsible for development of combat rations, did not return calls from Federal Computer Week about the lack of nutrition in MREs by deadline.
