how can I help?

In the past week or so, I have been getting a lot of messages asking what people can do to help out my friend's squadron.

TLS and I are putting together a care package to send over there (one going out on Wednesday, another one closer to Christmas) with items for the guys. In the past, GLS has mentioned that there are quite a few men in his squadron who aren't as lucky as he is and don't get much mail sent to them. If any of you would like to send cards, please message me for the squadron name and I will tell you how to address them and make sure that they get to where they need to go. This doesn't apply just for Christmas/holiday cards. Christmas is just one day and Army deployments are for a full year. They'll be there through August and can always use a smile.

Also, from his last email regarding items that they want/need:

First, there's only one type of deodorant that this camp receives in
care packages, and it's Secret Ultra Something or Other...a/k/a GIRL
DEODORANT.  I don't care if the ads say it's "strong enough for a man",
because it clearly isn't.  And, we smell like baby powder and perfume.
If you send a care package, please include some manly deodorant.
Stick/spray/gel doesn't matter.  I'm just tired of reapplying five times
a day and smelling like my girlfriend.

Second, I talked to a lot of the soldiers and asked what would show them
support and what they want/need.  And we have two main ideas.  1. If you
belong to an organization that has a t-shirt or a logo, printing that
logo (or more) on a tan t-shirt would be awesome.  It has to be tan so
we can wear it, and the cooler the logo the better.  Most of our unit
t-shirts have something over the left chest and a full back design.  2.
Our container with most of our cold weather clothing got lost or stolen
by Afghans in shipment.  So, while we're warm in tactical gear, we're
freezing going to the latrine or working out.  I work out at around
midnight, and all I have to work out in are a t-shirt and silk underwear
(unless I decide to wear something grossly unauthorized), and it's COLD!
So, idea number two is hoodies.  We came up with that because my scout
platoon got a bunch donated, and so far they were able to wear them
because it's the platoon's "unit sweatshirt" and has the scout platoon
logo on it.  I'd like to set something like that up.  We'll draw a logo
if anyone's willing to donate hoodies.  Same for unit t-shirts, but we
really aren't hurting on t-shirts with our own logo, and we are dying to
get a comfortable cold weather top to work out in.

Last thing (for real this time): for those who don't object, the two
most sought-after kinds of dipping tobacco out here are Copenhagen Extra
Long Cut (not to be confused with Long Cut, which we have some access
to) and Skoal or Grizzly Wintergreen.  Just a suggestion :-).

I know that as soon as I click "send" I'm going to remember something...

Thank you all for helping us out and bringing us smiles.  I'm surprised
when I look around and see what other people get for mail (if anything
at all).  You're not just my source of support, you're all my soldiers'
source as well.  They thank you, they really do.

Not sure how the tshirt/sweatshirt thing is going to work out, but we are definitely sending some manlier deodorant over there.