Continuing to Help Afghanistan

I know many of you who occasionally stop by here to read have also been sending care packages to the guys of 1/9 or school supplies out for the Afghan children. And the response has been nothing short of amazing. As we approach our mail cutoff date on Tuesday (01 November), I ask that you consider continuing to send out school supplies. Just to a different address.

Out here in Afghanistan, the Marines have sent out small teams of females to base out of selected positions and go on patrols with the infantry Marines. These groups of women are called Female Engagement Teams or FET for short. We have two of these teams in our expansive area and there are many more throughout the larger area in which we work. These women have a natural ability for women and children to come up and talk with them. Women won't talk with the male Marines and the kids just naturally gravitate to the female Marines. One thing that allows is for them to carry school supplies and small stuffed animals with them on patrol and pass them out. We have given some supplies to the FET when we travel to help them in their mission.

The platoon commander for all of the larger area in which we work, contacted me the other day and asked if I could arrange for some school supplies, stuffed animals, etc to be sent to her as we are heading out soon. This is a great way to continue to help the Afghans as 1/9 begins to head back to the States and it will help the Marines that come after us and those with whom we have worked beside the last few months.

If you have any desire to continue to help the FET do their work, please send out some school supplies to the address below. I would ask that you only send pencils, colored pencils, crayons, erasers, rulers, notebooks, notebook paper, flash cards, coloring books, small stuffed animals, toys, etc. Please DO NOT send things such as markers, mechanical pencils, pens, glue sticks or bottles of glue. Those things have a chance of being turned into something harmful to the Marines out here. If you send something to Lt Hammond, include an email address or some way for her to contact you and she should be able to let you know what she is in more need of after sending a first package.

1st Lt Hammond
RCT-5 HQ Co, S-3 FET
Unit 40305
FPO AP 96427-0305

These women do great work out here and really help out the infantry Marines and it would be wonderful for all of you who have sent these supplies to 1/9 to continue to support another worthy group of Marines in the work they do.