Military Nesties
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Care package dilemma
So FI is currently stationed overseas at Base A. I have his address there and it takes about a week for a package from home to get to him. He's moving to Base B, but can't tell me when (not sure if he even knows) and I have that address, too.
Problem is, he thinks they don't forward mail if it arrives to Base A after he's left. Should I just start mailing stuff to Base B and hope he's moving soon?
Re: Care package dilemma
This. Or just send inexpensive packages that you wouldn't mind if he didn't get, with things like snacks and candy. I wouldn't send anything valuable until after he is confirmed to be there.
I think it's important to remember that if your loved one is deployed to a hostile zone, the care packages have to be transported through those hostile places. I wouldn't risk a Soldier's life for candy canes and junk you don't care about that may sit around unopened. That does nothing for morale.
That's definitely understandable, and not something I generally think about when sending packages since they are going to a ship. But a lot of my packages have stuff I don't care about if it gets lost because I know eventually someone would enjoy it. I send a package at least once a week when H is gone, and don't always have expensive things in them. If it's a package of cookies I made and snacks and candy and a movie, I don't care if it got lost or didn't make it to him. When I sent him his iPod and/or anything expensive I am more worried, so I wouldn't send anything like that until after I knew where he was.
When you send things to military overseas, there is a spot on the customs form where you can put instructions in case the package can't be delivered to the intended recipient. I usually put "Deliver to Any US Servicemember" so that SOMEBODY will get it, even if it's not the person I'm sending it to. Everyone will enjoy candy and snacks.
Having been deployed three times, I can tell you that the power of mail, even from a stranger, does TONS for morale, so much that any of us would gladly transport mail through a hostile country. Also, realize that mail is in the same shipments as food and toilet paper, so the trip is already going to be made....
Ojo has deployed to a combat zone as well.
I know that H said they're getting so much that they're sharing with the 03s, who aren't getting much (their supply chain is apparently having difficulties). I've seen people put "give to a military chaplain of any denomination" as well. I really would just wait until movement is confirmed though.
I have no advice. I'd just like to say that I've learned several new things in this thread so I'm really glad that the question was asked.
Thanks ladies!
I am in a similar situation. I'm just not sending anything. Before DH left, he was told he would be at a certain base the whole time. I got him a huge care package ready for Christmas, but then he called saying that his equipment never arrived, so they changed his orders and will be moving to various bases for short periods of time.
It stinks he won't be able to get mail or packages. I split the candy and hygiene stuff into two boxes and mailed it to one of the USOs so it wasn't a waste.