Question of Donation

[WNxKenwayy]

We just got a couple of boxes of care packages from the states today. Now these are the generic packages, sent usually by grade school classes or church groups. Now, please don't take this the wrong way. We really really do appreciate these types of things. The problem is, these packages are sent with not a whole lot of thought to whom they are sent too. We really don't have a lot of need for let’s say tampons or a box of tissue paper. Now certainly certain soldiers in certain locations may need these items, just not us in particular. The problem is, the packages came to us and that's that. So what ends up happening is, we rifle through the box, pick out the maybe 50% of the stuff we can actually use/need, and throw the rest away. That's the honest truth about what happens.

This bothers me. Somebody, often several people, took the time to put this together, buy the items inside and paid the shipping to get them sent here. Often they are accompanied by nice letters or drawings. But the fact is we only have so much room to store 'stuff' and more often than not the bases we are at contain a large enough PX/shopping area to get all the little things we want. The only time I ever ask for something to be shipped is because it isn't for sale here. A very specific request for a very specific object does not mean that some soldier deployed at another FOB needs it. So if we don't need it in the immediate future, we aren't going to keep it just sitting there.

There are certainly a lot of better uses, such as giving the items to the local population. But the truth is, it ends up in their hands anyways. We can walk through the markets and see the stuff we threw away last week for sale on some shelf. The other side is, if we walk around giving away stuff, we found that an absolute horde will descend upon us each and every time we visit the area. This creates both security and operational problems.

So what do we have? Money being spent on items and shipping that ultimately is wasted. Its wasted not for a lack of caring or concern, but because of a misunderstanding of what a soldier wants. And not just any soldier, but the specific soldier that receives the care package. This is compounded by the fact that most soldiers today have loving families and friends back home whom can easily meet their needs for items they can't receive elsewhere.

This made me think. What does every soldier, deployed anywhere, want? Regardless of location, mission, deployment length, etc. The answer is rather obvious when you consider how almost all of us communicate with those back home. Internet. Free and open, non-regulated, non-filtered internet access. Internet access where you can be free of worry that some smuck sitting in a room will see the 'special' pictures your wife sends from back home, where you have access to your 'civilian' email that isn't censored. Where you don't have a 30 minute time limit or 20 other soldiers looking at your screen. There isn't a soldier deployed anywhere that doesn't want this. That is the reason I am paying $70 a month for internet access that isn't 1/50th the speed or capabilities of what I'd get for that price stateside, and some even pay more.

There are two problems with that. First, the company we are forced to use has no competition, therefore there service, to put it bluntly, sucks. It works maybe 3/4 the time, is very slow, and at certain points throughout the day, regularly, is completely unusable, namely when all the 'less combat' oriented jobs get off work. Next, the company we use is run by, oddly enough, Iranians, and our signal is routed through China before accessing the world wide web. Not exactly an ideal setup.

The other, larger problem is that there are only about a half dozen places in both theaters that have a civilian internet option, all with the same problems listed above. So for the other, vast majority of deployed soldiers, often those with the hardest jobs and most danger, have no open access at all.

This two issues, money being wasted on essentially useless care packages, and the universal desire for open internet access, makes for an excellent opportunity. I half-seriously want to create a charity called Satellites for Soldiers that would take donations that would otherwise be spent on something less than useful, and turn it into civilian internet access for soldiers. There are actually a few options out there, often costing less than about $3000 for startup and $500 a month there after for internet that is twice the speed I have now for up to 10 soldiers at a time, and that's only if all soldiers are using it at the same time. Most often you would have even better performance. Since each care package generally cost $20 per package to ship, and contain probably $50 worth of stuff, it wouldn't take any time at all for the money to add up. Couple that with the fact that soldiers are already paying more money for less service, the soldiers would cover the per month expense. The letters of appreciation could be sent with the equipment, and it would likely involve far more people back home given all the ways to donate money versus trying to find stuff to buy, package it, and send the box through the mail. There isn't a soldiers anywhere that wouldn't rather get open internet, so the problem of unneeded items would be solved as well.



Question is: Would you donate to such an organization?

[[R-DEV]Hitperson]

so what they should be sending you is speare ammo and a few ACOGS and EoTechs??

[WNxKenwayy]

Originally Posted by Hitperson

so what they should be sending you is speare ammo and a few ACOGS and EoTechs??

Ammo is illegal to ship and 98% of the people who are deployed will never fire their weapon outside the wire so optics is a waste. I know it was a joke but the point remains, some people honestly would ask that and waste money on such things.

[[R-DEV]Hitperson]

scissors and glue??

party poppers??

hell if it was me sending you stuff you would find it usefull but saddly it would again be illeagal (fireworks and shit)

certainly be usefull for the engies

[[R-DEV]LeadMagnet]

I'd send hookers 'n' booze but even if it made it through it'd be snagged up by the pricks in the rear.

[Dr2B Rudd]

Ministry of Defence | Defence News | People In Defence | Charity donations are best gift for troops this Christmas, public urged

yeah, the MOD has said that packages aren't the best thing for the public to give as well

I've already donated to a charity that's trying to get phone and internet time to soldiers overseas Merry xmas to all you lot who are away from home, we appreciate it.

[SiN|ScarFace]

Wouldn't uncensored/monitored internet access to deployed troops cause a "security hole"? I wonder why they filter and restrict you in the first place? hmmm

Frankly I don't think you need it. Want it sure.

[[R-DEV]Gaz]

PM me your mil posting address and I'll send you some hand drawn pickturs Then I'll say my 8 month old did 'em

On topic.....we got £2000 worth box of toiletries from the people of Kuwait. Which was nice. The thought was there. There was literally a tour's supply for a platoon. It always did my tits in when family members and friends sent out chocolate. How many times did I write to ask them not to....

So I did the same to the lads posted this year >

[[R-DEV]Hitperson]

Originally Posted by [R-DEV]Gaz

PM me your mil posting address and I'll send you some hand drawn pickturs Then I'll say my 8 month old did 'em

On topic.....we got £2000 worth box of toiletries from the people of Kuwait. Which was nice. The thought was there. There was literally a tour's supply for a platoon. It always did my tits in when family members and friends sent out chocolate. How many times did I write to ask them not to....

So I did the same to the lads posted this year >

Leading by example there eh Gaz??

[[R-DEV]Eddie Baker]

I would donate to such an organization if one did exist, but the problem is such an organization getting a reputation for reliability/trust when it's new.