Traded several emails with AFFitness13 (Tina)

Melensdad · Jul 4, 2006

I traded several emails with AFFitness13 today. :a1:

She wrote to thank me for a care package and I responded, we both happened to be on the line for a little while and had a nice little talk. She said she really appreciates the care packages she is getting from Forum members (I gathered that a few other folks send her packages too).

Tina can't get the ForumsForums website at her base in Qutar(sp?) as it is blocked, but she does have email access from time to time. She does have a camera full of photos and will be downloading them so we may get some more pictures of her, the base, and the living conditions she is dealing with. I'm sure the photos will be posted by her parents or husband here on the Forums.

She said she is 1/2 way done with her tour of duty but is ready to come home now.

Doc · Jul 4, 2006

Thanks for sharing Bob. Glad to hear Tina is doing well. I look forward to seeing the pics from Quatar.

Melensdad · Jul 5, 2006

This afternoon I got photos from Tina.

She also wrote that she is doing pretty well and there is a group of good folks over there that help keep everything pretty sane.

Melensdad · Jul 5, 2006

Here are more. Tina reports that she is on the night shift, so she is actually on duty now.

Melensdad · Jul 5, 2006

Several more!

Doc · Jul 5, 2006

Good pics. Looks like they are finding ways to entertain themselves.

AFFitness13 · Jul 6, 2006

Hello every one. I want to start off by thanking everyone for supporting all of us that are in the military. I truly thank you for the care packages and the things you say on the forums. I just got moved to night shift, i am hating it, but we are having a blast as you can see from the pictures. Thank you again

thcri · Jul 6, 2006

B_Skurka said:
I traded several emails with AFFitness13 today.

She wrote to thank me for a care package and I responded, we both happened to be on the line for a little while and had a nice little talk. She said she really appreciates the care packages she is getting from Forum members (I gathered that a few other folks send her packages too).

Bob,

In these care packages what do you send? I have heard that some stuff just doesn't get there because of what's in them.

And can you email me the address to send stuff to Tina?

murph

Melensdad · Jul 7, 2006

thcri said:
I have heard that some stuff just doesn't get there because of what's in them.

Tina is in Quatar (Qatar) which is a Muslim nation. I presume, but I do not know for fact, that the same rules that apply to shipments to Iraq & Afghanistan probably apply to Quatar. When I had some of my employees in Iraq/Afghanistan, we could not ship items containing alcohol or pork products. Also no porn.

What I do ship is primarily the following:

Candy bars, granola bars, energy bars
Small hard candies, individually wrapped
Slim Jims, Jack Link beef jerky, etc.
Star Kist Tuna salad lunch kits, Chicken salad lunch kits, etc.
Personal care items (shampoo, moisterizing skin cream, chapstick, asprin, tylenol)
Wrigley's Gum
Tobacco products (snuff, cigars, roll your own cigarette kits, with papers & tobacco)
Snack foods that do not need refrigeration when open.
Cookies
Books, playing cards, dice, games, etc
Under special request, I have sent theme foods like last year for Cynco-de-Mayo (SP???) I sent over nacho chips, cans of refried beans, nacho sauce, tortillas, etc.
Dog Food! -many bases in Iraq have dogs that hang around the base looking for scraps (Tina wondered why I sent that over in the first package, maybe they don't have dogs in Qatar?)

While I have not specifically shopped for Tina for anything special (and since I don't know what she actually likes), please realize that she is a girl (woman) and is stuck in an arid enviornment. She probably would appreciate things that make her feel like a girl again? So scented & moisterizing skin lotions, nicer shampoos, etc would probably be appreciated? Also things like simple medications are available there, but cost them money to buy, so band-aids, tylenol, and other personal care items, etc are always welcome.

While I did not do a DVD drive this year, for the past 2 years I have sent DVDs to bases. As Tina is in a 'friendly' nation, I suspect she has much greater access to goods than the soldiers in some hostile areas. However CDs and DVDs are probably very welcome.

Realize also that anything you send will be enjoyed by someone over there! That is why I have no hesitation about sending all sorts of things. If Tina doesn't like it, I'm sure one of her friends will.

thrci said:
And can you email me the address to send stuff to Tina?

Here is her address. Simply write this on any envelope or box and take it to the post office (cannot ship UPS) to mail it. I use Priority Mail boxes that I get from the post office.

SrA Tina Gillis
379ESVS
APO AE 09309

beds · Jul 7, 2006

B_Skurka said:
Tina is in Quatar (Qatar) which is a Muslim nation. I presume, but I do not know for fact, that the same rules that apply to shipments to Iraq & Afghanistan probably apply to Quatar. When I had some of my employees in Iraq/Afghanistan, we could not ship items containing alcohol or pork products. Also no porn.

Right you are. Qatar is a "wet" country that allows alcohol, but you cannot readily import it. This is the same as Bahrain where there is a large U.S. Navy base. (The Saudis spent fortunes to build a 25 km causeway linking Saudi to Bahrain. I visited Bahrain to get my visa renewed and the bars were teeming with Saudi-tradition dressed arab men that were all plastered.)

Hutchman · Jul 7, 2006

Hey Bob, do you know about the flat rate boxes? They are $8.10 for any weight. We send lots of boxes to our son in Iraq and the flat rate boxes are a good deal. The postal clerk and I calculated where the cutoff was for the flat rate box to break even and it was right around four pounds. So, anything under four pounds you'd be better off paying regular postage. I think our heaviest so far is 14+ pounds. You can fill the box with lead and it's still $8.10. I don't, and don't want to, keep a close watch on how much we spend on the items that go into the packages but I'll bet I could make payments on a new truck once he gets home and we stop sending the pkgs. We have dedicated one spare bedroom to care pkgs. Mike took his Ipod with 15000 or so tunes on it so I guess music isn't an issue. I spend many hours recording shows from the TiVo to DVD. I try to cut the commercials so I can get more on one disk. I'm not a big TV watcher and I've spent a lot of time in front of the tube watching crap I don't like just because he does and I want to send it to him. There's no PX where Mike is and anything extra he gets has to come from home.
Tina, thanks for your service and hope you get back to day shift soon. Looks like you're having some fun. Hutch

AFFitness13 · Jul 12, 2006

You guys are truly awsome, and i love what you do. Not just for me but for everyone. Hutchman please tell your son that he is in my prayers, i know he needs them. if he is leaving there anytime soon i will probably seen him come through my base. Like I always say, thank you so much for all you guys do to help us all through this time of need. Thank you . . .Tina

OhioTC18 · Aug 9, 2006

If my favorite radio station comes through, Tina will be recieving a small entertainment package soon for her base.

Melensdad · Aug 9, 2006

OhioTC18 said:
If my favorite radio station comes through, Tina will be recieving a small entertainment package soon for her base.

We just sent her another box a couple days ago. What is the radio station going to do? I never even thought of contacting a radio station. That is brilliant!

OhioTC18 · Aug 9, 2006

Bob,
They publish a yearly "best of....." CD. I asked for some CD's to be sent and I got a response just now that they sent one

They have to be the funniest morning crew around though.

Melensdad · Aug 9, 2006

ONE IS BETTER THAN NONE!

nixon · Aug 9, 2006

You folks are the best ! It's hard to put into words how much I appreciate the things You do for Tina ,and Her brethen . Saying thank You just doesn't seem enough to express My appreciation for what You guys have done . But, it's the best I can do to express how touched I am with Your generousity .

AFFitness13 · Aug 11, 2006

As my dad says, I cannot express my gratitude for your generosity. I thank you so much. As does everyone here with me for the stuff that I don't use. Thank you so very much

Melensdad · Aug 15, 2006

Good News ~ Bad News:

The bad news is that I won't be shipping anymore packages over to Tina. (but there is one in transit now).

The good news is that the reason I won't be shipping anymore to her is that she probably won't be there long enough to get them! It probably is not appropriate to post when she will be coming back, but given how long it takes to get packages shipped over there, if I shipped any more after this week, she might be gone before they arrive

lilnixon · Aug 19, 2006

Thanks everyone for being so nice to my Baby. It means the world to me.

Doc · Aug 19, 2006

So, when do you expect her home?

Melensdad · Aug 20, 2006

lilnixon emailed these photos of Tina to post.

Something tells me that Tina's personality is showing :hide:

nixon · Aug 20, 2006

So Much for the little Halo in Her Signature ! You would think that Her Mom would have taught Her better than to hang around GBUs !

AFFitness13 · Aug 20, 2006

Ohh you guys. . . . I am a perfect little angel. ; )

AFFitness13 · Aug 20, 2006

Oh I forgot to say that I am allowed to publish when I will be arriving back in the states so I am here to tell you that I will be arriving back at Seymour Johnson on 7 September. I am so happy and ready to get out of here. I thank you all so much, I just cannot put it into words. Thank you for all the care packages and the CD(it is hilarious). Thank you so much.

OhioTC18 · Aug 20, 2006

AFFitness13 said:
Oh I forgot to say that I am allowed to publish when I will be arriving back in the states so I am here to tell you that I will be arriving back at Seymour Johnson on 7 September. I am so happy and ready to get out of here. I thank you all so much, I just cannot put it into words. Thank you for all the care packages and the CD(it is hilarious). Thank you so much.

Glad to hear you got it Tina. They are hilarious........it seems the next years CD gets even better than the last.

AFFitness13 · Aug 20, 2006

yeah I could only get through part of it. but it is good stuff to listen to when I am getting ready for work.

Doc · Aug 20, 2006

Congrats Tina! Glad to hear you'll be stateside soon.
Besides loved ones what did you miss most? (Micky D's or Pizza hut ..etc.)

AFFitness13 · Aug 20, 2006

Taco Bell, Arby's, and Olive Garden. One of the first things I do is pet my dogs, take a shower and get a hair cut, wash, and color. CAN'T wait to feel like a girl. . .

Doc · Aug 20, 2006

Well it won't be long. I hope these next few weeks fly by for you.

Traded several emails with AFFitness13 (Tina)

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