I would like to do something for our troops on Christmas.  I am very proud of all the men and women that are serving our country and would like to do something to show that our nation and myself appriciates everything that they do for us.  The problem is that I don't know what to do.  There is an AFB within 20 min of my house (Fairchild in Spokane) but I would not rule out traveling for this.  Personally I would love to go to Iraq or Afganistan just to say "Our country holds everyone over there in high regard"  That is if I could do that without getting in the way.  (Hell they let reporters in, how much trouble can a ARF.Commer get into!)  Would the Red Cross or USO have any info as to how I could help?  Lets hear some ideas.

Send em some mail-order brides.

Donate money to the USO or one of the survior groups.

My command has two guys in Baghdad and another in Djbuti. I posted a request and got three large boxes full of stuff before I cut off the donations to beat the deadline for Christmas shipping (5 Dec).

They asked for sox, tee-shirts, powerbars, magazines, DVD's and phone cards. There's not a whole bunch to do off duty except watch television. AFRTS is broadcasting three channels of television and a few radio stations over low power UHF sets. We've shipped nearly a thousand satellite systems in four months which pick up seven TV and 12 radio channels.

[url]http://www.anysoldier.us/[/url]

donate some frequent flier miles too.

[url]http://www.heromiles.org/[/url]

But wait, there's more...

get them a phone calling card via the USO

[url]http://www.uso.org/pubs/8_20_2733.cfm[/url]

You are lucky to have a AFB so close by.
Go to area around the base and search out some places that the enlisted guys hang out. Go in and get a beer, find a group of airmen. They arent that hard to pick out. When you are sure they are AF look at what they are drinking and go to the bar and buy them the next round. Bring it to the table and let them know its just for being in the AF and serving our counrty. I am shocked by the responce from the AF and Navy personel we have around my area. They think its some kind of trick sometimes.

Then go to the next bar get a beer and find some more guys. Just make a night of it.

This is the last time I did it.
[url]http://ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=192088&w=searchPop[/url]

Im due for another