As the Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas begin our 2016 care package shipments, it is helpful to remember that the U.S. has a huge number of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deployed overseas.
A recent news article mentioned 7,500 elite Special Operations forces were operating in 85 countries. A total of 220,000 - 245,000 American troops serving overseas are mentioned in different articles and DOD statistics. A DOD survey mentioned American troops operating in over 170 countries.
Many of these Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are living in comfortable areas, but still many thousands are living in harsher conditions ... and are rquesting care packages filled with basic toiletries, foods and other care package items ... baby wipes, body wash, powdered drink mix, shelf stable microwavable meals, razors, batteries, and many other items.
Most of our care package shipments are going to Afghanistan, Iraq and other areas of the Mideast.
A Defense.gov article gives this overview:
Around 9,800 Americans are deployed to Afghanistan. And roughly 3,500 Americans are deployed to Iraq and Syria ... All told, there will be roughly 220,000 American service members serving overseas this holiday season. They operate in more than 100 countries, on every continent.
The U.S. Navy has 36 ships deployed around the world. The largest is the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, which has transited the Suez Canal and is headed for operations in the Arabian Gulf. There are more than 5,000 personnel aboard the ship. The Truman will be accompanied by destroyers, each with about 300 crew members. Submarines and resupply ships are also usually part of the equation.
The amphibious ready group centered around the USS Kearsarge is operating in the Arabian Gulf. There are 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard.
Africa has one large base -- Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti -- and there are around 4,000 service members assigned there. Roughly another 1,000 service members are deployed elsewhere on the continent.
More than 64,000 U.S. service members are stationed across Europe -- from Rota, Spain, to the Baltic Republics. The highest number is in Germany, followed by Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain. There are another 3,000 based in Turkey, which is a NATO ally with most of its territory in Asia.
The Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas welcomes financial or product donations from companies, individuals and organizations who are looking for an opportunity to support the U.S. troops.
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