my nephew has just left for Iraq

[Bombero1956]

I called him to wish him well and to tell him to keep his head down. I was at a loss for words because I didn't want to overly concern him but at the same time it's no walk in the park either. Funny thing is that with things winding down in Iraq I'm glad they're not sending him to Afghanistan. I just know that he'll be in the back of my mind for the next year.

[lunatica]

1. Good luck to him

I think the military's role has changed in Iraq.

[Catshrink]

2. Best wishes to your nephew...

Mine will be home in about three weeks. It's been a rough 9 months on all of us. PM me if you want "advice" on shipping stuff to him. Our family set up a rotation - one of us sent a package each week so he had a steady stream of goodies, magazines, and Oreos. Use the post office flat rate boxes -- there's a $2 discount on shipping to APO addresses no matter how heavy the box.

:grouphug:

[Bombero1956]

3. thank you Cat

I'm pretty sure he'll need things while he's gone so I stockpiled boxes and packing materials.

[mentalsolstice]

4. Sending good vibes your way and to your nephew

I a have nephew in Afghanistan right now (USMC). I'm looking forward to the day when all of our service members are home.

[Bombero1956]

5. these are the last pictures he sent

He and his wife a few days ago.

[Catshrink]

6. Here's something for you

When my nephew was deployed, his unit went through Bangor, ME. There is a group that greets every flight with cell phones allowing the soldiers to call home, etc. It might be a big RW, but it's a nice touch -- and I'm glad someone is doing it. Some of these soldiers are very young and scared. We were able to find a couple photos of my nephew on the site.

http://www.freeportflagladies.com/

If he went through Bangor or Pease, click on the left, find the month, and navigate through the photos. It might take a couple of days for them to get all of the photos uploaded.