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FROM the FRONT – Happiness


The entire team thanks you. They are huge fans as am I of the Body Armor Drinks. We cannot thank you enough for your extreme generosity. I apologize we have had an insanely busy schedule this past week. We got your boxes and “Enjoy” doesn’t even begin to describe the excitement on my troops faces when we opened your boxes. Thank you from the bottoms of our hearts nothing tastes better after a mission than an ice cold body armor fruit punch. v/r Jake, 21 August

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FROM THE FRONT: Fig Bars!

The Nature’s Bakery fig bars are hitting their targets. Just got this today from one of our Adoptees –
“Hello, I wanted to take this time to send my gratitude for the care package. My Soldiers and I are truly grateful for your support, time and effort! We are all doing well in (location redacted), Afghanistan and we look forward to returning stateside…” Ramon, 16 Aug 2018

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Our Packages Bring Smiles

Good Morning All! I hope this message find everyone well and staying cool. It has been a crazy few weeks and the weather here has been quite interesting to say the least. ‘120 days of wind’ is no joke! I just wanted to take a moment in all the mayhem this last month to send a huge heartfelt digital thank you for the incredible blessings!!

I can’t tell you how elated these guys and gals have been to tear through these care packages. I had no idea what to expect when I reached out to your organization and a few other groups, but the love has been amazing, to say the least. Nothing has actually made it to my office before 6-7 hands have made their way through it. There’s been nothing but happy faces all around here.

I wish I could get an action shot, but there are a lot of security measures here on the campus… I’m definitely grateful for everything you all have done for us out here! Respectfully, Sam

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Todd M, NJ ARNG, 31 July

Thanks for everything you have done over the past year… Thanks
for all the boxes you have sent … it was welcomed with
open arms and always made my, and other service members day here in (redacted). We really
appreciated the thoughtful gesture. Hope all is good back home, Thanks again. V/R Todd.

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Mike, US Army, 29 July

A heartfelt thanks to all of you that support our troops overseas and especially a grateful thanks to the Little Explorers II and their teacher for taking the time to think of us overseas. It’s been a long hard journey over here so when the soldiers see the care packages arrive, they’re like little kids on Christmas morning, awaiting to see what is in the next box.
Again, thanks for you do in support of the troops.
Michael

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Jake, US Army, 25 July

To All Concerned, THANK YOU!
My name is “Jake”, I am the NCOIC in charge of a (redacted). … We just received a care package from Adopt- A- Soldier Platoon Inc. and this being my fourth deployment I always try to find some time to thank all of those involved in making my soldiers’ lives a little happier. In this case a lot happier. I remember writing to the troops in Desert Storm back in 1990 and no one ever wrote back. As I got older I realized that Operation only took 6 months and my letters probably never made it out of the post office. That being said whether I was in Iraq in 06, 09 or Afghanistan in 2011, I try to write back and thank all who care and take time to help others who are trying to help others.

About the Team, We are all citizen soldiers who left our families and jobs and put our educations on hold to deploy to represent our families, our unit, the Army and our Country to serve overseas and do the best we can do to return home full of honor and pride. The team is young and full of energy and now thanks to you generosity they realize their hard work does not go on deaf ears.

Our team is incredibly grateful to each and every person, group, company, organization, who took the time to say they care. We are humbled and honored while we conduct our missions knowing there are amazing people supporting an incredible organization such as AASP. This will be my 4th and final deployment, I hope. But knowing this organization exists and having these points of contacts I hope to be able to continue to support your cause once I retire. Just like you are supporting us now. I thank each and every one. I grew up in (redacted) NJ, over 20 years ago and just seeing the address coming from Fair Lawn is a touch of home that brings joy and happy memories to mind. So thank you personally from the bottom of my heart. Each and every one of you are amazing. God Bless Keep up the great work. v/r Jake

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Tommy, US Army, 25 July

Dear Great Americans,
A simple “thank you” and a few photos seems hardly enough but given the present circumstances I am afraid it is all we have at the moment. I cannot, in words, describe the feeling Soldiers get when mail call happens and a parcel is given out. Even in this age of high speed internet and global communication and email, Facebook, Twitter etc., there will always be something about a deployed Soldier getting a little bit of home in a box. We are fortunate enough to have many allies and partners next to us in this fight to defeat ISIS and free the people enslaved under them; we would not have been as successful as we have been without them. They are always amazed at the amount of support American Solders get from people they have never met. More than once our foreign partners have related stories about how they seem invisible sometimes to their own people and are in awe of the American public’s unabashed love and admiration for their troops. We too are taken aback, humbled and grateful.

I can’t say I know why this is so, but my assumption is that our military came from the people, a people yearning to be free. The Army was constituted a year before our country was even declared. Its ranks were filled by all–farmers, merchants, immigrants, freed slaves, professional Soldiers and mountain men. They were not pressed into service by a king’s decree or raised to conquer, but rather they formed small, local companies and militia to stand their ground and do what was right and it has been that way throughout our history. Our Soldiers come from the ranks of our people and to our people we are held accountable and to which we will return someday. Our Soldiers here are so great, so amazing, so loved and respected by those we have liberated because they have come from the ranks of people like yourselves. Simply put, we are as good as the people we serve, and we serve the best there is.

These boxes didn’t fill themselves; these items didn’t magically appear out of thin air and they didn’t get mailed by elves. We all know the amount of logistical and physical support that went into these and are humbled by the generosity and commitment. We get mail here infrequently due to a number of factors, but when it does come it is called “Christmas Morning” as that is what it feels like, and you can see a marked increase in morale. The slightest change in the mundane, repetitive world of a deployment is a most welcome gift. Again, we thank you all for that. Please find a few photos of some of the many recipients of your generosity. Know that your items get passed around and shared as Soldiers are quick to give their fellow comrades half of what they have, and sometimes their last item if asked. You all–every single link in this chain–have played a part in our success here. Please know that and feel a sense of pride in it. The extra candy we have gets handed to local children when we are out on patrol; children who knew nothing but fear and horror from the last men with guns who ruled here now get jelly beans and cookies from different men and women with guns, always with a smile and a wave. People ran from ISIS; children run to American Soldiers. You all are responsible for that. Thank you again for your hard work. God bless and all the best, Tommy