June/July 2006 Packages
 
Over the past two months, we sent out many packages to our 3 contacts (so three sets of packages that are all the same).  They were full of all sorts of goodies, including the following:

footballs, soccer balls, all types of magazines, snacks, candy, gum, chips, local newspapers, movies:  Crash, Wedding Crashers, Pride and Prejudice, 40 Year Old Virgin, Old School and Sin City. 

We also heard from CW2 Dan Curran who let us know that the Nation (Sox Nation that is) is alive and well in Iraq.  For our May package, we sent over t shirts, cups, sweatshirts, shorts, boxers, baseball hats - all red sox gear.  Basically, everything you have seen with a Sox logo, we sent it.  Check out the email from Dan in response to this package.

The 2nd Annual Rhody's Run for the Troops is slated for Sunday, October 8th in Narrangansett R.I.  We hope to see you all there!

EMAILS AND PICTURES

Dan's Red Sox email...

Kristin, I thought you should know that Sox Fans are everywhere, and in order to be a true fan you (as we do) must hate the yankee’s even in Iraq.  One of the local chaplains here has started the Red Sox Nation, Baghdad.  We all converse about what is going on with the Sox and only true red sox fans are allowed in.

I hope all is well with you, and your family. We have just started our 7 month and most of us (myself included) have already started thinking and working towards coming home. I realize this is highly premature, but I still can stop myself from thinking about it, and wishing it would come faster. Although truth be told, I really think that the time is moving along really fast.

We again, are very grateful to you and your organization, we received a few boxes from you just yesterday, and they were met with the usual excitement. Everyone wanting to see what surprises were to come this time, I must say the whole box of Swedish Fish are already gone, and people couldn’t wait to get the local flavor on the baseball season out of all of the papers you have sent.

I don’t think I could possibly express my appreciation for what it is you and your organization do, and my repeated simple statements of thanks, seem to fall way short of how much it truly means to me and the soldiers here with me. And although we all get excited when the word comes down that I have received some mail from the pack it up organization, it is really not about what it is you send to us, it is the thought behind your generosity and what it is that you and your organization stand for that mean so much.


Some of the recent packages that went out, including the Red Sox gear

Email after Dan received the Red Sox packages:

We all very much appreciate all that you and your group have done for us so far, and I must tell you that your latest shipment without a doubt caused the biggest stir. It was great to open the box with all the RED SOX Gear. The Sox Fans were going crazy, and the other less intelligent people (non SOX Fans), were whining. The trash talking took off and went on much of the day! It was a lot of fun and a great distraction for a few hours, not to mention, it greatly enhanced the off duty wardrobe of quite a few people.

Email and Pictures from MSG Michael Christ:

Hello Kristin,

I hope you and your family are doing well with the summer upon you in the states,
I have been doing well with all that is going on here in Iraq, I want to thank you for
all the wonderful things that you and your organization have sent for the soldiers,
They have been very appreciative for what you have done for them. 

We are scheduled for around the end of nov to be back in the states, Hopefully that will happen we will have to see as things get closer to sept for any reality to this.

I am sending PICTURES!!!! I have had a hard time getting them with the soldiers and myself on missions and trying to get some of them together, so without further holdup they are attached.
I'm not sure that the soldiers have any specific requests, really anything you care tosend would be greatly received and appreciated by them.  Again thank you for all You and everyone else have done to support the soldiers!!

These are pictures of the troops opening our packages in Iraq...