Free Phone Cards for Military

Created by the VFW, Operation Uplink is a unique program that keeps military personnel and hospitalized veterans in touch with their families and loved ones by providing them with free phone cards. To learn more about how you can help support Operation Uplink and our heroes abroad, go to: http://www.operationuplink.org.

Operation Uplink: Let Freedom Ring


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2,530 pounds of mail...

On average an Aircraft Carrier receives about 2,530 pounds of mail in a single day! Just thought I would pass on a little info and some news to me about shipping care packages to our loved ones underway.

Be sure to scroll down to see what the United States Postal Service does for us.

A few tips & ideas for your care packages.

• Breakfast bars. Granola, cereal and power bars, cliff bars
• Glade Stick-Up
• Blanket from home.
• A big fluffy towel
• Instant coffee. You can get it in many different flavors.
• Powdered Hot Chocolate
• Calling cards
• Pictures of you
• pictures of family
• Zip Drive with a "Mix Tape" of MP3s
• Send pocket electronic games. About $10 each
• Make and send a miniature scrapbook
• Prepackaged Brownies & Rice Crispie Treats
• Snack mixes like Chex Mix
• Nuts - Cashews, peanuts, etc.
• Pretzels
• Rolls of quarters

ALL items which contain liquids and pastes (even in cans), put in a zip-lock bag, and a second one up-side-down from the first one. If an item can leak, it will.

Did you know that you can send the Priority Mail APO/FPO Flat Rate Box for a FLAT RATE, regardless of weight? PACK IT FULL! Its that same price to ship a box full or cotton balls or a box of magazines and books :)

~Plus you can go to USPS.com and get a pack of 10 empty boxes delivered to your home for FREE! If you're anything like me, every little bit helps :) Unloading three children to go in the Post Office to get one box then going home filling it and taking it back... Ya, one less errand is always welcome here :)

From the site...
Introducing a quick, easy, convenient and NOW 50% larger way for you to ship Priority Mail packages to military personnel serving overseas. The Priority Mail APO/FPO Flat Rate Box features predetermined rates regardless of weight (domestically) or destination, similar to our other Flat Rate products.

Some key benefits:

• Only $10.95 when used to send to APO/FPO addresses; $2.00 less than our domestic pricing.
• Box features the “America Supports You” logo and APO/FPO addressing block.
• The U.S. Postal Service offers free Package Pickup from your home or office at a time and place convenient for you. To schedule Package Pickup and for other pickup options and availability, visit usps.com.

Reagan Strike Group and American Idol have something in common...

There are more than 7,000 sailors on the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan and the six ships in its strike group! There were 7100 fans in the audience last night at the American Idol Finalle.

Not sure of the exact quote but on the American Idol finale last night, David Cook mentioned that he was singing to 7000 people. That is still LESS than there are in the Ronald Reagan Strike Group! And that crowd was huge! It really opened my eyes to all the families that are going through the same thing we are.

I wish strength, courage, and happiness to all of my fellow Reagan Strike Group Families and to all our families with a loved one deployed!

USS Ronald Reagan & Stike Group Leaves for 6 Month Deployment

More than 7,000 sailors, 5,000 of them aboard the Reagan, are serving on the ships. Navy officials have not announced where the Reagan Strike Group is heading, but the deployment is scheduled to last six months.

The carrier strike group includes the guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville; guided-missile destroyers USS Decatur, USS Gridley and USS Howard; guided missile frigate USS Thach and fast combat support ship USNS Rainier.

Excerpt from NBCSandiego.com

~Sorry I've been MIA (but I'm sure those of you who have done this), you can understand that we were spending our last moments together before my Husband left on his WestPac. This is our 4th Pac together, one as a Newly Wed, one Pregnant with twins, one with 2 toddlers & a baby and finally this one, with 3 toddlers. Our 4th Pac in 7 years together, it feels like we just got back from our last deployment last year with the USS John C. Stennis.

While this one was the hardest yet to say goodbye, I am optimistic that this deployment will be the easiest. I am back down in San Diego by a really great friend and my Brother. I have a sitter (my brother's girl friend), and I DON'T live out in the middle of nowhere. Another bonus positive is that the twins are old enough to be in activities (ballet & piano).

Usually WestPacs find stir crazy women leaving for road trips and vacations to see family across the country, but I really love being here in San Diego. At this moment I can think of another place I'd rather be. I am a woman and have the prerogative to change my mind if I like so I may make a trip or two to AZ and if I REALLY feel like being adventurous I could take the kids to CO or TX, to see family and friends.

I channeled my energy yesterday with designing a few new items for the Navy Pride Store. A shirt that instead of saying Navy Brat (I've always disliked that term), I designed one that says Navy Princess. I also designed license plate frames for the USS Ronald Reagan.

Thanks for stopping by :)