Army doesn't supply socks

[Astra]

I don't know how it is now, but when my ex-boyfriend was over there he was at a pretty nice base that wasn't in the mountains and he was happy he had brought along a thick fleece blanket because he was only issued a thin, itchy one. I knew other guys were ordering nicer comforters and such to be sent to them as well.

[RivkahChaya]

If you know an individual soldier who has requested a blanket, by all means, send one, but it's not WWII-- PXs sell DVD players, playstations, laptops, all sorts of magazines, AC units and space heaters, convienence foods. I'm sure they sell blankets, so it would probably be more cost effective to send money orders to soldiers, and let them buy blankets, then to pay to ship a blanket.

Besides, while things are more lax then they are in Basic Training, there may still be some COs who want soldiers to have military issue blankets, and not just anything people have extra, or picked up at Wal-Mart.

And while it's true that soldiers may be issued just one blanket, they are issued long underwear, and cold-weather sleeping bags. If you are really cold, you can sleep in long underwear, PT clothes, your coat, if you want, and your sleeping bag, under your blanket. One more blanket on top of that won't make much more difference.

My husband was stationed in Belad, where it gets up to 120 degrees easily during the day, so he had an AC unit in his trailer. His roommate liked to crank it, and keep the room about 65 at night, so my husband got himself a second blanket, which didn't cost much, IIRC.

It may be a comfort issue-- they don't like sleeping in a lot of clothes, and while it's chilly at night, it's not cold enough for the zero degree sleeping bag. They want to sleep in a T-shirt, under two blankets. One soldier may have asked a relative for a blanket, so he could save his money for DVDs and Snickers bars, and somehow it became a big story about how horrible it is that the army won't keep its soldiers warm.

Or possibly there was a temporary situation where a shipment of blankets didn't get sent, but the problem has been resolved.

I would ask specifically where the DAR is sending stuff, and check on it, first to make sure the need is genuine, and second to make sure any old blanket is OK, and that they don't need military issue blankets.

[skraplette2]

That's what I was afraid of. A DAR member talked to the MIL of a soldier, friend of a friend thing. The article did list several places you could drop off the blankets.

You have to take these things from our paper with a large grain of salt sometimes. Once there was a story about a man that fell off his horse and "spent 24 hours lost in the wilderness" before SAR found him. He was less than 1/2 mile from my house.

skrap

[Amigone201]

Originally Posted by skraplette2

That's what I was afraid of. A DAR member talked to the MIL of a soldier, friend of a friend thing. The article did list several places you could drop off the blankets.

Is DAR "Daughters of the American Revolution?" I wouldn't pay any mind to their lapses in judgment; you have to forgive a few slight mistakes of fact when a person is 230 years old.

[RivkahChaya]

They may not realize that Afgan winters are not quite as harsh as the winters at Valley Forge, or that the US Army now has space heaters.

[CannonFodder]

Originally Posted by RivkahChaya

They may not realize that Afgan winters are not quite as harsh as the winters at Valley Forge, or that the US Army now has space heaters.

Afghan winters can be, from what I'm told, haven't been there myself, far more severe than what we get anywhere in the US except maybe the northern Rockies. It all depends on where you're at.

[DesertRat]

...or that the US Army now has space heaters

Yes, and the 80-90% of soldiers and Marines stationed on the FOBs certainly enjoy them. But for the infantry who operate outside the wire, often weeks at a time, blankets and other warming layers are still the only option.

ETA: Acknowledging that all the warm weather gear a grunt really needs is issued to him, but additional items are, no doubt, certainly welcome.

[DemonWolf]

Originally Posted by RivkahChaya

If you know an individual soldier who has requested a blanket, by all means, send one,

Send a pink Barbie comforter. He will forever thank you as his fellow soldiers constantly tell him for much they admire it.

[CannonFodder]

Originally Posted by DemonWolf

Send a pink Barbie comforter. He will forever thank you as his fellow soldiers constantly tell him for much they admire it.

If he's a Soldier send a blanket with the Marine Corps logo proudly emblazoned across it. If he's a Marine send him a blanket proudly featuring characters from the My Little Pony or Bratz pantheon.

[DesertRat]

If he's a Marine send him a blanket proudly featuring characters from the My Little Pony or Bratz pantheon.

One of my colleauges sent me a Bratz poster while I was forward. Just to spite her, I proudly put it up inside my room.

[jimmy101_again]

Originally Posted by CannonFodder

Afghan winters can be, from what I'm told, haven't been there myself, far more severe than what we get anywhere in the US except maybe the northern Rockies. It all depends on where you're at.

Really, I would thing northern Alaska, particulary above the artic circle, routinely gets colder than anywhere in Afghanistan. Granted if you were camped on top of Mount Noshaq (~25,000') things would be a bit different.

[CannonFodder]

Originally Posted by jimmy101_again

Really, I would thing northern Alaska, particulary above the artic circle, routinely gets colder than anywhere in Afghanistan. Granted if you were camped on top of Mount Noshaq (~25,000') things would be a bit different.

Let me wipe some egg off my face here...

I meant the 48 contiguous states. I'm sure Canada and certainly Alaska get much colder and for a longer period of time.

[snopes]

Comment: A friend was shipped to Iraq, but needed more equipment normally
provided by the military. Allegedly, he was told to buy it himself and
take it off his taxes.

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: A friend was shipped to Iraq, but needed more equipment normally provided by the military. Allegedly, he was told to buy it himself and take it off his taxes.

Absolutely.

During my AD career many times I have had to purchase things to complete my job.

Everytime the purchase is tax-deductible.

I began itemizing my taxes early in my career, I took IRS courses and taught others to itemize their taxes as well.

[ASL]

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: A friend was shipped to Iraq, but needed more equipment normally
provided by the military. Allegedly, he was told to buy it himself and
take it off his taxes.

The military did provide it: in the form of allowances.

Go to www.anysoldier.com
The two most asked for items from soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are hygiene items and socks.