Freedom Week

It's Freedom Week in Mudville.

The transfer of power has occurred in Iraq. June 30? Looks like Bush lied.

Want to thank those individuals who made it possible, at great cost to themselves? Soldier's Angels has details on how you can send a few morale-boosting items to the wounded in the hospital at Landstuhl, Germany.

And this week, as we mark the beginning of independence for Iraq and the anniversary of independence in America seems a fine opportunity to do so.

A couple quick notes from someone with first-hand experience with military mail:

The direct mailing address for Chaplain Young at Landstuhl is a military APO. Postage for sending items to him will be about the same as for shipping to New York. The US Post Office gets the package that far, the military takes over after that. So the cost is fairly low for sending something to Europe.

That said, I'd highly advise any one considering such a direct contribution to send via Priority Mail - cost is only slightly higher, and the transit time will be a few days, as opposed to several weeks for "regular" mail.

Obviously perishables should not be sent. And other rules and regulations govern what can and can't be shipped. And if you send a package you'll need to fill out a brief customs form. These are really minor inconveniences - the whole process isn't much more difficult than sending gifts to grandma at Christmas (less so - the lines aren't long now).

But you may prefer to send a donation to Soldiers Angels, who have gotten pretty good at getting what's needed to where it's needed in minimum time. (Yes, they've got a paypal link.)

It's Freedom Week in Mudville, and wherever you are I hope you're celebrating freedom this week too. And whatever method you choose, please consider contributing something to the folks who made it possible.

Update (An e-mail suggestion to clarify): The wounded at Landstuhl are from Iraq and Afghanistan. They are shipped there after emergency treatment at their forward locations.