Note: SSG Joseph M. Taylor was dropped from this list on 20 Dec 2004 due to 60 days of no contact.

21 Oct 2004:
Hello to our 'extended family' back in the states! The support that we are receiving from you has been so great that we are linking up with other units in the area and sharing what you are sending. Many of us here in Baghdad have made new life long friends with folks back home through the anysoldier program. Thanks for the snacks, drink mixes, batteries, etc., but more importantly, thanks for the letters. If is great to hear from a friendly face. Through your stories, encouragement, and support the gap between Iraq and home lessens.

If you are in need of ideas of what goes well in our area, here are some suggestions: lunch kits (tuna/seafood relish with crackers are popular), microwaveable meals (Oriental especially), soups (microwaveable and premixed are easier to prepare), drink mixes, and junk food. We have to travel to another base to visit a PX for food, so varieties are appreciated.

We will begin our focus on packing our gear in about three months, so in anticipation we could use packing tape, brown paper (for covering boxes mailed home), etc. Also, many here are making good use of our makeshift gym room, so things like protein mix, creatine powder, and high protein foods (tuna, protein bars, etc.) will be used by many.

Thank you, all. As we hit our tough spells in Baghdad, the continuity of support from you guys back home is meaningful to us.

29 Aug 2004
To all of our friends back home, we say thanks for the letters and packages. Many of you write that you wish there is more you could do for us. Know that the morale boost of a handwritten note or a restock on goodies and supplies makes an impact. Our unit receives augmented soldiers who stay with us for a few weeks at a time. They also receive your notes and boxes, as they typically are here for too short of a time for their regular mail from friends and family to catch them.
What is popular these days? For supplies: small bottles of Febreze, pens, AA batteries, weapon cleaning patches (~1x1 inch size), popular magazines, and stationery. For food: lunch cups (e.g., Campbell’s ‘Soup at Hand’, Betty Crocker ‘Bowl Appetit’, ‘Taste of Asia’), fruit cups, mixed drinks (e.g., Crystal Light ‘On the Go’, Gatorade, Country Time, etc.), shredded beef jerky. Really, anything that gives us some variety is nice. We are also looking for a couple of capes for haircutting. Things that are out of the ordinary are fun. The Etch-a-Sketch sent was fun. CD’s and movies get circulated throughout the barracks. Items in excess: playing cards, personal hygiene products, novels. Again, from Baghdad, we say thanks!

27 Jun 2004
I believe the majority of the people here would prefer the loose fitting style, though there will always be a handful that prefers the opposite. Second, good socks are hard to find! I found a style of black socks that stands up well. At Wal-Mart, there is a 6-pack made by Fruit of the Loom. It is a tube sock (which prevents the sock from crawling down the calf) that is advertised as having a gold stitch sewn in the inside of the top of the sock. The tube sock is preferred over the calf sock. If prices are consistent from one location to another, I believe they run $4.88 per 6-pack. This style is thick, washes well, and holds up. For white socks, my only request is to send calf length styles. Our local regulation states that any white sock must cover the ankle bone.

Thanks for all you are doing. I received our first two letters yesterday.

Joseph Taylor

15 Jun 2004
Our unit is in a small logistics base located outside the perimeter of the major bases we support. Because of our location, we do not have easy access to some of the services these major installations provide (Post Exchanges, nice dining facilities, adequate phone and laundry services, entertainment). Our living quarters is an open bay warehouse with 220V electricity supplied at a ratio of about 1 outlet per 4 soldiers. We do have AC that works about 75% of the time. For recreation, we have a small, yet adequate weight room, a basketball and volleyball court, a horseshoe pit, and a small Internet cafe with a handful of telephones.

We do not take for granted the luxuries mentioned above, however, on bahalf of the troops at our camp I offer some suggestions:
For recreation: basketball nets, bicycle pumps, weightlifting belts, hand towels for working out, spray bottles for sanitizing weight equipment, a sturdy sand volleyball net with antennas and boundary line markers.
For hygiene: capes for cutting hair, small hand mirrors for cutting hair. We have a good supply of soaps, shampoo, toothpaste, lip balm, etc.
For personal gear/entertainment: batteries (AA, AAA especially), UBS memory sticks, DVD's, computer static wipes, pipe cleaners, weapon cleaning patches.
For snacks: pudding, Twizzlers, Pringles, mixed nuts, dried fruit, drink mixes, anything out of the ordinary (Craisins, Pepperidge Farms items, etc.)
For meals: Ham/tuna salad mixes, soup cups, lunch buckets, premixed soups.