The First MAIL CALL!Supporting the Troops: Mail Needed (and a Reprise of some famous "Golden Rules" :)

There's two folks I wanted to alert you to, who could use some mail.

I've mentioned before that Cindy, of White Rose's Adventures is currently in Army Basic training. If you've been going by her blog? Her Dad, Albert, has been posting the letters she has sent him.

Click here: White Rose's Adventures

And these last letters posted show she's having a rough time. So, I was hoping that folks might want to send her some supportive letters?

Her address (and it's posted on her blog, so I'm not giving anything away) is:

Pvt Morgan, Cynthia I

D co. 4th Plt., Class #0705

3d Bn, 13th Inf Regt

5385 Jackson Blvd USATC&FJ

Fort Jackson, SC 29207-6110

I'd like to mention here (because I know Cindy won't toot her own horn) that in the midst of everything else going on in training, Cindy tried to make sure that others in training with her who were getting No mail? got some notes and cards from troop supporters)

So now, I was hoping folks could "show her some love":) And whatever happens next for Cindy? I will continue to admire her!

(and she's also the author of the book "Cindy in Iraq" )

Click here: Amazon.com: Cindy in Iraq: A Civilian's Year in the War Zone: Books: Cynthia I. Morgan

Next, the inestimable JP of Milblogging.com is preparing for his next deployment, and he's posted an address for his platoon at Camp Shelby here and I'll repost it

I’m here training for my upcoming deployment. If you’d like to send care packages to my platoon, please use the following mailing address:

SPC Jean-Paul Borda
B CO 1/160th INF
2490 25th Street
Camp Shelby, MS 39407-5500

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I first 'met' JP when he was blogging from Afghanistan in 2004, on a now-defunct blog.

And I think one of the best posts he ever had on that blog was the "Golden Rules of Care Packages". Since he's getting ready to deploy, I thought it might be time to repost those "Rules"? (and please remember, this is SATIRE...I remember falling off my chair laughing the first time I read it:)

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"So, here are my rules on Care Packages. They were originally published on April 14, 2004, on my now defunct milblog "The National Guard Experience" from Afghanistan. But now they're here to help you before you piss off another soldier or anyone in the military overseas (joking).

1. Please, NO MORE MAGAZINES DATED BACK TO 1980. The average person keeps old magazines for 29 weeks before they throw them out. They're useless to us. Why don't you just mail us your garbage instead? If we wanted useless news, we'd go ask a local National. I'd actually like to see you read one of those old magazines to get your news info, instead of watching CBS or CNN.

2. Don't send a typed letter and copied signature. If a soldier has time to write you back or email, you must have time to send a handwritten letter. Nobody back home could be so busy that they can't write. Most officeworkers spend their time surfing the net or drooling on their keyboard. Trust me, I'm a National Guardsman, but in the Civilian world I work in an office. Receiving a typed letter is the lowest form of support known to deployed troops.

3. Do not send Beef Jerky. I repeat, DO NOT send Beef Jerky. Unless the war just started and you were the first person to get a care package to a soldier, don't do it. It's been years now since the war started and we've got Beef Jerky coming out the wazoo. If your goal is to disappoint a lonely soldier in a war-ravaged country, send it, but otherwise don't believe all the hype about Beef Jerky. It's a damn conspiracy. You may as well send sh%t shrink-wrapped.

4. Do not continue to write if the recipient doesn't write back. Take the hint. Recognize that the person is ignoring you and either hated the Care Package you sent and traded it at the local bazaar for something 100 times better, or simply didn't find you or your typewritten letter that interesting. Don't be a damn menace.

5. Don't send canned foods without can openers. We might be Soldiers but we're not the T.V. hero MacGyver. Basic training doesn't cover opening cans with bean sprouts and toothpicks. Yes, we know you have a lot of confidence in us, but get some common sense. It's like sending chips but no salsa or coffee but no creme. It happens all the time and we're sick of it.

6. Don't put "Word Finds" in your care package. How effing old do you think your audience is over here? The minimum age of a person to join the military is seventeen, and that's with their parents permission. Don't insult our intelligence. Yes, we joined the military, but we can also tie our own shoes and operate a phone. You may as well just send us coloring books or a poster-sized letter that says we support you retarded morons.

7. The meanest thing you can do to a soldier is to send generic, not name brand goods. It's worse than taking a dump in a cardboard box and shipping it over. Did we piss you off somehow? Generic brand is essentially the MREs of Care Packages. It's cruel and unusual punishment for service to our country.

8. Don't ever ever ever send school supplies unless we ask. Tell us first, so at least we know that when we open the Care Package not to expect anything of value. School supplies are worthless to us. There's only so many school supplies a soldier can hand out. We have other missions. There is a war going on or are you still reading the useless news magazines you try peddling off on soldiers overseas?

9. Don't call us stupid pet names. That's reserved for spouses only. We're adults, not children. People call their pets dumb names or their dying goldfish, not soldiers.

10. Do not send Boohbahs. Jezuz. Are these intended for the local children? Are you trying to scare the living sh#t out of them? Why not send something less scary, like bloody eyeballs or a figurine of Michael Jackson."

JP, April 2004

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If you're curious as to what a "Boohbah" is? Here's a pic