Operation Hooah!

I received this email from my good friend Becky. Becky is the kind of friend who brings flowers and cake when you're feeling a little blue. She's starting a compassionate service project for the soldiers in Afghanistan, and I'd like to help any way I can. Please read her email to me, and help if you can:

Dear Friends and Family:

I apologize for the Lonnnnng email, but please read to the end. Each part is important. I am starting a little compassionate service project for the soldiers in Afghanistan. I am calling it "OPERATION HOOAH!"
"Hooah!" as you may know, is a U.S. Army battle cry. It is pronounced: Hoo-ah (who-ah) This exclamation is used by US Army soldiers for many things. Much like the word "Aloha", Hooah! has many meanings, some of which are:

• Thank you
• All right!
• Outstanding!
• Well done!
  
• Amen!
• You've taken the correct action
• Glad to meet you
• Welcome
• A substitute for "that's cool" = "That's hooah".

OPERATION HOOAH!

As you probably know, my son Chad is a Chinook pilot with the 101st Aviation from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. They were deployed to Afghanistan Dec 13, 2008. They will be there at least a year.
.
The living conditions are actually quite good for Chad and his fellow pilots, especially compared to many other soldiers, (many of whom are in tents, or WORSE.) They live in little wooden buildings with their own 8 by 8 rooms. The electricity is 110. In fact, compared to the soldiers down range at Forward Operating Bases, they have it pretty good. They have their computers and ipods, and internet access (intermittently... been down for the past 12 days!)

However, It is VERY cold right now, and difficult to keep warm. They could use some twin size electric blankets, small ceramic heaters, and small oscillating fans. They don't necessarily need food, as they have a great chow hall. However, healthy snacks such as tuna packs, protein bars, protein powders, trail mix, dried fruits, beef jerky, hot sauce, condiments, and particularly, anything exotic or homemade, is appreciated VERY MUCH.

They could use anything to do with cleaning: body wash, deodorant, soap, foot powder, lotion, razors and/or blades, non aerosol shaving gel, shampoo plus conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, foot powder, neosporin ointment... they do have a bx/shopette, but things whip out of there in a day, so there are always shortages.

Need 60 watt light bulbs, simple desk lamps, and AA batteries.

They would also like DVD movies (Drama, Comedy, etc. can be used or new) Used CD players for music, VHS Movies, new or used CDs, frisbees, footballs, water balloons, silly string, gag items, board games, playing cards, video games for PS2, XBOX 360, hand-held video games, newspapers, books, magazines, Sudoku, crosswords, newspapers, small portable artist kits, eg: colored pencils & small sketchbook, watercolors and small pad of watercolor paper, felt-tip pen set and small sketchbook, stationery, pens, and anything else for them to do while they are over there to kick back and relax their minds.

Also, things to decorate their dull and drab rooms with... holiday themes at the appropriate times, postcards, uplifting or motivational posters, artwork, nothing offensive or obscene!

If your package is intended for Chad, just address it to him at this address:

CW2 JOHN C. EVERETT
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM
B co 7-101 TASK FORCE LIFT
APO AE 09354

If your package is intended for Chad and all his buddies, please designate that by labeling the package: "For Chad's Buddies" on the bottom left hand side of the package.

example:..................................................

Your Return Address

CW2 JOHN C. EVERETT
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM
B co 7-101 TASK FORCE LIFT
APO AE 09354

FOR CHAD'S BUDDIES
........................................................................................................

NOW FOR THE COMPASSIONATE SERVICE PART, THE REAL HOOAH!

It is VERY cold over there in Afghanistan now. Many soldiers are deployed to outposts in very rugged and primitive conditions. They live in hand built structures of timber and rock/mud/sandbags. They are cold, dirty, hungry, bored, and lonely. Many do not have any laundry facilities, and water is rationed, so they only get a shower once a month. Often, sanitary conditions are dispiriting. Sorry, but these are the facts. They can use, and will appreciate ANY treat you can send them. As well as any news or info from "home". A handwritten note is a prize.

NOW HERE IS THE COOL PART!

Because Chad and his fellow pilots are the BIG LINK between supplies and soldiers in the field, they are in a perfect position to carry small care packages to soldiers that have no access to chow halls, laundry, hot showers, computers, shopettes, and bx facilities. There are many hundreds of soldiers in the field at hundreds of Forward Operating Bases (FOB) that are in need of basic things, small treats from home, and an encouraging word..

THEREFORE, HERE IS THE PLAN:

Two ways to help:

1. Pack items from the lists below, into small packages for individual soldiers, and mail to Chad separately, with HIS proper address, and THIS designation in the lower left hand corner of the package:

"HOOAH! BLUE", (for male) or "HOOAH! PINK", (for female)

BE SURE AND MARK EACH INDIVIDUAL PACKAGE MEANT FOR DELIVERY TO SOLDIERS OUT IN THE FIELD, WITH THE APPROPRIATE DESIGNATION

OR,

2. Pack small individual packages, each correctly labeled, "HOOAH! BLUE", or "HOOAH! PINK", into a larger box (please, no larger than 20 pounds at a time) properly addressed to Chad, with THIS designation in the left hand corner of the BIG package:

"FOR OPERATION HOOAH!"

example:........................................................................................................

Your Return Address

CW2 JOHN C. EVERETT
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM
B co 7-101 TASK FORCE LIFT
APO AE 09354

FOR OPERATION HOOAH!
........................................................................................................

THINGS THAT ARE BADLY NEEDED:

GOOD FOR ALL SOLDIERS:

WARM SOCKS. hand warmers, foot warmers, wind sox knitted face masks (must be tan, light brown or olive color), black or green Army socks, white athletic sox, knitted caps are often worn under a helmet at night, (must be dark color.) bandanas or handkerchiefs, underwear, pajamas, sweatbands, anything pocket-sized that you might wish you had on a hike or a campout.

AA and AAA batteries, notebooks, pens, stationery,

pocket tissues, hand sanitizers, cough drops, vitamin c lozenges, multivitamins, zinc lozenges, gum, tic tacs, certs, dentyne, toothpaste and toothbrushes, dental floss, toothpicks, soap, eye drops, eye care products, lip balm, hand lotion, also in pocket size, wet wipes type moist towlettes (can't have enough of these!) pump spray or lotion insect repellant, neosporin ointment, chapstick, carmex, sunscreen, shampoo, non-aerosol shave cream, razors, laundry soap...

Packaged snacks of any kind welcomed. Instant coffee, hot cocoa, and tea, pringles, pop-tarts, candy bars, crackers & tuna, ramen noodles, more healthy snacks: tuna packs, Protein bars, protein powders, trail mix, dried fruits, beef jerky, hot sauce, condiments, microwave popcorn, gatorade mix, girl scout cookies, drink mix packets you can put in water bottles, anything to make the bottled water taste better, anything you would consider putting in a sack lunch. Remember, NO home-cooked items can go to the field.

As for down range requests for candy goes... Always, chocolate is a treat, gobstoppers, atomic fireballs, M&Ms, Red Hots, Nerds, pop rocks, skittles, mints, Werthers, gummi bears, and sour cherries are requests.

FEMALES NEED: White ankle socks, pajamas, detergent, air freshener, birthday cards/greeting cards, notecards, stationery, thermal underwear, tan long sleeved t-shirts, panties, hair ties and bands, disposable tooth brushes, toothpaste, chapstick, feminine hygiene products, both tampons and pads, Q-tips,cotton balls, combs and brushes, deodorant, neosporin ointment, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, eye drops, bobby pins, razors, manicure items, sunscreen, shampoo and conditioner, body wash, scented lotion, bath powder, anything, that would help them feel more feminine.

COOL THINGS TO SEND:

THINGS TO RELIEVE THE BOREDOM:
DVD movies (Drama, Comedy, etc) Used CD players for music, VHS Movies CDs, frisbees, footballs, water balloons, silly string, gag items, board games, video games, handheld video games, puzzles such as rubiks cube, etc., paperback books, books for inspiration and encouragement, magazines, (fashion, decorating for females; cars, video games, and sports for males; current events, US, People, Reader's Digest, Discover, for either gender) Sudoku, crosswords, newspapers, small portable artist kits, eg: colored pencils & small sketchbook, watercolors and small pad of watercolor paper, felt-tip pen set and small sketchbook, workout resistance bands, ab wheel, pullup bars, (down range teams don't have workout facilities)....small rugs, things to decorate our dull and drab living areas with, holiday themes at the appropriate times, postcards, posters, artwork,... nothing offensive or obscene!

Prepaid Phone Cards! Military Exchange Prepaid Calling Cards
The Department of Defense Military Exchanges have been authorized to sell prepaid calling cards to individuals and organizations who wish to purchase these cards for our troops serving overseas in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. NOTE: Soldiers in remote field areas have no access to pay phones, but many are in posts that do have some infrastructure. Phone cards should be sent insured. Please click here for the official website for purchasing these phone cards: https://thor.aafes.com/scs/default.aspx

Beanie Babies!

No kidding! A really good excuse to get rid of those things (don't buy new ones, collect them from your house and ask your friends)!! Send some in every package to ALL units as they are really easy for the Soldiers to carry with them and give to the local kids who love them. These are better then small plastic toys which will break easily and are not as easy to carry in a pack. There is NO more effective ambassador for our country than a Soldier helping the local folks. This is done far more often then the press shows, and quite probably the most important thing a Soldier will ever do.

NOTE: Even if some things you send cannot be used at one post, they can be bartered for things that CAN be used at that soldier's post. There is a thriving barter system among soldiers.


Address all BIG packages like this:
........................................................................................................

Your Return Address

CW2 JOHN C. EVERETT
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM
B co 7-101 TASK FORCE LIFT
APO AE 09354

FOR OPERATION HOOAH!
........................................................................................................

OUR SOLDIERS NEED YOU! Please remember them. They are out there enduring long hours, cold weather, unpleasant living conditions, loneliness, fatigue and danger. For us. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Be sure and email me if you have questions. Please print off the lists of needs/wants so that you will have them when you are out shopping.

Thank you so so much!
Love, Beck

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS!:

1. Ideally, pack items for an individual soldier into a small package. Make sure your box is strong and secure, and pad anything breakable. DON'T SEND GLASS. A good way to send is in the Post Office's FLAT RATE box. For info on that please click here: http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2008/pr08_010.htm
You can order flat rate boxes in sets of 25 and priority address labels (with your return address pre-printed) in sets of 100, free from the post office. http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10152&productId=36604

BE SURE AND MARK EACH INDIVIDUAL PACKAGE WITH THE APPROPRIATE DESIGNATION:

"HOOAH! BLUE", (for male) or "HOOAH! PINK", (for female)

2. Try not to include food items in a care package with any hygiene items or chemicals of any type. It is best to make it only food items or only non-food items in a single package. Even factory sealed cookies taste awful when they have been in the same package with bath soap or bug repellent for a couple of weeks. If you double baggie each item, that might make it possible to keep smells from ruining food, but it is best to just box food items and anything with a fragrance of any kind, in separate packages.

3. ALL items which contain liquids and pastes (even in cans), PLEASE put in a zip-lock bag, and then in a second one up-side-down from the first one. If an item can leak, it will.

4. I would like to suggest that if you send any CDs or DVDs, use a permanent marker to neatly write "Operation Hooah!" on both the cover and the label of the CD/DVD. There has been some pilfering, and these items in particular are sought after to sell. With this marking, they will be less able to sell, and thus no longer a target for theft. This has mostly happened in Iraq, but some does occur in Afghanistan.

5. Soldiers particularly enjoy beautiful postcards, so your personal note that you send with your package would be doubly nice written on a pretty postcard. There is no guarantee you will get a reply from the Soldier that got your package, due to the fact that things are very hectic in the field and getting more so. However, if you would like to increase your chances of getting a reply, pre-address an envelope to yourself,and put a few pieces of paper & a pen in your package. No need for a stamp on the envelope. Ask that they drop you a quick note. Be sure to ask if there is anything in particular you can send them.

6. Your postage cost is from your address -> to the APO AE address only, NOT clear to Afghanistan! Postage to APO AE (A = Army),(E = Europe) is only to NY where the connection to the APO (APO = Army Post Office) is. The Military pays for the transportation from NY port to the actual soldier's post.

7. It can take from 7-14 days for a package to go Priority to Afghanistan. It takes longer during peak shipping times. So if you want to get something to the soldiers for a particular holiday, keep that in mind.

8. Be sure and note the "Things NOT to send" and the "Military Mail Restrictions" on what can be sent, listed below.

9. Customs Forms: http://webapps.usps.com/customsforms/cp72sender_recipient_APO.jsp (Note: The online form asks for a destination phone number, enter your own phone number, or just put all '1s'.) A detailed description of contents is required on the customs form. Do not list items such as "food," "medicine," "toiletries," "gifts," or other general terminology. For example, list the toiletries and the food items: 3 bars soap, 2 tubes toothpaste, 1 doz hairbands, 3 boxes cookies, 6 candy bars.) Certify that this is a "gift, for personal use only".

10. All mail is subject to X-ray so fill out the customs form accurately. Not putting on there that there is an electrical device and stating that there are only a few bars of soap, may cause an innocent package to be blown to bits because it looks like an explosive device of some kind.

BE SURE AND MARK EACH INDIVIDUAL PACKAGE WITH THE APPROPRIATE DESIGNATION:

"HOOAH! BLUE", (for male) or "HOOAH! PINK", (for female)


THINGS NOT TO SEND:

Illegal copies of anything. Period. No personally burned CDs or DVDs.

Dangerous Items

Flammables, corrosives, toxins and other dangerous goods are not permitted. Some of those items include perfumes, colognes, hairspray, matches, butane, flea and tick sprays, shaving cream, and other aerosols, some cleaning agents, paints, etc.

Flea Collars Some soldiers in Iraq were using flea collars to control insects. These are toxic. Send pump spray or lotion insect repellant instead

Home-cooked anything.
Factory packaged only. Sorry. The Soldiers are told to throw away anything that is not in a factory package, unless it was sent to them by someone they know. Family members can send home-cooked goodies personally to the Chadster, however.

LARGE SHIPMENTS
Especially during the holidays. Send SMALL boxes. Ideal would be a 10-20 pound box of smaller shoebox sized packages labeled for individual male or female soldiers. Remember, don't mix food and deodorant : ).

................................................................

Again, OUR SOLDIERS TRULY DO NEED YOU! Please remember them. They are doing a good work. They are out there enduring long hours, cold weather, unpleasant living conditions, loneliness, fatigue and danger. For us. For our freedom. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Be sure and email me if you have questions. Please print off the lists of needs/wants so that you will have them when you are out shopping.

Thank you so so much!
Love, Beck

MILITARY MAIL RESTRICTIONS

Restrictions for Zip Code 09354 A-A1-B-B1-C1-E2-F-H1- M-R-R1-V-Z1
A - Securities, Currency or Precious Metals	Securities, currency, or precious metals in their raw, unmanufactured state are prohibited. Official shipments are exempt from this restriction.
B - Form 2976-A	Form 2976-A is required for all mail weighing 16 ounces or more, with exceptions noted below. In addition, mailers must properly complete required customs documentation when mailing any potentially dutiable mail addressed to an APO or FPO regardless of weight. The following are exceptions to the requirement for customs documentation on non-dutiable mail that weighs 16 ounces or more: All federal, state, and local government agencies are exempt from providing customs documentation on mail addressed to an APO or FPO except for those APOs/FPOs to which restriction B2 applies. Prepaid mail from military contractors is exempt, providing the mailpiece is endorsed "Contents for Official Use - Exempt from Customs Requirements."
B1 - Form 2976 or 2976-A is required (CUSTOMS FORM AT POST OFFICE)	Form 2976 or 2976-A is required. Articles are liable for customs duty and/or purchase tax unless they are bona fide gifts intended for use by military personnel or their dependents. When the contents of a parcel meet these requirements, the mailer must endorse the customs form, "Certified to be a bona fide gift, personal effects, or items for personal use of military personnel and dependents," under the heading, Description of Contents. Exceptions: All other exceptions listed in restriction B above are applicable to this restriction.
C1 - Obscene Articles & Comics	Obscene articles, prints, paintings, cards, films, videotapes, etc., and horror comics and matrices are prohibited.
E2 - Objectional Material	Any matter depicting nude or seminude persons, pornographic or sexual items, or nonauthorized politi-cal materials is prohibited. Although religious materials contrary to the Islamic faith are prohibited in bulk quantities, items for the personal use of the addressee are permissible.
F - Firearms	Firearms of any type are prohibited in all classes of mail. See definitions of firearms in DMM C024.1.1C. This restriction does not apply to firearms mailed to or by official U.S. government agencies.
H1 - Pork Prohibited	Pork or pork by-products are prohibited.
M - Fruits and Vegetables	Fruits, animals, and living plants are prohibited.
R - Alcoholic Beverages	All alcoholic beverages, including those mailable under DMM C021, are prohibited.
R1 - Alcoholic Beverages	Materials used in the production of alcoholic beverages (i.e., distilling material, hops, malts, yeast, etc.) are prohibited.
V - Express Mail Military Service	Express Mail Military Service (EMMS) not available from any origin.
Z1 - Anti-Pilferage Seal Required	The following restriction is applicable only to International Service Centers (ISC)/Exchange Offices. An Anti-Pilferage Seal (Item No. O817E or O818A) is required on all pouches and sacks.

BE SURE AND MARK EACH INDIVIDUAL PACKAGE WITH THE APPROPRIATE DESIGNATION:

"HOOAH! BLUE", (for male) or "HOOAH! PINK", (for female)

Military Packaging Tips from the US POSTAL SERVICE:

	Make sure your package arrives intact.

There are certain factors to consider when sending packages to our troops overseas. To make sure package contents arrive in good shape, take these into consideration. Extreme Temperatures: Desert temperatures typically exceed 100 degrees. The Box: Select a strong box with room for cushioning. On recycled boxes, cover all previous labels and markings with a heavy black marker or adhesive labels. Cushioning: Cushion contents with Styrofoam or bubble wrap to keep items from shifting. We recommend fragile items be double boxed, with cushioning inside and between the boxes to absorb shock. Batteries: Battery powered items will sometimes get turned on during shipment. Remove and wrap the batteries separately. Sealing: Tape the opening of the box and reinforce all seams with 2 inch wide tape. Use clear or brown packaging tape, reinforced packing tape or paper tape. Do not use cord, string or twine. Include a card describing the contents: Improperly wrapped packages can fall apart during shipment. Including a card inside, listing the sender's and recipient's addresses plus a description of the contents, helps in collecting the items.