Medic Unit in Iraq could use help

[Roycroft201]

A medic unit of the 10th MTN DIV in Iraq lost everything when mortar fire hit their tents and there was a fire. Two were lost, the remaining 100+ now literally have only the shirts on their backs.

I know these were not QP. However, these kids lost everything, including their medic gear.

I am posting this in case anyone would have an interest in or be in a position to send a 'care' package their way, particularly anything a medic might need, as I am sure the supporters of the website listed will be sending care packages of non-medical needs. ( I have been doing this, sending 'care packages' to units in A-stan and Iraq, for quite some time. It is a great website, started by parents of a soldier. I have had several personal contacts with the Dad who started this organization. The site also has pages where you can read feedback and responses from others. They are LEGIT. The link I list at the bottom is not the home page. If you would like to check out their homepage to learn more... its: www.AnySoldier.US )

Regarding the fire:
When you click on the link below, there is a line on that page that reads:

21 JULY "HOT!!. Unit hit bad and needs help" . Click on the link they provide (the 'HERE' in blue) which will take you to the young soldier contact person who wrote to this support organization. It also provides a picture.

Here is the link: http://www.anysoldier.us/WhereToSend/

Thanks everyone,
Roycroft201

[Roguish Lawyer]

Thanks for posting this. I'll have to fire off a few packages.

[lrd]

Time to go shopping.

Thanks for the link, Roycroft.

[Eagle5US]

C 1/32 is not a "medical unit", they are a regular infantry BN with 10th MTN. They are, in fact, the sister BN to my last unit 2-22 IN at Drum.
The guy writing may be a medic, but the complex that was hit housed regular infantry bubbas.

Thanks for the link...

Eagle

[Roycroft201]

Eagle, sir -

Thank you for your clarification.

I apologize. I did not mean to mislead anyone and I will be the first to admit not always being able to decifer the abbreviations and acronyms the military uses.

Numbers alone (100+) of those afffected by the fire told me that they could not all be medics. I don't know how the military assigns its medics to units - how many there are.

The young man who wrote - who was/is the contact person between the AnySoldier program and his unit - stated he was a medic. Of course, I immediately thought of the QP medics and everything I have read/been taught on this site. Because of this, it made me realize that losing one's personal medic equipment could be a really difficult blow. Surely this young man would not have had what all of you and the other QPs have collected in your careers.

He did mention "his medic stuff, his books"......
I assumed there would be more than one medic who lost his gear in that fire.

For that reason, and for all the soldiers who lost what they owned in the fire, I decided to post.

I did not knowingly mean to mislead anyone,sir, and I sincerely apologize if I have done so.

My thoughts and prayers, of course, are with the families of the two soldiers who were lost in the attack.

Roycroft201

[Sacamuelas]

Should this be moved into the General Discussions forum for all to see then?

If you want it moved RC201....let me know. IMHO, It is perfectly fine here, but it may be read by more people in the other forum.

That is honorable work you are contributing your efforts to. :cool:

[Roycroft201]

Saca -

If you and the Admins feel that it is acceptable to move to General Discussion, that would be great.

Thanks so much.
Roycroft201

[Sacamuelas]

Done. :cool:

[Eagle5US]

Originally posted by Roycroft201
Eagle, sir -

Thank you for your clarification.

I apologize. I did not mean to mislead anyone and I will be the first to admit not always being able to decifer the abbreviations and acronyms the military uses.

Numbers alone (100+) of those afffected by the fire told me that they could not all be medics. I don't know how the military assigns its medics to units - how many there are.

The young man who wrote - who was/is the contact person between the AnySoldier program and his unit - stated he was a medic. Of course, I immediately thought of the QP medics and everything I have read/been taught on this site. Because of this, it made me realize that losing one's personal medic equipment could be a really difficult blow. Surely this young man would not have had what all of you and the other QPs have collected in your careers.

He did mention "his medic stuff, his books"......
I assumed there would be more than one medic who lost his gear in that fire.

For that reason, and for all the soldiers who lost what they owned in the fire, I decided to post.

I did not knowingly mean to mislead anyone,sir, and I sincerely apologize if I have done so.

My thoughts and prayers, of course, are with the families of the two soldiers who were lost in the attack.

Roycroft201
Nothing to fall on your sword over...simple clarification is all.
Could have been part of the medical platoon in there or just the medics assigned to the company. either way, all the bubbas may need a little something.

Thanks agian for posting it.

Eagle

[Roycroft201]

OPSEC takes first priority.

For those of you who saw the article I listed, or for anyone tries to click on the link in my original post, the AnySoldier website has today listed the following:

QUOTE:

"Please note: I just got confirmation of this incident from a very high level, it's real. I will post everything I know on this unit's page, no need to ask me about specifics...
Update 1308hrs EST: I'm told the story is real, but because of security concerns all info of it have been pulled. More as I get it.-marty "

END QUOTE

The link I posted took you directly to the Page where the contact person for that unit posted the origianl info and a picture, dated 21 July. It has been removed for security reasons at the request of the unit.

For those not familiar with the AnySoldier.US website: The "Marty" you see being quoted is the originator of the website, a Dad who started this as a small grassroots efforts when his son, Brian, a Sgt who was deployed to Iraq, told his parents that some of the men in his unit were not receiving any pkgs or support form home. Marty and his wife Sue, took it from there and it has mushroomed into a way for Americans to support our men and women in harm's way. Marty and his wife are both retired MP's. They take OPSEC and PERSEC very seriously.

Thanks,
Roycroft201

[ccrn]

I take it the address provided on the web page is still the correct contact for the unit, even if not addressed to the specific individual?

ccrn

[Pandora]

Civvie question:

When selecting from a long list like this, does it make sense to pick a Sargeant who is likely to know who gets mail/care and who doesn't?

With my known chums and c.p. distribution, they usually point me in the direction of those lacking. I really would like to know that care I send is geting to those that don't have regular mail to keep them going.

Advice very much appreciated. I don't want to get shot here for an honest question, but are the troops stationed in Afghanistan still being as supported as those in Iraq? How do you tell who is near amenities and who is remote from them? No offense intended in the questions, I'd just like to send things to those most in need of some appreciation.

[Roycroft201]

Just a little disclaimer before I continue : This thread and the posting of links to the AnySoldier.US website is not an effort by PS.com to endorse any program. I asked for and received permission to start this thread about AnySoldier.US because I have found it to be an excellent, and most importantly, honest grassroots effort by a miltary family to remember those in harm's way. So I just wanted to make it clear that while my posting has PS.com blessing, they are not endorsing one support program over another.

That being said:
TO ccrn:
--- Each group of soldiers that wishes to participate in the AnySoldier.US program has a contact person who agrees to distribute all mail that is addressed to him, when the second line of the address is ATTN: ANY SOLDIER. Postal regulations
require that every piece of mail has to have an actual persons name on the address. That contact person has taken the responsibility to disperse the mail received amongst the number of soldiers he/she indicate he is in contact with. So, yes, that address to the unit is valid (contact name is McCullough).

TO Pandora : I would be happy to give you more information if you would like to PM me and I will give you my e-mail address.

But to answer your immedicate questions , the homepage will give you a broadlook at the program. The link follows:

http://anysoldier.us/index.cfm

By clicking on the button "Where to Send" you will see the full list of contact persons in a column on the left.(That page is at the following link:

http://www.anysoldier.us/WhereToSend/

By clicking on the names of several, you will see that most are quite honest about their needs. Some will tell you they have fairly decent living conditions, but the PX quickly runs out of basics. Others will state that they are at an FOB (Forward Operating Base) and don't have regular access to a PX . Those are perhaps what you were referring to.

By clicking on the link, "Where to Send" which is above, there is another update on the unit that lost their belongings due to fire.

Feel free to PM me with any other questions.

Thanks-

Roycroft201

[pulque]

I just got a wonderful letter back from an appreciative anysoldier in a-stan, who is handing out notebooks and pens and toys to kids. yay!

exerpt:
School supplies are in short demand and expensive for most kids to afford. Sometimes when I carry this stuff around as we travel, it gets heavy with all the extra weight, but it is definately worthwhile when I see the kids faces as I hand them items. It is people such as you, who continue to remind us that we are cared for, thought about, and loved beyond words. Making sacrifices and doing what we are doing here is worth everything we must be without.


:lifter

note to self: find lighter stuff made of space-age materials

[Roycroft201]

Pulque,

That's terrific !! And so many of our troops have hearts of gold when it comes to doing whatever they can when they see the children over there. The AnySoldier.us site is a great way to support our military men and women in harm's way, for those of us who do not have our own family members or friends there and want to DO SOMETHING CONCRETE to show our support.


Best regards,
Roycroft201

[lrd]

I just got a wonderful letter back from an appreciative anysoldier in a-stan, who is handing out notebooks and pens and toys to kids. yay!
Save those letters, pulque. You'll read and reread them for the rest of your life.