Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Aussie soldier care packages

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Aussie soldier care packages

    To all the Australians on the WAB please take note of this site I found today.

    I did not previously know I could do this but I'm in now, to tell an anonymous soldier I care.

    Please consider!

    From: Ocean, Sky and Khaki

    Monday, July 20, 2009
    T is for "thanks"

    Thanks firstly to Andrew Bolt for giving us a mention. A big welcome to all of Andrew's readers. You might want to check out these earlier posts that explain the mechanics of what we are doing:


    •Our raison d'etre

    •The type of box you can send
    •Thoughts on what to pack, and more thoughts, and being careful to weigh your package
    •Not forgetting to include a note in your package
    •Tips on posting your package
    •How a recipient feels about getting a package
    I got a letter of thanks today from a Digger in Afghanistan. He's part of a team of a dozen soldiers who are embedded with Afghan soldiers, and they are based in an outpost that sounds like it is off the beaten track.

    I imagine that these small outposts are lacking in most luxuries, like running water, toilets, showers and so on, and the food would be a lot more basic than what you'd get in a base camp equipped with proper messing facilities, full time cooks and good logistics support. It's in outposts like this that a care pack or welfare parcel can go a long way to making life a little more bearable. When in Australia, this particular Digger lives not far from me, and I hope I can buy him a few beers to wash the dust from his throat when he gets home.

    But apart from the Twisties and the biscuits and the coffee, and best thing you can pack is a note that says, "thank you".
    Posted by Boy on a bike at 8:54 PM 4 comments


    Saturday, July 18, 2009
    Richard Sharpe Guest Post

    OK, Kae, Boy on Bike and Nilk have dobbed me in to write a guest post about receiving packages whilst deployed. I will caveat this from the outset by saying I haven’t been to Afghanistan. Each deployment is different, and the availability of various items differs depending on the welfare package for each operation. Boy on a Bike sent me a couple of parcels whilst I was deployed recently, so I’ll try and approach this from my own experience and temper it with what I know from other deployments I’ve done and what I know about Afghanistan from mates who have been there.

    Mail sent through the Armed Forces Post Office (AFPO) differs from normal international mail. For small operations, it goes through the usual postal arrangements to the host nation for distribution, usually through a small National Support Element (NSE) who are given what amounts to a “Soldier’s five” on mail before being thrown in the deep end to administer it. On larger operations, the ADF will deploy a uniformed postie. The mail will usually be transported by service aircraft to the postie in-theatre, and will be distributed through the logistic chain from there. What this means for the sender of care packages to “An Australian Soldier” is that it is entirely reliant on both the postie and the chain of command as to who actually receives the package. I have never seen it happen with privately sent packages, but I can speak for what has happened to packages from RSLs and other such organisations. Priority tends to go to those who have been there the longest, and then to those who have either done particularly well of late or who are not getting much in the way of mail. Welfare of subordinates is viewed as a function of leadership, so these things tend to be pushed down the chain of command as far as possible. However they work it out, some deserving digger will end up with your parcel.

    What to pack:

    In most theatres, welfare facilities have been established in an attempt to lessen the burden of operational service. On Australian-led operations (think Timor, Solomons etc), that facility is run by the ADF. On larger coalition operations, it often ends up being run by the UK, or more often, the US. That means that even in Oruzgan Province, a digger can get his hands on a cold soft-drink and a bag of chips or a chocolate bar. Unfortunately, that chocolate bar is likely to be made by Hershey’s. What you really miss whilst deployed is all things Australian. 39 Personnel Support Battalion, based in Sydney and responsible for the welfare of deployed troops, put together care packages quite regularly. They usually include magazines newspapers and DVDs of popular TV series and sporting fixtures. They do a great job, and I can’t thank them enough for the support they provided while I was away, but they don’t cover everything.

    Vegemite, Kraft Peanut Butter, Allen’s lollies, Twisties, Minties, Nobby’s nuts, and Milo are all good things to throw in a package. Good tea and coffee from home are also very welcome. Alcohol is against the rules, so don’t get tempted to decant some Bundaberg rum into a Lipton’s Iced Tea bottle so that from casual inspection the contents look legitimate. It is against the rules, and Australian soldiers are nothing if not sticklers for the rules.

    Don’t get too caught up in feeding the soldiers though. Magazines and newspapers from home are always highly prized. When selecting magazines, remember that the bulk of the force is male and in their 20s. Pornography is not a good idea, but magazines like FHM and Ralph are usually OK. Sporting magazines are also sought after, but remember that the ADF represents the Australian population in microcosm, so a mix of League, AFL and Rugby (even Soccer if you are so minded) is necessary, as well as Cricket etc.

    Another great idea for a package-filler is Australiana – the sort of things you can pick up at the $2 shop. Anything with an Australian flag, Koalas, Kangaroos or Wombats etc on it is great. I had an Australian flag hanging in my office and on my accommodation, and had a Wallabies flag in our multi-national recreation area. Having little Aussie stick-pins, stubbie coolers, pens, or those little clip-on Koalas on hand to give to soldiers from other countries is great for our image overseas. People remember that kind of thing and will often reciprocate. I came hope with pins, patches, badges, even bits of uniform from all over the world because I made a habit of carrying little bits of kitschy Australiana to give away.

    Every soldier is different. Every operation is different. Don’t get too caught up in the idea of creating the “perfect package”. When it gets to the other end, the thing that the recipient will remember long after they have eaten, read, or given away everything that was in it, is that someone from home cared enough to send it in the first place.
    Address for packages;

    An Australian Soldier,
    OP Slipper,
    AFPO 13
    Australian Defence Force,
    Sydney, 2890
    NSW

    I hope the moderators don't mind this!

    Cheers.

  • #2
    We get the same type of thing, but at Christmas only.

    Comment

    Working...
    X