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.

For Those Coming to the Hospital

Hello everyone!  I hope everyone heard the good news about Patrick passing Mountains phase!  Now he just has 16 more days, and he is finished (providing he passes)!!!  We are also counting down the days until John Gideon arrives.  According to the due date of November 1, we have 10 more days to go.  However, the prayed-for due date of November 9 is just 21 days away! 

For the friends and family who are planning on coming to the hospital when they receive the call that "it's time!":

Here is the name and address of the hospital we are using:
Columbus Regional Medical Center

710 Center Street, Columbus, GA

(706) 571-1000 

 

There is another hospital in Columbus, so make sure this is the one you come to.

 

If you arrive during business hours (5:30am-9:00pm), come through the main entrance next to the emergency room entrance and ask for me at the front desk.  If you arrive after these hours, enter through the emergency room entrance and ask for me. They will direct you to my room from both places.  However, just for your information, here are the directions from the main entrance to the Labor and Delivery ward:

 

1. Enter through the main entrance and go down the hall to the right of the visitor's desk.  You will pass the cafeteria and gift shop. 

2.  Look for the signs to the elevators.  You can use either set of elevators, but elevator B takes you straight to the 4th floor.  This is the L & D floor. 

3.  Follow the signs to the L & D area.  Then look for "Father's Waiting" signs.  This will direct you to the family waiting room.

*The family waiting room has a tv and vending machines located within.

4.  If you know my room number, you can check in and see me, but we'll have to play all of that by ear, as the hospital only allows three visitors at a time with me in the room.

 

If you come after John arrives, I will be in a different part of the 4th floor, so just get my room number from the front desk and follow the signs. :)  At this point in my hospital stay, visitation is from 9:00-9:00.  There is no waiting room or suite in this part of the hospital, so all of our visiting will happen in my room. 

 

Just so everyone knows, when I go into labor, my plan is to notify John's grandparents, aunts and uncles.  They can notify anyone else that they want, and I will continue contacting others as I'm able to do so. 

 

 ()

The Last Phase!!!

Patrick passed Mountains phase!!!  We are so excited!  He is currently on a bus making the seven hour drive to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.  I'm sure they are getting some much-deserved rest.  This is the shortest of the three phases.  If he passes Florida phase, he will be back in Columbus on November 6th.

His new address is listed below.  When I talked to him yesterday, Patrick said that he believes his squad and platoon numbers will not change, but I will post immediately on the blog if I find out that they have changed.

Thank you so much for your prayers and letters.  Patrick cannot say enough about how much everyone's support means to him.

2 LT Peake, Patrick P.
6th Ranger Training Battalion, Squad 2, Platoon 1
ATTN: Class 11-12, CO A
6069 Walkers Lane
Camp James E. Rudder
Eglin AFB, FL 32542

Mountains Phase: Week Two

Hello everyone!  Before I post what Patrick's week has/will continue to look like, I thought I would give a quick update about John and me.  I am currently in my 37th week of pregnancy, and things are going really well.  The doctor says that John is in the right position to be born, so now it's just a waiting game.  FYI:  Babies are supposed to be in position now, so this does not mean that John will come early.  We are still praying for a late baby!  I'm doing really well, besides feeling like I'm going to pop every time he moves!  I just think he's doing flutter kicks to build up his Ranger legs like his daddy. :)

Speaking of Daddy, here is what Patrick is doing this week.  Enjoy!

Day 7 (10/6):  This day you will receive your platoon level patrol base class and conduct cadre led patrols.  Once the class is over, you will move to an open field and conduct a practical exercise in which the instructors will critique the students.  After the practical exercise is complete, you will have a few hours to work on your SOPs.  After dinner that night you will start your cadre led patrols.  You can expect to conduct multiple patrol vases lasting late into the night.

Day 8:  This will be your one full day of cadre led patrols.  This day will be identical to what you can expect for your graded patrols.   This day will start with the Chain of Command receiving the order and then issuing the OPORD in the planning bay.  After the order, you will start movement and move until you make contact with and observation post.  After contact, the Chain of Command will change and you will move to the ORP and conduct actions on the objective for this mission.  After this is complete, you will change the Chain of Command and repeat the process.  When finished, you will pick up and move back to the planning bay to prepare for tomorrow which will be the firs day of graded patrols.  At the end of this day, the Ranger Instructors will select the Chain of Command for tomorrow’s mission.

Day 9-12:  These four days will be your graded patrols.  These graded patrols are all platoon size, consisting of four squads and a platoon headquarters element.  Day 9 will begin with a full OPORD and end with the occupation of the patrol base at night.  Days 10 and 11 will start with a Fragmented Operations order in the patrol base and end with the occupation of the patrol base at night.  Day 12 will start with a FRAGO in the patrol base and end with a walk back to Camp Merrill.  The graded patrols will consist of one of four missions:  rescue a down pilot, movement to contact, raid, or ambush.  All students should get at least one patrol during this four day period, but depending on the class size, you may get more.  The daily schedule for these missions will be quite similar to the missions at Camp Darby.

Day 13:  The primary mission for this day will be recovery, refit, and critique of the first four days of graded patrols.  On this day, you will spend a large amount of time working through your platoon SOPs and addressing any area that your platoon struggled with during the first days of graded patrol.  This day is for your benefit to fix what you need to work on so take advantage of it and ask questions.  You will likely get three meals, two of them in the mess hall.  The day will end with the selection of the Chain of Command for the first graded mission of the five day field training exercise.

Day 14-18:  These five days will all be platoon level graded patrols.  The missions, Chains of Command, and schedule will be the same as the first field problem.  Every mission will begin with an OPORD/FRAGO and end with a patrol base.  If you passed your patrol during the first field problem, you will likely not get a patrol during the field problem.  Day 18 will end as you walk back to Camp Merrill that night.  Once you arrive at Camp Merrill, you will turn in all of your platoon equipment, not including the weapons, and likely fill out your peer evaluation reports prior to going to bed.

Patrick's Address at Mountains Phase

I got a letter today from Patrick with his new address!  It's really long, so get ready. :)

2 LT Peake, Patrick P.
5th Ranger Training Battalion
2 Squad, 1 Platoon, CO. A
ATTN:  Class 11-12
1 Camp Merrill
Dahlonega, GA 30533

He gets mail while he's there instead of them holding it until the end of the phase.  Please write!!!  He would love to hear from friends and family!