Article about Patrick's Platoon

Hello!  As the title suggests, this article is about Patrick's platoon and their recent relocation.  Also, if you look closely at the picture, Patrick's ruck sack is right in the front!!  He created a tube from paper and a left over "Animal" can to protect his posters in the move.  Enjoy!! 

http://www.dvidshub.net/news/112667/guardian-angels-set-up-shop-gamberi#.Uh0_aVK9Kc0

Patrick's New Room

As some of you know, Patrick just moved to a new FOB. He is now at FOB Gamberi. The amenities are the same, and his room looks nicer. Here are some pics of his new space. 😊 

Patrick's address is the same as before except the FOB is now FOB Gamberi instead of FOB Fenty. Let me know if you need the address again. 

Upgrades!

Patrick is having a really good week!  Just this morning he told me that he got to move to a bigger and better room with a better mattress.  These are the pictures he sent me of his new abode.  

He also will be receiving a promotion to 1^st Lieutenant this week!  Although this is an automatic promotion (every LT receives it after 18-24 months in the Army), it is still an exciting thing.  I am very proud of him and the work that he does every day. 

John and I are doing well.  He has cut his first top tooth, giving him a grand total of three teeth!  I can tell that it hurts him, but that doesn’t stop my little ball of energy from playing.  It does keep him from getting a good night’s sleep, though.  This mama is hoping that he will have a good day of naps and a full night’s sleep soon!!

Not Much to Say...

Hello, everyone!

I am going to attempt to update the blog every Monday.  However, some weeks I don't hear often enough from Patrick to give any real update.  So please just bear with me as I get into the rhythm of weekly updates.

Patrick has been so busy!  He has been completing routine missions, planning new missions, and inventorying all of their equipment--all the while his platoon is on call to go assist other platoons in a fire fight.  Needless to say, he is only getting a few hours of sleep and is pretty tired by the time we talk.

Despite all of that, which would have me living in a perpetual state of bad attitude, Patrick is really enjoying himself.  This is what he has trained for, and he is having a good time getting to do "the fun stuff."

He told me one of the last times we talked that he was able to get his room set up (after being in country for three weeks!).  He loves his set up with his bags unpacked, a side lamp and TWO fans!  He was especially happy about the fans, since it is regularly over 100 degrees.  I'm hoping to have some pictures soon of his room.

His room is partitioned off in a big hut with plywood.  So it would be great if you wanted to send Patrick things he could attach to his wall.  Letters, pictures, and posters would all be great ideas.  You may also want to send a few tacks if you have room.  He has tape, but I'm not sure how well that would stick to the plywood.

Prayer Requests:
Thank you so much for your prayers for Patrick, John and me.  With God's daily grace, we are all doing well.  Please pray for Patrick to find a Christian friend that can be an encouragement and accountability partner.`

The Mail Room Is Open!!

The mail room is up and running!  We can now send letters and packages to Patrick.  In one of the previous blogs, I posted information about how to send a package and a list of some of Patrick's favorite things.  A letter just takes regular postage. 

The post office will be very helpful in mailing packages and letting you know what can't be mailed. It's basically nothing that is flammable or would combust under pressure.  The only thing the Army doesn't want sent is bulk religious materials.

Let's overwhelm him with letters, but remember that he is staying pretty busy and has limited storage.  So for now, let's try to keep the packages small. 

Patrick P. Peake
Bravo Company, 2-30 IN
FOB Fenty
APO, AE 09310

Patrick Made It!

Well, after several very long flights, Patrick made it to his new nine-month-home.  They almost immediately got to work with property inventory, which takes several days.  Now they are working with the troops they are relieving to learn the area and standard procedures.  They will begin what each soldier considers "the fun part" in a few days. 

Patrick is doing well, but he is pretty tired.  He called me today at 1:30am his time and told me they were just now stopping for the day.  He will have to get up again in just a few hours. Although this seems terrible to us, he still jokes by saying, "At least it's not Ranger School!"  Please be praying that his time of rest will be sufficient and refreshing for him.

As soon as we get the go-ahead to send mail, I will let everyone know!  I know it's hard to wait, but they told us it would probably get lost if we sent anything too soon, so I'm holding off.  Remember that my list of things to send Patrick is by no means exhaustive, and I will periodically add more things to it. 

That's all for now!  Sorry I don't have more to write about.  Hopefully soon I will have more pictures to show you.

Prayer Requests:
-Success in all of Patrick's endeavors
-Restful and sufficient sleep

Pictures from Patrick

These are pictures Patrick sent me from his journey to the FOB. I thought you might enjoy some pictures from over the pond!!

Care Package Ideas

One of the best things we can do to support our deployed soldier is send letters and care packages.  The previous post explains how to send packages, but not what to include in them.  So I am going to start a running list of some of Patrick's favorite things.  I will be adding to this post as I think of new things, so feel free to check back on this post periodically. 

We all would love to send boxes full of comfort foods, and they are great to include in a package.  But remember that Patrick likes to eat healthy!  And that will be pretty difficult for him to do while he is deployed.  He also loves books and music!  Read through the list, and enjoy planning your own special touches of home for our favorite soldier!!!

Personal

• Decorated or themed box
• Family pictures
• Pictures of you and Patrick
• Drawings/ colored pictures from your kids
• Reminders of time spent together (i.e. movie ticket stubs, game you play when together, etc.)

Food

• "Terra" brand vegetable chips
• Trail mix
• Dried fruit
• Beef Jerky
• "Power Bar" Protein bars
• Mixed Nuts
• Individual apple sauce or fruit cups
• Tuna with a pop top lid
• Little Debbie cakes
• Life Savers, TicTacs, hard candies
• Chips and dip
• Jello pudding snacks 
• Cookies
• Gel "shots" (performance energy gels)

Free Time

• Disposable Camera
• DVDs and VHS Movies
• Music CDs
• Frisbees
• Newspapers, magazines, paperback books
• Jump rope
• Stress ball
• Playing Cards
• Books
• Stationary, journals, return address labels 
• Radio headsets
• Batteries
• Prepaid Calling Cards
• Writing paper, envelopes, black ink pens, mechanical pencils

Favorite Authors

• John Piper
• Al Mohler
• Ken Ham
• Wayne Grudem
• John McArthur
• JI Packer
• David Platt
• Mark Driscall
• Martin Luther
• RC Spruol
• CS Lewis
• Kant
• Plato
• Pascal
• Aristotle
• Hegel
• Spinoza

Toiletries

• Toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, breath strips
• Soap with case, shower gel, anti-bacterial hand soap, hand sanitizer
• Nail clippers, tweezers
• Q-tips, cotton balls
• Toothpicks
• Shoe powder
• Shampoo, conditioner
• Aloe Vera
• Eye drops (moisturizing), saline mist nose spray
• Travel size Kleenex
• Disposable razors, shaving cream
• Baby wipes, Clorox wipes
• Sunscreen (bottle & roll on kind), Bug Off
• Band-aids, Neosporin

Care Packages for Our Favorite Soldier!!

Hello, friends and family!!  Once again, I am updating the blog.  As you know, Patrick will be deploying shortly.  For his safety over seas and my safety here at home, I will not be posting details on this blog.  (Ex. departure dates, specific locations, his address, etc)  I will be happy to send that information out in an email or through a facebook message.  I'll address this in more detail in a later blog.  However, I will say this.  I will be receiving that information myself on Wednesday, June 19th.  Feel free to contact me if you would like this information before I get it to you!


As we prepare for the upcoming deployment, many of you are asking how to send care packages to Patrick. I have found a helpful forum website that has some great information. I will post the link as well as the information, in case anyone wants to learn more.


  http://www.militarysos.com/forum/care-packages

Care Package Ideas

USPS has put together a "mili-kit" with all of the supplies you will need. The kit includes:

Military Care Package Mailing Kit
Since Priority Mail service supplies are the packaging of choice for families preparing care packages for service members overseas, the USPS has created a "Mili-kit" based on the items most frequently requested by the military.
The kit contains:

• Three (3) each of flat rate boxes O-FRB1 and O-FRB2
• Two (2) each of Cube boxes OBOX7
• Address labels - Label # 228: 8 each
• Address labels - Label # 106-A: 1 each
• Customs FORM 2976-A: 8 EA.
• Customs FORM Envelope 2976-E: 8 EA.

You can get these items individually from any post office or their website.

You can get them all together and delivered to your front door for FREE by following the directions below.

The kit may be requested by calling 1-800-610-8734 (Packing Supply)

• Choose your language (“1” is English, “2” is Spanish).
• Choose option 1 (it states it is for Express Mail service, Priority Mail or Global Express Guaranteed).
• When you reach a live agent, request “CAREKIT04.”
• Please allow 7-10 days for delivery.

Note: These are free supplies, postage must be affixed.

The boxes in this kit are flat rate and ship for the same price regardless of how much they weigh. The boxes (included in the kit), their pictures, dimensions, and prices to ship are as follows:

• O-FRB1  11" X 8.5" X 5.5" $10.35
• O-FRB2 11-7/8" x 3-3/8" x 13-5/8" $10.35
• OBOX7  12" x 12" x 5-1/2" $11.85

RULES FOR WHAT CAN BE SENT
There are some rules regarding what you can/cannot send in care packages. Some of these vary by country. Generally, they are:

• No obscene/pornographic material (magazines, movies, etc.)
• No Bulk religious material (enough for personal use only)
• No Pork/pork by-products
• Absolutely NO alcohol.
• No Aerosol items (deodorant, bug spray, canned air, etc) should also not be sent for safety reasons.

TIPS FOR PACKING

• Toiletries (lotion, toothpaste, etc) are best shipped in ziplock bags. This will keep them from getting all over everything if they leak/bust.
• If possible, it's best to separate toiletries from food as much as possible. No one wants to eat cookies that taste like soap.  The bags will also help that.
• Consider temperatures. It's probably not a good idea to send a huge box of chocolate during the summer months.
• Cushion breakables.
• Don't send battery operated items with the batteries in them. You don't want it to turn on during shipment.

Addressing the Package
Use the address labels that come in the kit. DO NOT write the city/country in any part of the address. Use the service member's rank, full name when addressing. 
Be sure to include a return address.

Here's an example. These are not real names or addresses.

 

Sealing and Finishing Touches
The box (if not flat rate) should be free of writing on that outside that suggests it's something else. For the flat-rate boxes, that won't be an issue and you should use the priority tape that comes in the kit. Seal all the cracks and secure the package with tape. Don't be afraid of using too much. Place the address label on the bottom, right-hand corner of one side of the package. A customs form is also necessary for shipping internationally but the post office worker will put that on for you later.

Customs Forms
Either use the customs form that comes in the kit or ask your local USPS worker to set you up with the correct one. There are several carbon copies so be sure to press down hard enough that it goes through. The bottom layer will serve as your receipt and you want to make sure it's legible. On the form you need to fill out:

• Names/Addresses for both the sender and the recipient.
• "Detailed" description of the contents. (Magazines, snacks, letters, etc). Do not worry about individual weights of the items. It's in the package's best interest for you NOT to list any valuable/electronics because that make it more prone to theft or "disappearing".
• Check "gift".

The postal worker will weigh the package when you arrive at the post office and fill out the remainder of the form for you so be sure not to put it in it's clear envelope. When they are done, they will ask you to approve the form with your signature. They will then put the form in the envelope and attach it to the outside of your box. This is something you should let them do. It's easier that way.

Here's an example of the instructions on the front.



The areas circled in blue are what you'll need to fill out.



Insurance
*This section is iffy. Ask your postal worker for clarification.*
You can also insure the contents of your package with USPS. Just let the postal worker know you want it. The cost of the insurance will depend on the value of the contents but is fairly inexpensive. This will protect you against lost/stolen/damaged packages even after the package is out of the USPS's hands. To help your case, it is also a good idea to take pictures of the package/what's in it so that you have proof of the value.
Shipping Time Frame
Now your package is on it's way. Here's a table that gives ESTIMATED times of shipping. These will and do vary.

oIRAQ / AFGHANISTAN / MIDDLE EAST

(APO / FPO AE ZIP™ Codes beginning with 093)
Express Mail Military Service ................................Not Available
First-Class Mail / Priority Mail™ ...............................7–13 Days
Package Services (*) ...............................................20–24 Days

oJAPAN / KOREA / PACIFICISLANDS / FAR EAST

(APO / FPO AP ZIP™ Codes beginning with 962–966)
Express Mail Military Service .........................................3 Days
First-Class Mail / Priority Mail™ .................................7–9 Days
Package Services (*) ...............................................30–45 Days


Do NOT pay to have the package shipped more quickly. Once your package reaches the country it's headed to, it's out of the hands of the USPS and it will often take just as long regardless.