Soldiers' Angels

Roger Godskesen, who works closely with deployed military medical teams, writes this week about the tremendous needs in Afghanistan...

Casualties in Afghanistan are very heavy and mounting. Emergency Angel help is needed to supply every injured American with a Soldiers' Angels First Response Backpack.

We just received this thank you email from a wounded soldier.....

I just wanted to say thank you. I was WIA on 24sept09. when I got to Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, there was a [Military Order of the] Purple Heart/Soldiers' Angels bag in my ICU room when I woke up. It is so nice to know that after what I saw, what I did, and what me and my crew went through, there were people who already had us in mind. I sleep with the fleece blanket I got, [and] the hygiene bag was wonderful, especially since mine burned to the ground with my vehicle.  And the letters and cards from Karate for Kids in Utah made me smile. On behalf of myself, the medic for my team, my TC, SGT W, my gunner, SGT S, and most of all, my driver, PFC K, who had the worst injuries of our crew, thank you so much.

SPC Helen R.

For the next few months, we urgently need your help to fill our First Response Backpacks.   We have enough empty backpacks, but we need Angel Power to help fill them by sending supplies directly to the Combat Support Hospitals.  

For complete directions, please email me at rgodskesen@soldiersangels.org with the subject line "BACKPACKS."  Tell me what you can send and how many of each item, and I'll tell you where to send it.

NOTE: The following items are the only items that we need right now.  All items must be new and unused. Please do not send clothing sizes small, 2X, or 3X.

Clothing and Blankets:

• Sweatpants and Zippered Hoodie Sweatshirts (L, XL - grey, black, dark blue)
• Lounge pants/sleep pants/pj bottoms (M, L, XL - any color or pattern)
• Plain T-shirts (M, L, XL - crew neck, any color)
• Men's Boxerbriefs or Boxers (M, L, XL).  Please do not send "briefs".
• FlipFlops to wear while showering (men's large sizes)
• Twin-sized fleece blankets (any color) or Blankets of Hope (click for details)

• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste (any size)
• Bar Soap or Body Wash (any size)
• Shampoo (any size)
• Dental floss
• Body Powder
• Body lotion (any size)
• Lip balm/chap stick
• Nail Clippers (large or small)
• Disposable razor
• Shaving cream (travel sized aerosol cans or tubes of shaving gel)