How are you doing today?  I hope all is well.  I just needed to say thank you for your support to the troops.  Your care packages are full of useful items, motivation, and love.  I have received two packages from yall and they bring a smile to my face each time.  I have been in the Army since June 2006 and this is my 3rd deployment (2 Iraqi, 1 Afghanistan), and it feels good to receive care packages.  I know if it makes a difference to me, it makes a big difference to our young Soldiers who average at the age of 21.  So once again thank you, for your support and prayers which is much appreciated.  What yall are doing for the troops is amazing.  Thank You, and God Bless!

SSG Brandon
 

P.S.  If by chance you know Dave & Jane Z, tell them thank you from me.  I did receive a card from them but no point of contact, as well as the fourth grader from Lake Forest name Zach and the other kids (with their colorful cards)!

Hi to all.  Thank you for the care package.   I shared it with my company I was assigned to as well as fellow service members going home.

I'm a petty officer first class currently serving in Kuwait doing customs missions.  I have done this three times and this will be my final one since I will be retiring when I get home in the spring.

Being a reservist, I'm currently away from taking classes at Northern Illinois University (NIU) to be a teacher.   Thank you students for enjoying school, and telling me about yourself.  I see lots of you are from Lake Forest, I do my monthly drills at Great Lakes which is near by.

For enjoyment I like to attend sporting events.  I also like to golf, play softball and go fishing.   As far as television goes, I watch ESPN (Sports Center) every morning while doing my workout on the elliptical.  I also like watching movies or baseball games on our compounds TVs.

Also in my free time, I like to read books, sport magazines and relax by doing word search puzzles.

As for being a teacher, I'm always looking for ideas for the students.  A main one here is the creatures that call the desert home.   We have camel spiders, scorpions, mice, desert fox, cats, and wild dogs.   I'm working on getting pictures to send back.  I did get one interesting picture, it was of a cat stalking a mouse and a fox who was stalking the cat!   So as you learned in science, the food chain is working in the desert.  Well, I must head to supper and get something to eat.  Food here is good.   Once again Thank YOU.