Two Wheel Forums banner

Mail means much to troops deployed overseas

3K views 29 replies 9 participants last post by  1BadCBR 
#1 ·
by Spc. Ryan Stroud, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division
Published: Friday, November 10, 2006 4:17 PM CST
E-mail this story | Print this page


BAQUBAH, Iraq - "Nothing in the world is better than receiving mail," said Sgt. Agustin Sanchez - and he would know.

As the certified mail clerk for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, it is his mission to ensure all Soldiers from the "Grey Wolf" brigade get the mail they look forward to receiving.

Sanchez picks up mail from the post office after lunch, then returns to his office to begin the sorting process. He knows he has to work quickly to meet the needs of those around him.


"Most Soldiers don't get their mail until after they get back from work," said the El Paso, Texas native. "When you come home from a long day of working hard or being out on patrol, nothing beats coming back and hearing, 'Hey, you've got mail!'"

"When I get mail, it's like Christmas every month because I don't get many packages back home," said Spc. Eddie Quintero, a native of San Diego, Calif. "It's a piece of home in a box."

In addition to mail, Soldiers can also use the Internet to correspond with family and friends at the base's morale, welfare and recreation facility. But while e-mail is nice because of its timely delivery, Sanchez said he would rather have a handwritten letter.



"Receiving a letter beats getting an e-mail any day," Sanchez said. "There is no better way to say 'I love you' to a Soldier overseas than sending a handwritten letter."

"Mail is love in an envelope," said Pfc. Freddie Scott Jr., of Tallahassee, Fla. "It's the fuel that motivates me, and it lets me know people care about me and appreciate what I am doing for my country."

Feeling loved is something Sanchez said all Soldiers need, adding the letters he hands out lift the Soldiers' spirits.



"I remember my last deployment to Iraq," he said, remembering the letters and drawings he used to get from children in the states. "It makes you smile and raises your morale way up. I kept those drawings with me - they meant a lot."

People taking time out of their busy day to remember the Soldiers fighting hard for them overseas are what keep us going everyday, he added.

"Nothing is better than receiving a letter, pictures or a care-package from a loved one," Sanchez said. "It reminds you that there's someone out there who cares about what you're doing, and appreciates your efforts."
 
See less See more
#14 ·
SO CBR... tell us this..

Is there alot of difference from email vs hand written letters? What do soldiers over there like to hear about? I know if its family its easy... probably anything espcieally cool things with kids, newphews and what not. But if we wanted to send letters from TWF'ers to our soldiers??

But what about these things from strangers... what makes those special to a soldier?

I'm curious, cause other than a few older family members that served in the past and my various connections to military people on forums. I can't honestly say I know any soldiers. No real reason... I just don't. The next closest person I know is my wife's co-worker's husband just got out of the marines...
 
#15 ·
SO CBR... tell us this..

Is there alot of difference from email vs hand written letters? If the soldier has access to a computer, then email is probably the way to go. But it's always a good feeling to receive a hand written letter. What do soldiers over there like to hear about? Well it really depends. I usually liked to hear about any and all sports that are taking place. Since I love boxing, that was always on the top of my list. As far as bikes go, as long as no one was injured, tell me any and everything there is to know. I know if its family its easy... probably anything espcieally cool things with kids, newphews and what not. But if we wanted to send letters from TWF'ers to our soldiers?? Keep it motorcycle related! If you send a handwritten letter addressed to "Any Service Member" and the person who receives it is not into bikes, believe me he/she will pass in on the someone who is. I send bike magazines over there all the time....I tried to send some to ebbs but he never did send me his mailing address, it was his lost.
But what about these things from strangers... what makes those special to a soldier? Because it shows the the American public care enough about the service member regardless of how they may feel about the war or the President.
I'm curious, cause other than a few older family members that served in the past and my various connections to military people on forums. I can't honestly say I know any soldiers. No real reason... I just don't. The next closest person I know is my wife's co-worker's husband just got out of the marines..
I'm sure he knows some people still over there......I now far too many. Click on the link at the bottom of my sig, that is the organization who supported me the whole year while I was deployed.
 
#18 ·
Thanks CBR for the response... Alot of us normal civilians that support our troops 110% just don't know what to do. I will check out that link.

Do you have addresses for the bases in Iraq? Where we could send letters...

Did somebody "adopt" you from that site?
 
#24 ·
The whole site adopted me, remember my mother is part of that organization :angelhap:

http://www.webratsmusic.com/video-23204-letters-from-home.php

watch this video...1st time i saw it got a little choked up

its country...
That was a really nice song and I'm not a big fan of country music.


Hey ya'll... sorry it's been so long... they switched my job when I got back and I went from 8hr days of surfing TWF to 12 hr days of data entry...

anyways...

I got alot of offers to send me mail or packages but in the end I had a bit TO much... My friends back home (who i didn't even know they knew I was over there) sent me an average of 1 package every day... sometimes two or three... I was kinda running out of time to reply to them all and space to put the stuff... but man... I've NEVER felt so good about being me... to know that many people cared... it's a feeling everyone should experience...

i had access to E-mail overthere but I found that when I got back that only about 10% of them actually made it through... the others were lost somehow. even the ones I forwarded to my yahoo account. so it's nice to have that reliablity of an actual Letter...

I had a friend write me an awsome letter... really it was just a short note... but what she said helped me through some trying times... and it was nice to just pull her letter out of my helmet...

really (to me) it doesn't matter... even the offer of mail makes things seem that much better...

:thx1:
Thanks for clearing that up. Man you had/have a lot of leave saved up. you need to use up some of those day and go riding.....:dthumb:
 
#20 ·
Hey ya'll... sorry it's been so long... they switched my job when I got back and I went from 8hr days of surfing TWF to 12 hr days of data entry...

anyways...

I got alot of offers to send me mail or packages but in the end I had a bit TO much... My friends back home (who i didn't even know they knew I was over there) sent me an average of 1 package every day... sometimes two or three... I was kinda running out of time to reply to them all and space to put the stuff... but man... I've NEVER felt so good about being me... to know that many people cared... it's a feeling everyone should experience...

i had access to E-mail overthere but I found that when I got back that only about 10% of them actually made it through... the others were lost somehow. even the ones I forwarded to my yahoo account. so it's nice to have that reliablity of an actual Letter...

I had a friend write me an awsome letter... really it was just a short note... but what she said helped me through some trying times... and it was nice to just pull her letter out of my helmet...

really (to me) it doesn't matter... even the offer of mail makes things seem that much better...

:thx1:
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top