An Urgent Book Plea
As I've probably mentioned over here, my brother-in-law is in the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan. He was scheduled to leave Afghanistan for home last week when, just a few days before his departure, their entire brigade was informed that their year-long deployment was being extended till June.
In spite of their commitment to their mission, this news was obviously devastating for the soldiers and their families. Some of the soldiers had already made it back to the US and had to turn around and return to Afghanistan. In my brother-in-law's case, he has a wife (my sister) and 4 children, including 9-month-old twins, eagerly waiting for him at home.
Aside from the great disappointment, there have been some real practical issues that arose as a result of this last minute order. One big issue is that all the soldiers had already packed up their personal items and shipped them to the US, keeping only a few days supplies on hand for their trip home. So toothpaste, toilet paper, socks, underwear, and all other toiletries are in short supply and high demand.
Jeremy has especially put out a plea for books. The soldiers are bored out of their skulls and have nothing to read while off-duty. So I'm passing this request on to you. It doesn't matter what types of books, either - non-fiction, fiction, historical novels, sci-fi, chick lit, Tom Clancy, John Grisham, Norah Jones, C.S. Lewis, JRR Tolkien, Jane Austen...Anything.
If you have books you could gather up for the 10th Mountain Division, please let me know. Shipping to the military is very cheap, and a box of books would go for $8-$12 from the post office. 1 book or 20 - whatever you can spare - would be gratefully appreciated. Just leave a message here and I'll get you the address.
Please pass this message along to everyone you know who might be interested in helping!
In spite of their commitment to their mission, this news was obviously devastating for the soldiers and their families. Some of the soldiers had already made it back to the US and had to turn around and return to Afghanistan. In my brother-in-law's case, he has a wife (my sister) and 4 children, including 9-month-old twins, eagerly waiting for him at home.
Aside from the great disappointment, there have been some real practical issues that arose as a result of this last minute order. One big issue is that all the soldiers had already packed up their personal items and shipped them to the US, keeping only a few days supplies on hand for their trip home. So toothpaste, toilet paper, socks, underwear, and all other toiletries are in short supply and high demand.
Jeremy has especially put out a plea for books. The soldiers are bored out of their skulls and have nothing to read while off-duty. So I'm passing this request on to you. It doesn't matter what types of books, either - non-fiction, fiction, historical novels, sci-fi, chick lit, Tom Clancy, John Grisham, Norah Jones, C.S. Lewis, JRR Tolkien, Jane Austen...Anything.
If you have books you could gather up for the 10th Mountain Division, please let me know. Shipping to the military is very cheap, and a box of books would go for $8-$12 from the post office. 1 book or 20 - whatever you can spare - would be gratefully appreciated. Just leave a message here and I'll get you the address.
Please pass this message along to everyone you know who might be interested in helping!