Care packages

[Robert Wollenberg]

Many of the Afghans who guard the area I live in don't have socks/t-shirts/sweatshirts/bars of soap or shampoo. As you may or may not know, the Afghan National Police (the guys who are looking out for me while I sleep) only get paid $60 a month and have the most dangerous job in Afghanistan. The Afghan National Army are paid $100 a month. Anyway, in an effort to help out the guys who are protecting my life, if anyobody wants to send stuff or even organize a drive of some sort to help out the Afghan guys, that's what I'd prefer to get. Socks, T-shirts/Sweatshirts in brown or green, gloves, hats maybe, bars of soap, shampoo, deoderant, etc., I'll take those items and anything that could help a person out in cold weather. I'm passing this message on to the people I know. If you would please pass it on to the people you know, I'd appreciate it.

Many of you know about the car that blew up a couple days ago in Kabul killing a few civilians. That was aimed at a convoy of Air Force people from Camp Eggers, Where I work. All military were fine, two vehicles of ours were destroyed. That happend about two blocks from where I sleep, about three from where I work. I was at work at the time and the blast felt like it was right behind our building. Why am I telling you this? I want to help you understand why I want to help them. I pass buy at least eight Afghan guards every night between the camp I work on and the "safe house" I live in. I say good morning and good night to them every day. I'm trying to be as good of an ambassador of the United States as possible. They are some of the most friendly guys who really want better for their country and they know they need us to achieve it. They look out for me, I just want to look out for them. I hear from them how much they appreciate us, the United States, helping them reclaim their country from the Taliban. I want to show them how much I appreciate them keeping me alive to do it.

My mailing address is:

Robert Wollenberg
CSTC-A PAO
APO AE, 09356


V/R
Robert R. Wollenberg
SSGT, USAF
Public Affairs
CSTC-Afghanistan
DSN 318-237-1104
Cell 070-06-9484
Email: [email protected]
SIPR: [email protected]
Website: http://www.cstc-a.com

[k0rnyfr33k]

hey Robert i would so help you out if i had money...and well if i knew about this like a month ago i could have asked my church....but... ill ask them if they have donations of the sort how much stuff are you looking at? and i need to know what the shipping cost would be....the only reason why i say a month ago is are church has recently did a Christmas drive for children from Alaska and children in the Indian reservation in South Dakota....they have successfully gave/shipped a Christmas bag for all the children in the 2 villages.......so ill ask but i cant promise much.....and i would give also but the thing is the money part.... the shipping to Alaska alone was close to 2000$ for about 300 bags at 4lbs a bag so....but that was in Nome Alaska....which you can only get their by plane

[JeremyC]

Shipping to military isn't bad. Its an apo, so your actually only paying to ship it to new york.

Something else for you to think about.

You’re not just investing in the future of Afghanistan, your investing in our future as Americans. Those guards and their brothers in Iraqi are risking everything to work with the US military. Think about it, they get paid very little, they put their families at risk, and they are on the front lines day after day risking their lives so they can have a better future. They are our future. Everything they do today, is making the world better for us tomorrow.

[Robert Wollenberg]

We cover tons of stories on the CSTC-A website about what the Afghans are doing, how they work with coalition forces, etc. In some of the remote towns, they don't have cars or anything. They use wheelbarrows to move their elderly around. This country wasn't so bad off before the Soviet Union invaded and decimated the place. And it has potential, but the Taliban, in conjuntion with Pakistan, Iran, etc., keep the people scared and make it very difficult for the place to prosper and grow. However, that is improving. Their Air Force is growing, their government is gaining a foothold and starting to function. Things are getting better here. My new magazine will be on the website by Monday.

A guy in my office was approached by the Taliban to join them, he knocked the guy out and had to leave the country for two years before he came back and now works in my office with me. He's a great guy as are most of the Afghans I've met, if not all of them. All these people need is a chance to get on their feet. I've sat in on several interviews with some of the top Afghan Military members and have heard their stories of the Taliban first hand. It leaves you speachless.

As far as how much I'm looking for ... just what a person can comfortably afford. A package of socks for $4 goes a long way with people who don't have any, or maybe two pair they have to rotate out or what ever. I'm not trying to cloth the entire country of Afghanistan, I just want to show the guys who look out for me that what they do matters too. And if enough stuff comes in, I can get it out to the remote towns and stuff too. We have missions that go out every week that I can use to distribute stuff. Mostly, people donate to the children, which is great, they need stuff too. But without the Afghan Army/Air Force and Police to protect them so they can safely go to school without fear, what are we really gaining?

Iraq isn't a country full of evil people as many like to believe either. Most of the country lives in fear of the Insurgents. Not too different then what goes on here.

And shipping is either to New York or California. You don't actually pay shipping to Afghanistan.

Having been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan now, I have an entirely new perspective on us being in these places. I've always felt it was good for us to be here, but now I understand it better. When you meet these people face to face, when you see what goes on behind the cameras that the news won't show you because it won't boost ratings as much ... It's an eye opener. In both countries I've talked with older people where from from the old days and are now working with us doing the things we're doing, and they all appreciate what we do.

In Iraq I met a man who I talked to several times because when the reporters wanted to talk to an Iraqi, he was a great guy for the job. So I used him a lot. He was in medical school and had to leave the country to do an internship. Once he left, his name was put on a black list. If he was to come back to Iraq, he would have been killed. He volunteered to leave his private practice in New York to come to Iraq to be a medical translator in our hopital at Balad, where Jeremy is now. That was the first time he had been back to his home country in 20 years. I forget his name, and I'm sorry for that. He is a great man and deserves recognition. The main reason I took the media to him every time I took media to the hospital there.

I don't know why I'm telling you all about all this. I guess from being in these places and seeing the things I've seen, being a part of the things I've been a part of, it touches me in a different way then for most people. I've seen children as young as 7 with bullet holes through them. Insurgents would shoot the kids in Iraq to get us to respond so they could try to kill us. I've seen old people wheeled up to a mobile medical clinic in a wheelbarrow for medical attention in the middle of nowhere. All the while I have three cars, a nice house, a killer surround sound stereo system, a 600 DVD collection, a job that pays more in a month then some of these people will see their entire life and more. It really puts your life in perspective.

Many people could probably care less about most, if not all, of what I've said here. And had I never been to these places myself, maybe I wouldn't care so much either. But I do.

I'm not trying to start a movement or anything. I just want to help these guys out a little. I live on the front poarch of a building that looks like it should probably be burned to the ground. The porch looks like it's breaking away from the building. It's by far the worst place I've ever spent more than a weekend. There are Afghans who would be estatic to have it as good as me. That's crazy.

ok, I'm done rambling. I need to get back to work. lol. I'm not looking for anything big. If 60 people sent $2 worth of stuff, that's eqivalent to two months pay for one of these guys. Can you even imagine that? It would take one of these guys a year to save up enough money, without spending anything, to pay for the three year old laptop I have sitting in my wall locker.

[Chris from Washington]

I've stickied this!!

Can we send you cash?
I'm guessing no way to wire you money through paypal tho is there?

[solacedagony]

I've stickied this!!

Can we send you cash?
I'm guessing no way to wire you money through paypal tho is there?

Yea that's what I was thinking. Although I just hit a deer and have to shell out 500$ for insurance to repair it, your post really puts things in perspective. If anyone else is going to put something together, let me know. Otherwise, I'll probably just send out a package of some stuff.

[k0rnyfr33k]

Yea man... i want to help you Robert.... Ill so what i can do....

[Robert Wollenberg]

Thanks for all the help guys. I'd say go ahead and send cash, but there's not that much here for me to buy them. Half this camp is still tents. I should take a picture of where I sleep to show you guys. It's not pretty. Hell, I don't even get to sleep on the camp. Anyway, any personal hygene type stuff, socks, t-shirts/sweatshirt, gloves. What ever Walmart has on sale. lol. Or anybody else who sells stuff cheap. A $5 hoodie would go a long way with one of these guys. I know they need socks because they ask about socks quite a bit. And shampoo and soap. I'm telling you, $5 worth of stuff, a couple bucks in shipping and it would make a big difference. I forget if it's New York or California, but that's where the shipping gets paid to. So it shouldn't be that bad. Even Goodwill stuff or St. VDP, etc. These guys would be happy with anything. I need to get out of here. I'm exausted and I'm probably going to miss the packer game cause it comes on at 5 a.m. It's 11:30 p.m. here now.

I really appreciate anything you guys throw my way. It doesn't have to be anything fancy and it doesn't have to be expensive. Just a few little things will go a long way. Good night all.

[cargodz]

First let me say... Nice Job Chris, thinking about making this a sticky was a good call
Secondly I just want to add that some of you may or may not know... Most of the stuff on the list is available at your local Dollar, Dollar General, Family Dollar stores... so it's not like you have to spend a ton of money... I mean just imagine if every member here went and spent only $1-2 bucks on these guys... with over 1000 (yeah I know they're not all regulars), but I'm just throwin out ideas, cause I know every little bit will help

[k0rnyfr33k]

hey we got this local store called the sock shope it sells discounted stuff like that...ill check it out