http://anyservicemember.navy.mil
http://www.defendamerica.mil/nmam.html
http://www.army.mil/usar/expresssupporthere.html

In addition,  the United Services Organization (USO) are soliciting donations
for their care package projects. For more information, visit their websites at:
 http://www.usocares.org/home.htm

Please don't underestimate how important a little card or postcard can be to a homesick Marine. 
We appreciate anything you can send for encouragement. 

Friends,
 
If any of you belong to clubs, civic organizations, or church groups that are looking for military personnel to send mail, cards, or packages to, please consider sending to my son, Jeffrey Rooke, or to his Sgt., Jeffrey Ritter.  They are Marines currently stationed in the Middle East. My son is getting
several packages a month from our family, but Sgt. Ritter receives very little mail and my son says he needs some encouragement from home.  Their address is the same, except for the top line which contains their name.
 
CPL JEFFREY T. ROOKE USMC
COMMAND ELEMENT, RADBN DET
22D MEU, DET B
UNIT 74043
FPO AE 09502-4043
or
SGT JEFFREY D. RITTER USMC
COMMAND ELEMENT, RADBN DET
22D MEU, DET B
UNIT 74043
FPO AE 09502-4043
 
Some of the items they appreciate:
!! Soft toilet paper !!
Instant coffee or flavored coffee creamer
Sodas or snacks with caffeine
Energy bars or energy drinks
Coca-Cola or name brand soft drinks (with caffeine)
Jerky or beef sticks
Nuts
Sunflower seeds
Gum and mints
Cough drops
Seasonings
Disinfectant wipes
Texas stuff
Jolly Ranchers, Non-chocolate sweets:
hard candy, jelly beans, gummy worms, sweet tarts,
peeps, circus peanuts, etc.
 
They like things with caffeine or energy items because it helps them to stay awake on long shifts.  Things like sunflower seeds keep them occupied.  Anything that is a sauce or a sprinkled seasoning will help add flavor to the boring MREs (Meal Ready to Eat).  They are in less than ideal sanitary conditions, so anything to help disinfect is appreciated.  They are in a very sandy area, so their throats are constantly irritated, so cough drops or sore throat drops are great.  And of course, we Texans have to keep up our reputation, so when they get a package from Texas, they get lots of attention for stuff like jalapeno chips, jalapeno-stuffed olives, Texas picante sauce or barbecue sauce, etc.
 
Please do not send anything that melts.  We have been advised that any cleaning or soap products should not be sent in the same package with food products, because the food products will taste like soap.  If you wish to send things that can be crushed, such as cookies or crackers, it is good to purchase a cheap plastic shoe box from the dollar store to mail the items in.
 
I like to send a quantity of two or more of whatever I'm sending, when I can.  When one guy opens his package, all his buddies who didn't get anything in that mail call gather 'round to see what he got, and Marines have a tendency to share with their comrades before they keep it for themselves. 
 
Remember as you collect items for donation that it is expensive to mail packages, and everything is by weight!  Mailing a 6-pack of toilet paper will cost about $5 or $6 - more than the toilet paper costs!  A plastic shoebox filled with goodies will run roughly $9 or so to mail.  Drinks are very expensive to send because of the weight.  Keep size and weight in mind as you purchase your items - not only for your cost of mailing, but also for the guys!They have to carry anything they don't give away.  It's better to send 1 small package every week than 1 huge box once a month.
 
For any packages over 2 pounds, the Post Office requires a white form called  a "Customs Declaration and Dispatch notice" in addition to the normal addressing requirements.  It is PS Form 2976-A, and must be filled out by hand.  It takes a couple of minutes to complete, so you may want to grab some of the forms the next time you're at the Post Office so that you can have one completed when you bring a package to send out at Post Office.  Where you have the option on the
form to check Documents, gift, or merchandise, things will go smoother if you
just check "Gift". 
 
Last piece of advice: put clear tape over your return address and the mailing address on the package.  This is to protect it from water damage or being torn.  If you don't do it at home, they will ask you to do it when you get there.
 
Please feel free to forward this message to other friends who might be interested!
 
Blessings!
Kathy
Deer Park
a Marine Mom