Received and shared among the air ops, comms, & MWR teams. Thanx for spreading some cheer. v/r Darryl

Greetings! I wanted to let you know that I got the package you sent that included the cigars, coffee, cookies, and other snacks. As before, it is hard to describe how uplifting it is to get a package from people you’ve never met, but appreciate what you do. I’ll tell ya, I loved those plantain chips (Goya Foods). I opened one of those bags intending to eat just a few, and I think I ate the whole bag in one sitting. So between those and the Girl Scout cookies (which you can also eat more of than you realize), there are some dangerous snacks in there. Fortunately, there was also a set of workout bands (TRX) in that package too, so I have no excuse to burn off those calories. Now that is worth its weight in gold. Just about everyone uses deployment to get in better shape, so a set of exercise equipment that you can pack up and take with you to some of these outstations that don’t have much is great. That will definitely get passed around.

I’m also sincerely grateful for the Peeps you sent (his wife – name redacted). She was very pleasantly surprised and she ate about half a package during our periodic Impractical Jokers watch party. Our families have it much tougher than we do. For example, our pet cockatiel passed away recently, and I hate that she had to deal with that on her own. The challenges of homelife don’t change, the families just have more of the burden to bear without us there. But random acts of kindness, like your package, can turn a hard day around. Thank you so much for looking out for her. She’s my world, and I am extremely grateful that I got to see her smile when you sent her that package.

I’m pretty good about sharing packages with the others, but I will need to do better sharing those Plantain chips in the future. 😊 v/r. David

On behalf of all our soldiers and staff, THANK YOU so very much for the care package containing the Keurig, coffee and cotton candy Peeps that you sent. On the personal end, I’ll share that my wife LOVES Peeps, and she particularly loves the cotton candy Peeps. I bragged recently that I finally got a package of Peeps that I could call my own and I wouldn’t have to share with anyone! Of course, I ultimately shared with the others, but it was a great surprise to see them, and gave me an opportunity to tease my wife a little during a call home.

As for the coffee and Keurig, thank you! Particularly from a Task Force Surgeon, who is responsible for the health and well-being of the soldiers, thank you! You’ve definitely helped with the well-being part. I tell med students and doctors that blood is often presented in text books as being made up of 55% plasma (fluid) and 45% formed elements (i.e. cells). That said, I am increasingly convinced that in certain professions, such as medicine and/or the military for example, that there is also a small percentage of coffee in there somewhere. Nothing starts the day, or sustains during a late night like coffee, and there are plenty of those. You can never have enough, so we were thrilled when you sent the Keurig and the cups. No question that it is absolutely useful to us, and will be used and shared by everyone here.

There were several people and organizations listed on the accompanying letter who made this gift possible. Thank you to all of you! And if I left anyone off who deserves thanks, I apologize and ask that you please extend our gratitude as well. From the people that had the idea to send a gift overseas, to the ones that donated the coffee and Keurig, and to those who packaged and sent the box out the door to the plane over here, we appreciate all of you. Care packages are amazing things. Especially when they come from people who we don’t necessarily know, but who clearly care enough about what we’re doing to send some love. Packages from family and friends are great! We love getting them. But there’s something about receiving a package from someone you’ve never met that just inspires and encourages. They tend to show up at those times when we’re tired, frustrated, and missing home, and no matter what is in them, the morale boost that comes along with the knowledge that our fellow citizens are thinking about us and sending us little pieces of home has an this amazingly uplifting effect.

Thank you to all of you from all us out here in (location redacted). It’s a wonderful feeling knowing those at home are thinking about us and that what we do matters and is appreciated. THANK YOU! Very Respectfully, LTC David V.