  

What We've Heard
from Our Troops

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To whom it may
concern,
I hope that this
email finds you well and actually
gets through. I am a soldier in
Iraq and just wanted to say thank
you so much for the gift that I
received from Operation Support Our
Troops over the holidays. I
apologize for how late this thank
you is. Please forgive me. We
became quite busy at my base after
Christmas and I am trying to make
sure that I reply to all the letters
and other things that were sent to
us. I cannot stress how much all of
us here appreciated the gifts and
how it brightened our day. Thank
you again for my gift as well as
what you do for all of the service
men and women away from home. God
bless you.
Sincerely,
SGT Keith Winkowski
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Hello!
Just wanted to say
thanks for the stocking! I would
have wrote sooner, but I've been
pretty busy. We really appreciate
your efforts and enjoyed the
stocking(s).
Take Care and God
Bless!
-Mitch
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Received a stocking
from you today here in Kabul,
Afghanistan. Thank you very much for
sending the holiday cheer and the
prayers...it mean a lot to us. May
God Bless you.
Major Dominic
Clementz, USAF
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I would like to thank
you, on behalf of the 530th Military
Police Battalion, for the generous
Christmas stockings you sent us
soldiers. It's difficult being away
from our families during the
holidays, and every little thing
from home helps. Sending us these
stockings is a great reminder that
people back home are still thinking
about us. Thank you again for your
support and encouragement.
Respectfully,
SPC Eric Burmeister
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To Whom it may
Concern:
I would like to thank
you and your organization for the
Christmas stocking that was sent
over here to Iraq. Thanks for your
Support. Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year.
Sincerely,
SSG Jase Blunt
530th MP BN
Camp Bucca, Iraq
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Dear Warrior
Supporters,
Thank You so much for
the stockings, everyone in my unit
received one. In My supply
office we have a small Christmas
tree and we have hung all our
Stockings up. It’s not home
but it’s real nice to see a piece of
home hear in a very foreign land.
Your support means so much to us
here so far from home and family.
I Hope You’all have a Very Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Again Thank You All
and God Bless!
Supporting Victory!
SGT Henry Joerz
Supply SGT S4
320th MP BN
Camp Bucca
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Hello everyone at
Operation Support Our Troops,
My name is SFC Bruce
M. Paiva and I received a package
from you. On behalf of the soldiers
of 5th Squadron 4th Cavalry Regiment
I would like to Thank You for the
wonderful stockings. It really makes
a difference when you see your
soldiers smile in such a situation
as our deployment here to Iraq. We
really love that you all support us
and take the time to show it. I have
attahed a few photos to show you the
men in my unit enjoying the care
package. Best Wishes...and God bless
you.......
Bruce



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My name is 1SG John
Emswiler and I am with the HHC,
530th MP BN currently stationed in
Camp Bucca, Iraq. Recently I
received a Christmas stocking with
some items in it and a card with
your name on it. I wanted to thank
you for taking the time to send
those to our soldiers. It was very
kind of you and, being December, the
stocking hats you put in them will
come in handy. That was very nice
of you to and on behalf of my
Soldiers...thanks and God Bless.
V/R
1SG John Emswiler
تخاى ثةسصهمثق سل1
530th MP BN
Camp Bucca, Iraq
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I just wanted to drop
you a little note to say Thank You
for the stocking. Everyone in my
unit that got a stocking gobbled up
the candy like school kids. It's a
wonderful feeling to receive little
things like candy in the desert (The
sand dries out your mouth) from
people you don't know. I didn't
call you a stranger because OSOT has
become like family since we've been
here in Iraq.
About me: I'm a 33
year old, 8th year, Hospital
Corpsman in the Navy Reservist from
Stone Mountain, Ga. My duties are
to basically care for the sick and
wounded. We've been here for about
5 months and have 5 more to go.
There are both good days and bad
days, but everyday is a blessing.
In my civilian life, I'm a Benefits
Administrator at Emory University
Hospital in Atlanta.
Tell Justin I said
thank you for the note...I
appreciate it!!!!
Sincerely,
HM3 Najee Mustafaa
NPDB-5
Camp Bucca
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I am with the 25
Infantry Division, 2nd Brigade, 1st
of the 21st Infantry Battalion out
of Schofield Barracks, HI. We are
currently on a 15 month deployment
stationed in Baghdad, Iraq which
began on 3 Dec of 2007. We should be
returning to our loved ones sometime
in the end of February.
The gifts provided by
your operation were greatly
appreciated by all of my friends and
co-workers within the organization,
especially the ones who don't
receive much attention from the home
front. The watch caps came at a
perfect time, its getting quite
chilly in the evening time. If there
is anything my organization can give
you and your assistants back there
in Washington for the hard and
thankful goodness you provided,
please don't hesitate to ask.
I have provided two
pictures. The first is of HHC 1-21
Infantry Battalion (My Company) and
the second is of my section. I am in
the second row, far left as you look
at the picture. I am currently the
Section NCOIC (Non-Commissioned
Officer In Charge) of the S6, a 17
Soldier Section. We provide all
communications assistance for the
900 man battalion. We are basically
the AT&T in Iraq. We are currently
in the process of providing
information and guidance to the
incoming unit to ensure they are
ready for the task that has been
charged to them. We are down to
about 75 days and I am ready to call
it a wrap for this trip. I truly
believe 12 months is long enough. 15
months is taking its toll, ha-ha!!
Anyway, I once again
thank you and your friends for all
the joy that you have sent over the
Ocean. We have little white football
fights going on constantly
throughout the Gimlet Task Force,
ha-ha. Thanks.
Jason

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Dear Operation
Support Our Troops,
On behalf of Charlie
Troop 1st Squadron 303 Cavalry, 81st
Brigade Combat Team, Washington Army
National Guard I wanted to say
“Thank you so very much” for the
Christmas care packages you sent.
Our Troop received 4
boxes from your organization. It was
a perfect match as our First
Sergeant distributed each to one of
our four Platoons. A spouse of one
of our Soldier’s sent him a
Christmas tree that is put up in our
office area. Now, thanks to you, we
have stockings on the wall behind
the tree and a few gifts underneath.
We are very grateful for the support
of you, and others like you. It is
always pleasant to receive mail of
support, but even more so from
anonymous, unsolicited people and
organizations from our great Nation.
God bless you, your
Organization and the United States.
Happy Holidays,
CPT Dale Wright
C Troop 1-303 CAV
Executive Officer
Al Taqaddum, Iraq
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To all,
Thank you so much for
the gifts, they were well received.
Each one of my soldiers received a
stocking and a gift. It was very
thoughtful of you to send them to
us. Thank you very much for your
support. It means so much to all of
us that our neighbors are thinking
of us at this time of year. It makes
our being away from home a little
easier knowing this. Again, you have
made a lot of soldiers very happy at
this time of year. Thank you again.
1SG Sandland, Eric
146th RAOC / 1SG
FOB Marez, Mosul,
Iraq
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Hello everybody at
OPERATION SUPPORT OUR TROOPS.
We have received all
your boxes and am very grateful for
all the stockings and goodies that
you have laboriously prepared for
us!
I made sure that all
the troops here got your stockings.
i put a box in each of the buildings
here that have American troops. And
i took some pictures of the guys
that work in my shop. we work in the
cargo yard here at the airport. we
load/unload all the planes that come
through here.
Please tell the
School kids that we loved all their
letters they wrote us. we read every
one.
well, gotta go work a
plane.... thanks again so much you
guys are awesome!!!!
SSG Storms




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Hello,
I just wanted send a
thank you to the person who sent
this care package to me here in
Iraq. The name on the card was from
Charlene and it said from all of us
at Park Court Kent, WA. I myself
live in Auburn, WA. And it was nice
to receive this from people so close
to home. I just wanted to say that
no matter how often I hear thank you
for your service I think about how
me and so many others like me could
not do it without the care and
support of people back home like
you. Yes we struggle day in and day
out being away from home and doing
things that most people couldn't or
wouldn't do but none of this would
be remotely possible without the
friends, family and even random
people who we don't even know's
support. Again I just wanted to say
thank you for "Your" service to the
soldiers and may your Christmas
merry.
Respectfully
SPC Eric A. Taunt IMO
Mosul Mayor's Cell
S-6
"Pro Patria Vigilans"
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OSOT,
I am the recipient of
one of your stockings. I want to
thank you for your time and effort!
We very much appreciate it. It is
very comforting to receive stuff
from home. We are fortunate to have
your thoughts and prayers.
Please tell your
packers not to be disappointed if
they do not receive a lot of
messages back. Not everyone is
fortunate to get access to a
computer, and when they do, they
email their family. Everyone misses
their family now. I, myself, am
missing all the holidays and will be
away for my first year wedding
anniversary. Many of us work long,
long days and are very tired. Make
no mistake that your support is
greatly appreciated and we put to
good use everything you send us!
Merry Christmas!
Scott A. Koscielniak
2LT, AG
TF34 Strength Manager
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Operation Support Our
Troops,
My name is Brady
Fischer from Carter Lake, Iowa and I
am an Air Force officer stationed in
Kabul, Afghanistan. There are many
Airmen and Sailors deployed here in
Kabul to advise the Afghan National
Army on ways to improve their
Logistics operations. It is a
critical part of the mission to
allow security in the country to be
improved and restored. We convoy
daily to work in armored vehicles
and wear body armor. We interact
with Afghans on a daily basis and
are performing a dangerous but
necessary mission. Most of us are
deployed for 1 year and some are
deployed for 6 months. It is a long
time to be away from our loved ones
and our homes. I tell you all this
so you know who are supporting here.
It is wonderful to
come back from a long days work to
find care packages from fine
organizations like yours especially
during the holiday season. These
kinds acts from people we have never
met mean a lot to us here in Kabul.
Thank you for thinking of us and for
taking the time to send a little
piece of home to a far away part of
the world. Thank you so much for
your thoughts, prayers, and
generosity. God bless...
Sincerely,
Major Brady Fischer
Senior Advisor,
Logistics Support Operations Center
Afghan National Army
Logistics Command, Kabul
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Thank you so very
much for the care package. Take care
and have a merry christmas.
Sgt Diaz, Nick Love
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Sir or Ma'am,
I work with US
soldiers in the Sadr City section of
Baghdad. Our group provides security
so that when the soldiers are not
"outside the wire" they are free
from guard duty and can rest
peacefully between missions. The
soldiers are so appreciative of the
guards that they shared some of the
"bounty" provide by OSOT, with my
guards. The smiles on their faces
said it all. Your love and support
means so much to all the people
serving in Iraq. Your actions have
so much more impact than you can
ever know. Thank you so much!
On behalf of everyone
that you touch and may not have an
opportunity to write,
God Bless you
Fred Jenkins
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First off, I would
like to say thank you for the kind
wishes sent in a note inside a red
Christmas stocking.
I am not sure how it
got to the Al-Faw Palace in Baghdad,
but it was on a table with care
packages outside the Joint
Operations Center. Although
its contents had been dispersed, a
stocking was all I needed to hang in
my room. I was pleased to see your
note and kind words inside, along
with an email address so I could
send a thank you.
The stocking did not
go to a soldier but rather ended up
with a Naval Officer. I am probably
one of the biggest fish out of water
here in Baghdad. My background is
as a nuclear submarine officer and a
Navy deep-sea diver and you can bet
there are no submarines and no
diving for me to do in Baghdad.
There are actually thousands of Navy
personnel on the ground in the
CENTCOM Theater supporting the Army.
I served on active
duty for 12 years and have been in
the Navy Reserve for 7. I was
recalled to active duty for at least
a year on 31 October (guess I got
the Trick and not the Treat:) ).
My family lives near
Annapolis, MD. I ask that you keep
my wife and our three children (ages
8, 6 and 4) in your prayers. Since
I am a Reserve Officer and what is
known as an Individual Augmentee, we
do not have the support structure a
ship or a unit has when it is
deployed or recalled. It is
especially hard on the children
since all of the families we are
friends with have no connection with
the military and all their friends'
dads will be home for Christmas.
They Navy offers great counseling
and support for adults, but many
adults have already developed coping
skills. It is the sacrifice of the
small children that many times goes
unrecognized. They need to know
they are not alone.
I call my children
our Homefront Heroes. My 6 year old
asked Santa to keep me safe and
bring me home as soon as he can.
Santa said he would do his best and
told my son not to worry.
Thank you again for
the wonderful card and a Merry
Christmas to all at Operation
Support Our Troops!
R/
CDR D. Sean Nolan,
USN
Officer-in-Charge,
Transition Cell (C-3)
Multi National Corps
- Iraq
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Proud Americans in
the State of Washington-
Thank you….From the
bottom of my heart thank you for
your support and thoughtfulness. You
brought many smiles to many faces
out here.
From one Proud
American to another…Thank You.
TSgt Karmann-Monique
Pogue
CAOC/Combat
Ops/Space/STO
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Just wanted to send a
note from Iraq to thank you for the
Care package. It means the world
that people care enough to take time
of of busy lives to send us care
packages!
I hope you all Have
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Thanks Again
SSG CRAIG DARBY
HHC 81ST HBCT
CAMP RAMADI
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Dear Operation
Support Our Troops
My name is Charles
Lia; I am the company First Sergeant
for Headquarters Company 81st Heavy
Brigade Combat Team that is
(usually) stationed in Seattle.
We have had the
privilege of being adopted by your
organization, and have received the
Christmas stockings that you sent.
I wanted to let you
know that this was a huge success.
Christmas morning, the Commander
(1LT Francisco) and I went each of
our Soldiers quarters and presented
your gifts. Every single one of them
greatly appreciated the time and
efforts that you all put into these
stockings.
Attached is one of
the photo’s from Christmas. Please
excuse the lack of uniforms on the
recipients, as we woke them early on
Christmas morning to make these
deliveries.
Thank you, from all
of us here in Ramadi, Iraq. We wish
each of you a Merry Christmas and a
Wonderful New Year.
1SG Charles Lia
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I just wanted to say
thank you for the packages you sent
during the holiday season. It means
a lot to myself and all the soldiers
serving with me. We greatly
appreciate all the support we
receive from home. Thank you for
your generosity during this holiday
season. We are proud to serve the
United States of America and want to
thank you for serving as well.
Again, thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Jared R. Everson
SGT Everson, Jared R
B Troop 1-10 CAV
FOB Zulu, Iraq
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hi
thank you for you
gifts and prayers. they mean allot
this time of the year. love the
state of Washington, i have an aunt
that lives there. from all the
soldiers at A co. 27th BSB 1st CAV
div. we would like to say thanks.
pfc rummel
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Hello. You already
know that I am deployed and you have
sent some care packages to myself
and my unit. I would like to thank
you very much for everything that
you have done and are doing for the
soldiers over here. It takes a lot
to support us, because of the mixed
feelings about the reasons why we
are here. Everyone here also sends
their thanks for your support. Thank
you again.
-Joe Pedano
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i was one of the guy
that just got a stocking from you
all thanks a lot.
TSgt Roberts
Kabul, Afganistan
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Thank you! Thank you!
Thank you!
We sent 10,600 handmade
Christmas stockings to 83 different units
deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan for Santa's
Soldiers 2008.
We couldn't have accomplished
all of this without everyone who turned out
at the Anderson Barn to help stuff those
Christmas stockings, cards and wrap those
Christmas gifts!
The cards that came in with
heartfelt messages were as in abundance as
were the stockings. There were several
schools here in Washington, all the Girl
Scout, Boy Scout, Cub Scout and Brownie
groups along with youth groups and church
groups who provided Christmas greetings for
our Troops. Many individuals and families
provided wonderful messages of support to
our Troops too. Our Troops love hearing from
you!
The number of in-kind
donations was amazing and as they came,
hearts were lifted by the generosity of all.
We had strong support from
many different arenas and we are so grateful
to everyone for their continued, positive
support of our Troops. Friendship, love and
support has been shown by thousands. Here
are just a few we would like to publicly
acknowledge for their support.
(This is by no means an
exhaustive list, but to the best of our
recollection. If we have neglected to
acknowledge someone, please let Terry know
so we can add them to our list):


Samantha Smith Elementary
School, Sammamish , WA
Pine Lake Elementary School, Sammamish, WA
Sacred Heart School, Bellevue, WA
Freedom Academy, Provo, UT
Randolph High School C.A.M.E.R.A Booster
Club, Randolf, N.J
Cascade Women's Club, Sammamish, WA
Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church
Confraternity of Mary Immaculate Queen St
Mary's ChurchmTacoma, WA
Tharco
J and M Construction
David Varelia and office staff - Fairwood
State Farm
Dr. Molen, Auburn, WA
Tops Club, Covington, WA
Norwalk-La Mirada Adult School, California
Tahoma Middle School, Maple Valley, WA
Sunrise Elementary, Kent, WA
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
Enumclaw
Maple Valley, Renton and Kent, WA
St Thomas Episcopal Church
Boy Scout Troop #302, Enumclaw, WA
Pacific Northwest Photographic Society, Inc
Red Hat Society - Kitsap Kuties
570 KVI
Safeway
Wal-Mart
Seattle Hebrew Academy
Office Depot Business Solutions Division,
Kent , WA
Bank of America, Bellevue,
WA Branch
Glenville State College,
Glenville, WV
Cinematic Titanic, Marine
On Saint Croix, MN
Jim and Judy Coovert, PrintCom, Inc.
Kaplan College, Renton, WA
Cub Scout Pack 551


May the Lord continue to
bless our Troops, and bless all those who so
willingly give of their time, talents and
means to lift the morale of the men and
women who are risking their lives for our
safety/freedom and the World's freedom!
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