And a post I put up earlier, here are links if you want to donate to serving soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a couple of disabled veterans of this and earlier wars.
I adopted a platoon in Afghanistan through this one. They’re now back in Texas, but I have some heartfelt letters of thanks from them. You know the best thing I sent them? Mouse and rat traps. They lived in a tent and then in a hut, and they said they couldn’t keep food there because that attracted rodents, and the rodents attracted cobras. I told that story at the Dollar Store where I bought the traps, and ended up recruiting more donors for the site.
Thanks to Ash for these following:
Lots of links with this one
Identifies some not so good charities as well as good ones, worth checking out.
Here’s one I found by googling, which donates computers to needy veterans of all wars who need an online contact with the outside world.
There’s also another one that donates computers for returning wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who need a computer in order even to communicate, but I couldn’t find the link for that one. I first saw it on Instapundit’s site.
I’ll dig for it, but if anybody happens to have that link, please feel free to put it up. Thanks.I apologize for the lack of Australian, UK, Dutch, Polish, or any other Coalition sites for veterans, but I’m confident they’re out there. Also post those in comments, if you can.
The Tizona Group 
February 6, 2008, 5:48 pm at 5:48 pm
When I was looking a few years ago, I couldn’t find any Aussie sites. But AnySoldier has a message board, and I asked about foreigners sending packages, and there were some helpful replies. I sent my packages from Perth and as long as you don’t try to send food, there are no problems. And as long as you don’t include a lot of heavy things, the postage is not prohibitive even from here. The packages got to the troops surprisingly quickly and we got some nice thank-you notes in return.
I’m sure the other programmes have ways for Aussies to send things too – and I notice some people there mention things like phone cards or iTunes cards which would be easy-peasy to send.
Great work Rebecca, Swinish & Ash!
February 6, 2008, 6:38 pm at 6:38 pm
Oh! I forgot the phone cards. The soldiers LOVE those! And here’s a site where you can buy phone cards that have extended time for soldiers overseas, a better buy for your money than just buying phone cards and sending them:
Military prepaid phone cards
February 6, 2008, 7:19 pm at 7:19 pm
Well done to both of you. I only wish I could say I’d had as much success donating Gina’s calendar to Australian troops.
I tried first through the Department of Defence. I was lucky enough to make contact with Flt-Lt Wright, who was initially suspicious of what I was offering, but once she – yes, she – had viewed the Pinups for Vets website she did everything she could to help. But nobody else in DoD wanted to be involved.
Flt-Lt Wright suggested as a last resort that I contact the base commanders around Perth. Five letters went out; two responses came back. To the credit of the officers who replied, they were polite and gracious in their decline of my offer.
February 6, 2008, 7:27 pm at 7:27 pm
#3, My involvement with AnySoldier was after an incredibly frustrating attempt to see what, if anything, I could do for Australia’s troops. I got the same treatment as you did – initial suspicion, then turn-downs because there were no programs in place. FFS, how long have we had Aussies in Afghanistan and then Iraq? Well, if no one in the Australian military system is going to make it easy to support Australian troops, I’ll support the Yanks.
After all, despite what our new PM seems to think, we are on the same side!
February 6, 2008, 8:16 pm at 8:16 pm
Spot, it might be worthwhile to email some of the US sites and see if they can link you up to Aussie sites, or at least give you Aussie military unit addresses.
February 6, 2008, 8:21 pm at 8:21 pm
if no one in the Australian military system is going to make it easy to support Australian troops, I’ll support the Yanks
Same conclusion I reached, spot.
February 6, 2008, 8:42 pm at 8:42 pm
Swinish and Spot
Terrible when your own do, as they have. Same here in the States, really. When you become military…The rest of ‘us’, become “civilians”…or “civvies”. ‘They’ are sworn to protect “us” and ‘they’ do. ‘They’ come from us…and ‘they’ separate themselves.
It doesn’t stop, when ‘they’ leave a career service of country. That’s why there are so many these ‘technical bastards’ (as my dearly departed father-in-law, use to call himself…*T.P. Roberts ret. U.S. Army Col.) that serve as Presidents of Homeowner Associations, Condominiums, School Boards…OR worse, run for local, state and federal offices…lol.
FFS, how long have we had Aussies in Afghanistan and then Iraq?
Oh and you guys in Australia and New Zealand have been in this thing against the same kinds of people or enemy since…The Battle of Gallipoli.
*asterisk explained: When T.P. busted out, he started what turned out to be a very successful contracting company…He just loved his new nickname…S.O.B. He earned it though, during WWII he was parachuted in, to hold the Lundendorff Bridge (aka the bridge at Remagen) from destruction, by the Germans.
February 7, 2008, 12:40 am at 12:40 am
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