"Thank You" for your very generous package that you sent for the Marines of 3d Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward). It was like Christmas came early for the Marines.
Your box arrived after a 5-day dry spell of no mail. Apparently our mail was being re-routed to another location. Once the "glitch" was fixed, we received your box. It is amazing how mail lifts everyone's spirits. I had one Marine in the section who does not get a lot of mail open the box. It was very nice to see him smile from ear to ear as he opened it. Please know that everything you sent was disbursed to the Marines throughout the unit all over Iraq.
I can honestly say that your care package has definitely positively impacted the morale of the unit. The simple things always seem to make the most difference. Thank you for taking the time to give something to the Marines who are forward deployed. It is always nice to know that what we are doing here is appreciated at home.
Sincerely,
Major Marisa Serano
United States Marine Corps.
(From Afghanistan):
"I'm in the Air Force, but filling a position in the Army. The Army has been over-tasked on many fronts, so they ask the Air Force and Navy to send folks to help. I've been here in Mazar-e-Sharif since early July and will be heading home in a few weeks. It's been interesting to say the least. I've been in the Air Force for over 10 years now, am married and have beautiful daughters: Eliza,11 and Hannah, 9.
Our primary mission here is to mentor and train the Afghan National Police and Army. The progress is slow, but periodically rewarding. As the Afghan people have been a tribal society for thousands of years, it's a foreign concept to many who are uneducated and illiterate that if you establish a central government, you will have law, order and an eventual better standard of living. Additionally, corruption and nepotism are also present, so many common citizens wonder how much better off they are with this new societal structure. We still have a long way to go and it is my humble opinion that it may take a few generations before the majority of the population embraces a democratic form of society. There are lots of humanitarian assistance projects in our area and little by little, people are starting to trust that we really are here to help them.
My time here has helped me remember again just how blessed we have it in America. I am grateful that we live in a country where people don't wake up in the morning to a "night letter" left on their door that threatens a family if they send their girls to school, or vote, or support a legitimate government. I'm grateful that female teachers and girls in our country can walk to school and not have acid thrown on them to keep them from getting an education. The fact that most of us can move freely across the U.S. and not get shot at, or experience an IED or suicide bomber, or mortar attack makes me very grateful.
Thanks for your support of the troops...no matter your political affiliation or your beliefs on the current mission we are performing here, we appreciate the letters, cards, care packages, prayers and everything else you do for us. We do our job willingly and have faith that this will work itself for the better over time.
Stay safe, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and God Bless.
Respectfully, TSgt David J. Carr, USAF