MORALE SUPPORT FOR DREADNAUGHTS IN IRAQ.htm
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Send Support to Dreadnaughts in Iraq by Mail

Former Dreadnaughts are encouraged to write or adopt a Dreadnaught Tank Crew, Personnel Carrier Crew, Hum Vee Crew, Squad, Platoon, Section, or just let them know they have your support.

As mentioned in our annual newsletter released in December 2004, If you wish to send letters of encouragement and support to the current crew of your old tank number, track number, or section it is possible. The delay in initiating this idea that Pat Forster thought of was basically knowing where to send the mail. Until the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor drew there equipment from the ports in Kuwait,  checked their inventories, checked there vehicles, go their orientations, went through the "new in country" briefings, and got an Area of Operations assigned to them - no one knew where to send them mail.  After many repeated attempts find out this information through official and unofficial channels the overseas Mailing Address and APO numbers are now somewhat firmed up, but all that may have been just a wasted effort because that program has been put on hold to most Units deployed to Iraq due to Bio-Terrorism concerns and harassing mail from United States and many other countries.

To evidence the nature and extreme that this is a real and current problem, I am relaying a message posted on the web site that most of this page's information comes from. 

From the Fort Benning 3rd Brigade "Family Readiness Group" website at  - HTTP://WWW.FRGNEWS.COM . 

Item #1

Any Service member (ASM) and Dear Abby mail programs: These programs have been discontinued until further notice, primarily due to Bio-Terrorism concerns. Deployed service members should not participate or encourage any mail from unknown sources. Any mail received from an unknown source should be treated as suspect mail and brought to the attention of postal personnel. Some organizations in CONUS recruit service members to receive Any Service member-type mailings for distribution to their unit personnel. Deployed personnel should not participate in these programs

Item #2

DEAR SOLDIER Message Boards pulled
We have discontinued the Dear Soldier message board. This is due to inappropriate messages being posted to our deployed soldiers.
I caution those that operate private websites that support units in the 3rd Brigade Combat Team. There may be messages that that are posted that are detrimental to the morale of those forward.
LTC DesJardin, 3BDE Rear D Commander"

Now the for good news!

I have received a phone call recently which informed me that former Dreadnaughts who wish to send supportive letters and letters of encouragement through the mail to currently serving Dreadnaughts in Iraq may do so - BUT YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL THE GUIDELINES AND RULES !

(( Rather than me re-typing all of the guidelines of sending Dreadnaughts mail, I will defer from doing so and just copy and paste the best (and only) guidelines that I have located to date. This information is downloaded from the Fort Benning 3rd Brigade "Family Readiness Group" website at  - HTTP://WWW.FRGNEWS.COM .))

POSTAL GUIDELINES

ADDRESSING: All mail should contain complete return and destination mailing addresses to ensure the most expedient and proper delivery. For force protection purposes, a service member’s social security number, operation names, or geographic locations are not to be included in the mailing address.

CUSTOMS: Ensure personnel are aware of customs regulations to and from the area of deployment. All parcels sent to, from, or between FPO/APO addresses must have the proper customs form. All mail weighing 16 ounces or more, even when the mailer affixes their own stamps, must be presented to a postal clerk at a post office for mailing. The mailer is responsible for compliance with USPS and custom regulations regarding non-mailable and restricted items. Information from the customs form is retained at USPS and Military Post Offices (MPO’s) for 30 days.

A maximum of $200 per day per addressee for personal items, and $100 per day per addressee for gifts, may be mailed "duty free" by service members. Parcels mailed with copies of "official PCS orders" attached or enclosed reflecting assignment overseas in excess of 120 days is exempt from customs charges. If orders are enclosed, the parcel must be endorsed by the accepting post office "free entry, claimed under public law 89-436, movement orders enclosed.” Returned U.S. Merchandise can be sent back to CONUS free of customs charges if properly noted on the customs form.

MAILING GUIDELINES: The following items are strictly prohibited:

Posters, pictures, paintings, books, catalogs, DVDs, videotapes, or magazines depicting nude or semi-nude people and pornographic or sexual items of any type (as determined by local area Customs).

Religious items including, but not limited to, crucifixes, instructional material, or any other items interpreted by customs as religious in nature. History has proven certain items relating to Christmas such as cards, trees, decorations, angels, etc. are subject to confiscation.

Pork or pork products.
Alcoholic beverages or any consumable item containing alcohol. This includes distillation equipment and brewing supplies.
Firearms or weapons of any type, including air guns and toy guns.
Ammunition clips/magazines
Spent or live ammunition
Fireworks
Government symbols including, but not limited to stickers and flags
Military clothing or equipment, other than for personal use
Radio and electronic items including, but not limited to, base stations, hand-held transmitters, cordless telephones, global positioning system receivers, etc
Candy cigarettes and cigarette advertisements
Chemicals, including alcohol
Any literature that is determined to be offensive to a host nation’s culture or people
Sand and/or soil are strictly prohibited from entering the United States

Mid-East Customs officials sometimes scrutinize the following items very heavily. If they contain prohibited content, the result can be fines, confiscation, and/or censorship:
Films
CDs
DVDs
Video Tapes
All printed matter, such as books, magazines, catalogs, newspapers, pictures, paintings, etc
Weapons of any sort
Hazardous or restricted material:
Hazardous material cannot be sent in the mail. Hazmat includes batteries, corrosive item aerosols, etc.

Now that's all the currently posted guidelines.

Prepare your letters exactly as follows:

For 2-34AR (HHC, A, C ) - updated Feb 22, 2005

For any Dreadnaught on ( Example HQ11, A32, C22), or closest
Company, 2-34AR, BN, 3BCT
FOB GABE
APO AE 09397

For 2-34AR (B CO 3rd PLT) - updated Feb 22, 2005
For any Dreadnaught on ( Example B31) or closest
3/B, 2-34AR, 3BCT
FOB GABE
APO AE 09397

For 2-34AR (B CO 1st & 2d PLT) - updated Feb 22, 2005
For any Dreadnaught on ( Example B15 or B27) or closest
B Company, 2-34AR, 3 BCT
FOB NORMANDY
APO, AE 09397

If you can not remember your old tank, track, or truck number - address you letter to "Any First Platoon Tank" or etc. You get the idea.

You must also properly show a return address on any mail sent to the troops. I would suggest the following return address as an example, just to insure that there is no mistaking who you are and why the letter was sent to them

Example of a good return address:

Now, if you are going to write a Dreadnaught or a Dreadnaught crew a letter - What do you say?

At first, I would suggest at short letter telling them that (1) You support them, (2) Who you are now, (3) Why you are writing them, (4) When you were a Dreadnaught (time wise - like 1966-1967), (5) What you did back them (TC, Gunner, Loader, Driver), (6) and What kind of a vehicle it was you operated or what job you did when you were a Dreadnaught. (7) Remember to ask them how they are doing. Keep it brief, supportive, positive, and make it upbeat! Then wait to see if you get a reply. I would like to hear about your responses, so use the "hot link letter" below to send me a email.

Some suggested DON'TS to put in your letters:

1. ) Do not tell them your war stories. This letter is for and about them.
2.) Do not tell them that they are NOW on a vehicle that You once got hit with an RPG or ran over a mine with. Nobody wants to learn that they are on a JINXED or hard luck  tank, track, or truck.
3.)Do not tell them of any casualties or injuries that occurred on the "old tank", Remember what I just mentioned  --- NO JINX or HARD LUCK STORIES.
4.)Do not tell them your problems at home. It's supposed to be about keeping "them" upbeat.
5.)Do not tell them anything that is not positive! Remember this is about their morale - not yours!

Remember Dreadnaughts Use Common Sense !