Useful Stuff for American Troops Available Online

I’ve sent a fair amount of material to relatives in Iraq, and I’d like accordingly to recommend a few web sites that have been exceptionally helpful. First is Global Chocolates, which sends off chocolate (a nice supplement to the tiresome MREs soldiers are still eating) with special attention to keeping it from melting. (You should specify if it’s going to Iraq and offer to pay 5% more for extra frozen gel packs, etc.; they do their best, but naturally cannot guarantee that it won’t melt in the hot climate there.) Second is Amazon.com, which will send books to APO addresses. Third, I’ve sent comfort items, especially battery operated pocket fans from The Preparedness Center. (They won’t ship to APO addresses, so I’ve had them shipped to me and then reposted them.) Finally, toiletry items can be ordered online from Drugstore.com, which will ship to APO addresses. (Some useful items are hand and face wipes, cotton swabs for the sand that gets into everything, mints, and the like.)

For guidelines on how to send items to friends and family in Iraq, you can visit a Department of Defense site that offers guidelines. There are also similar sites for British troops and Australian troops. And I’d also encourage my friends to join me in sending aid to the Iraqi people through Mercy Corps.

Several people have written to me with expressions of shock and anger that I am willing to send support to my family members who are part of an enterprise that I considered and still consider a great error. They’re there, and we have to make the best of it. And I’m not going to abandon them because I think that the policy makers in D.C. and London have undertaken foolish policies.