ATTN: Jack Taylor's Birthday

[Ryan]

Hello everyone,

As you all know, Jack Taylor (Discus_KC here at the board) was deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has been in touch through e-mail and is doing well. However, he said that getting mail would be "a true blessing."

Jack's sister e-mailed a few people from his address book and asked us to send him a birthday greeting for his 40th birthday. Here is her e-mail:


Hi, this is Jack's sister Shelly. I took all of your email addresses from Jack's last email to all of us and was hoping each one of us could send Jack a 40th Birthday Card so he knows that we are all thinking of him on his special day.

His birthday is May 31st so we have time. I believe it will
take approximately 2 weeks for him to get his mail or a package. Even if he gets them early it surely doesn't matter, just the thought will mean alot to him and keep his morale up.

I think it'd be a great idea to have everyone send Jack a letter or a birthday card just to say hello and wish him well. I'm sure it will make him feel better and let him know that he's in our thoughts and prayers. Jack may be deployed for a while, so this may help pass the time.

You can send letters and cards to:

Msgt Jack Taylor
506 AEG / EAMXS USAF A-10s
APO, AE 09347

Also, if you would like to send a message to Jack or some of the other troops to let them know that we're proud of them and anxious to see them return home safely, you can post it here and I'll print this whole thread out and mail it to Jack along with some of the recent Simply threads that he's missed out on.

Thanks to everyone in advance for their participation! Let's help make Jack's 40th birthday a special one, even if he's not home!

Ryan

[April]

Thanks for posting this Ryan. He also would love to get even pics or newsclippings of interest even. to keep current...or if you can.even a treat or something the men could use or share. etc. their all very anxious for news or letters of good wishes etc.
any little thing that we take for granted im sure will boost their morale or spirits. and to let them know we appreciate them.

[April]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK!!!!!!!
A care package will be on its way. Just gotta collect some stuff.
Id send a birthday cake.but possible it could come presquashed.
Maybe one of Carys McGyver boxes will get it there safely?

For those who want to send Jack something (a package) and have never sent anything via an APO address before it is quite simple.....Package up what ever you want to send but do not seal the box, depending on your post office they may or may not want to inspect the items before they send it off.
For us in the USA you will have to fill out a U S Customs form listing everything in detail that you are sending along with a value of each item....Then you can choose how you want the package sent from your post office to New York where all APO mail is sent before being shipped overseas, at least for people sending mail from the East coast...... That is all there is to it...I sent off a box last week that had quite a few items in it and the postage was only $7.00.....That is such a small price to pay to help improve the morale of everyone over there..................


Randy

for those that would like to send something and have not been writing to Jack, here is the latest e-mail I recieved from him...This may help you when picking out items to send


Randy

Hello from Tallil,

In a earlier E-mail, I had talked about this airbase being my operating location for the duration. Boy, I was wrong !!!!! I can't give details or timeframe but I will be moving forward again. So I will have to pack all my bags again and head out. Just when things had settled down and conditions were beginning to be bearable, we are off again. The unsanitary conditions are bad and a percentage of the group is ill. Stomach cramps, vomiting, and diahrea are the norm. I was fine until earlier today. Now I am suffering my case of the crud. We have been informed it is the Norwalk virus. That is the same virus that the cruise ships had the problem with. It seems with using baby wipes all the time, you still can't get clean enough. Sorry for the graphics but that is reality. The military is working very diligently to improve conditions but progress is slow. Most large cargo airplanes can't land at this airfield so things are convoyed up on trucks. And when you figure we have close to 10,000 total military personnel here, that computes to one heck of a lot of trucks. From here to Kuwait, all you see are military vehicles or private semis. Tallil is bringing in almost 90% of the humanitarian aid supplies. The containers are starting to arrive from the ships. Logistics is crazy, with this city getting so much of the supplies and another getting so much. I do have a great respect for those coordinating the relief efforts. The local people are very appreciative of our mission !!!!!!!!! It is the press that skews the facts. They preview the Pro Saddam protestors which are a small group and make the American public believe that is how “all” the people here feel. The smart ones see through the BS and the naпve ones believe.

Temperatures are on the rise with highs in the 100's and lows in the 70's. The wind is kicking up and sandstorms are very frequent. We had a nice rain today followed by a super bad dust storm. Go figure.

I do not know when we will have E-mail again but still continue to write. Once I get settled and the information is declassified, I can tell you where I am at. It has been 3 weeks and still no mail. E-mail has been a lifesaver for me. Communication via the E-mail has helped us keep in touch with family and friends. Letters will be greatly appreciated by anyone.

Many have asked about when I get to come home. I wish I could give a definite answer, but we are not sure. Just don't expect me back in the next 30 or 60 days. If I was a betting man, I wouldn't bet. All you do is get people excited by telling them one thing only to turn around and have to change the facts. I have had my fill of that already. I will be home !!!!!!!!! That is 100% factual

The support from everyone has been overwhelming and I want you to know we do so much appreciate it. Just a simple card telling us we are being thought about and prayed for is so encouraging. We knew that all along we would be supported but it sure brightens our faces.

I have rambled on long enough. I am not sure when the next update will be. I have great faith in the communication system so let's hope I have it in a few days.

Some have expressed wishes about sending care packages. I feel a bit ackward asking for things from strangers. But if this is a way for some to help support us even more, I don't have a problem with it. I can and do have people to share it with. Baby wipes, hand sanitizer, any type of beef jerky, a newspaper, anything that we can't get here. That almost leaves it wide open. There is no obligation and I didn't even want to write this down, but I made a promise that I would since requests have been made.

I will include my address and e-mail if someone would like to write.

Take care and God Bless. Each day I am here means 1 day I am closer to getting home. I wouldn't change any of this experience I have endured. This is called Operation Iraqi Freedom but it is perserving our freedom as well.

Jack

E-mail Jacktaylor@gimail.af.mil

Address

Msgt Jack Taylor
506 AEG / EAMXS USAF A-10s
APO, AE 09347

All mail will be forwarded.

I think that letter say's it all.......So please take some time out of your busy day and and send him an e-mail or better yet pick up a few items and send them Jack's way.................Randy

[April]

hmmmmm. wonder how it will work out sending things from canada? think it will have to go to the place in new york to ship out?

[boobar]

hello all

after reading Ryan's & Randy's posts i have decided to speak with the israeli fish forum admin to get a formal message for Jack Taylor and his fellow friands the american soldiers in iraq. i sent a copy of that letter to jack's e-mail.

This is a formal letter written on behalf of the ffil.org:


Dear Msgt Jack Taylor,

I would like to take the opportunity to thank you and your country for the good service you have done to the world in Iraq. I feel great sympathy and appreciation to the hard and important work that you guys are doing there, making our world a better place.

It is funny how ‘fish addicts’ like us, regardless of race, gender or faith, love to sit back and relax staring at our ‘aquarium harmony’ and feel sympathy for each other.

All our forum members in Israel have served in the Israeli military (and still do reserve duty) so they have experienced the things that you described in your post.
Here in Israel, we were expecting non-conventional missile attacks so we have some forum threads (in Hebrew only, sorry) on “how to handle biological pollution from biological weapons in the aquarium”

Although the war in Iraq has raised conflicting opinions around the globe, the sheer fact that some biological and chemical weapons were aimed against our aquariums are enough to the members of this forum to completely justify your actions in Iraq...

I would like to salute you my friend,

Best regards and Godspeed

Staff sgt
Kfir Alfandari
The Israeli Fish Forum administration

http://www.ffil.org

http://www.anyflag.com/religious/israel.gif http://www.ffil.org/templates/subSilver/images/logo_phpBB.gif

Happy Birthday jack
oren.

[dm]

Have a Happy Birthday Jack!
Stay safe and come home soon.

[brewmaster15]

Happy Birthday Bro!

Thinking about you alot these days My friend! Hopefully snail mail gets to you guys soon! Looking forward to the day you are back with us!

-al

[zoids]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK!!!!!

Hope you be back soon!!!

Take care and be good :)

Roy

[Don_Lee]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK! We are thinking of you, and miss you.

AMERICAN TROOPS!-WE LOVE YOU! THANK YOU FOR DEFENDING OUR GREAT COUNTRY! YOU ARE IN MY THOUGHTS EVERY DAY-YOUR EFFORTS ARE SOOO APPRECIATED!

Don Lee ;D

[sgt95b]

This was a great idea. I myself am a Sgt. in the North Carolina Army National Guard and have been in his shoes. A million miles from home on deployment and celebrating a birthday. This should really help to boost moral even in the less than comfortable conditions. I currently have a brother, Navy P.O. Christopher Crabtree and two close friends, Army Sgt. William Lemke and SFC Tony Smith there now. Some times I kinda feel guilty for not being there but you can't march without the order.
I would like to ask that every one pray for those who are there,those who are awaiting orders and most of all those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for there various countries.

Thanks to all that have served.

Sgt William C Crabtree
N.C.A.N.G.

[Tyler]

Jack,
We miss you so much, and you have been in my thoughts a lot lately. I appreciate all that you, and every one of our troops have done for this country. Hope it settles down a little for you, and that you and everyone stays healthy. Stay in contact, we will be here for support as much as possible!
And a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!

[Ardan]

Happy Birthday Jack!
Make the best of it, pass the time, and GET HOME! ;D

[paul_burney]

Happy Birthday Jack 8) 8) 8) 8) please look for my Birthday present in the mail to you if its to much share with the guys :):) hope you come back soon Fishnut
Paul Burney

[boobar]

hello all
I just got an e-mail from jack taylor. it's a reply for the message i have sent him yesterday and was written by the israeli fish forum admin.

Oren,

Thank you very much for the nice comments. You hit the nail on the head when you said "WE". The world can be a better place if dictators are removed. I would pay the ultimate sacrifice for that. And I would do it in support of your country as well. We all have a passion for peace !! Thanks for the e-mail. Time is limited so I must go.

Take care,

Jack

[SLY]

Happy birthday Jack!! We will await for your return. ;D :balloon: :bounce: :balloon: :drummer: :fish: :jester:

Party at My house Jack when you get home ;D

[Jason]

Happy birthday Jack!

can't wait till yeah get back!

[paul_burney]

Hi all
and Hi Jack
i just sent you that birthday present today May 3 hope it gets to you for your birthday it is a box of things i thought you might like and need if you cant use some of the items pleas share with your Buds :) would have put more in the box but it was FULL again HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nut

Here is the lastest e-mail from Jack.....He also sent a pic along and I will post it shortly as soon as I can resize it





Randy



Greetings from Kirkuk,

Our location has been declassified and I am free to talk about our new home. I believe this should be the last time I have to move before coming home. I did say that before so I will not make a guarantee. We split the A-10's and took a small group of support personnel and moved north. This base is totally different than Tallil. I can see green grass and some mountains in the backround. I haven't seen a dust storm since I arrived !!!!!!!!! I can actually breath clean air. We are surrounded by the city of Kirkuk on three sides of the base. Roughly 1.5 million people inhabit this city. The perimeter of the base can be seen from our flight line area. This is still an area that has problems. Rocket propelled grenades were launched across the fence the other night. Not everyone here is our friend. Republican guard is still here in very small groups. Most have left all uniforms and now are disguised as locals. So we take the threat very seriously and still are armed. We can't leave our area without weapon, flack vest and helmet. I have grown used to it by now. It is so much a habit that you feel different when you put it down. I have been working 6 P.M. to 6 A.M. so we are always on the lookout. There have been "Jumpers" who cross the base at night. Some are hostile and then there are those who are looking for supplies for their families. When you see how the people here live, it is no wonder what attempts they will make to feed their families. The military is starting to bring TCN's (Third Country Nationals) on base. They are being paid $1 a day. That is good money to them and it is helping the local economy. There is still much work to do and our mission is far from over. Our main mission now is to help support the army and special operations in the capture of the "Deck of Cards" players who are on the most wanted list. The pilots are flying support and keeping the skys clear.

I still don't have any idea when I get to come home. The more we hear, the more it looks like late summer or early fall. I could possibly be deactivated by September but there is no certainty. Our overall mission could change and our tasking could go elsewhere. I really don't think about the amount of days. Our focus is ensuring we all come home safe.

I have talked to Deb and the kids just yesterday. It brightens my day and I can tell the excitement in their voices. That is the true hardship. I missed Matthews 8th birthday so far and there are more days we cannot celebrate as a family. I will be married 16 years on the 16th of May. And yes, my card was mailed very early to ensure a timely delivery!!!

The support we are receiving is very humbling to all of us. I have been blessed to be part of the Grainger team and the support it gives it's military members. I am truly thankful to be a part of a great organization. Packages are arriving from total strangers to our unit. I can't say "Thank You" enough. Having e-mail this time around has been so much of an advantage. I can respond to e-mail so much quicker. I have 1 card so far, mail has been so slow. We are trying to take as many pictures as possible so our journey can be seen by all.

I still wouldn't change what I am doing for anything. We love our country and what it stands for. Don't ever forget that Freedom is never free. There are some that will never make it back home to see their families. This really bothers us but we understand that is part of the price a military member pays. Those are the true heroes and we will never forget them.

I will update from time to time and let you know what is new. Keep sending the e-mails or regular mail. I will be here to receive it. Take care and God Bless. I have a new address and here it is:

Msgt Jack Taylor

Here is the pic that Jack sent

Randy

OPPS I cut of his new address when I cut and posted his email....here it is.............

Msgt Jack Taylor
506 AEG / EAMXS USAF A-10s
APO, AE 09347

[Ryan]

Randy,

I updated your previous post as well as mine to reflect Jack's address change. ;D

Ryan

Thanks Ryan :thumbsup:


Randy

[paul_burney]

Well i just sent a package to Jacks old address Sat hope it gets forwarded to him ok ( sure it will)
Paul Burney

[Don_Lee]

Our soldiers are our heroes.......I feel very proud of Jack, and all of our troops.


Don ;D

Here is a new pic from Jack that he asked me to post on the boards. He stated that this is his motivation each and everyday.....................



Randy

Here is the latest letter that we just received from Jack

Randy

Greetings from Kirkuk !!!!!

Hopefully this will be my last base until I return home !!!!! I will not promise anything as everything is subject to change. We just go day to day and know one day it will be our last over here. We have heard everything from the first part of July to early November. That is one huge window. What is safe to say ???? It is so hard to get straight answers. Honestly, most of them don't know !! And why speculate only to retract the speculation. We can live with whatever time frame it is !!!!! I am with the best group I could of imagined. Nothing corney, but you make a bunch of close friends under these circumstances. We are a close knit group and work with each other to get the job done. Tallil and Kirkuk have both been bare bases and we have made them both operational. I believe this is unprecedented for the Air Force Reserves. We know now we can do our job short handed and maintain the flying status of the A-10. Roughly 100 people of all career specialties including pilots to maintain 7 airplanes. When you break that down and include admin and support, we are truly a skeleton crew. I have learned so many other aspects on this trip and fill in to help as needed.

We have been tasked with details which we support each day as well. Our main function is force protection of the Third Country Nationals that are helping to clean the base. These individuals are being paid $1 a day. That is quite a good wage for this area. Not one of us could live on that kind of money!!!!!! The detail is fun as you get to communicate with the locals. Some are Kurds, Muslims, Turks. The ones that have learned English can carry on a good conversation. The other ones that don't have made me learn sign language. It isn't any form of signing, just a lot of pointing until either of us understands. Oh well, we cope and get by.

I thought this letter may not have any good stories to tell and it was starting to look that way. But today changed that !!!! The base has several gates and all but 1 are closed. The main gate during the Saddam regime is one that butts right into the city of Kirkuk. It is totally blocked off to any vehicles entering. But there is a street that runs parallel to the base. We have that area heavily secured. But today some locals (Ex Republican guard or possibly Al Queda started a fire fight at this gate. Several grenades were thrown and Ak-47's reigned bullets into the base. We scrambled to get our weapons as we had been getting ready for work. We did hear rounds hitting a burm outside the compound area. So now we are on a higher level of security. Tensions are extremely high as this area is in the process of elections. There are several rival factions who are hesitant to relinquish power to the other. The possibility of a terrorist attack is very real. I think we were starting to feel a bit secure and this incident goes to show we can't let our guard down. We all know that having airplanes here makes us a bigger target and we have to treat things accordingly. At Tallil, no city was in close proximity to us. This is a airbase surrounded by a city on 3 sides. There have been shots fired out of taxicabs at the base. I think every time I hear a AK-47 means the area is still not safe. We eat, sleep, and work with our M-16 at our side. We even have to wear flack vest and helmet with civilian clothes. The flack vest won't stop a bullet but it may just slow it down enough to save a life. I have worked the late shift since I got here and we see flares going up into the sky nightly. We also see flares being shot out of the airplanes as they land. Every time you see flares your guard goes up. We all want to come home in one piece. At Tallil I seen military members in the hospital and it was a very humbling experience. I will be back home in one piece but some of these soldiers will not be as fortunate. Gunshots victims, amputees, some that will never make it home. Those are the true heroes and ones I will never forget. I always wondered why my dad never talked about the Korean War (Conflict). I can sense part of what he went through after seeing parts of this conflict. But I will never have to endure the conditions he did. He has and will always be my hero!!!!!!!!

Living conditions here are getting better. We have our own makeshift shower and it has hot water !!! That is dependent on the sun heating our water bottles. With temperatures over 100, the bottles tend to get super warm. So 1 shower a day!!!!! That is a little bit of heaven for us. Just remember, we look forward to to any type of improvement. We are in the process of building tent city. This will be 10 people in a ten person tent. They will have AC and electricity in each. We have no Base Exchange so we still rely on care packages for our needs. We will have one eventually but at this point there is still no date. I want to thank everyone who has supported us in this mission. We are truly blessed to have the overwhelming support and the generosity of many people worldwide.

Mail is finally starting to trickle in. For those that sent packages and cards to the former addresses, we are still awaiting it's arrival. Mail seems to be arriving in as little as 6 days, so things are getting better. If I haven't responded, I will once I receive the mail.

Enough for now!!!! I will write up another general e-mail in a few weeks. Keep e-mailing as we have our own communication tent and I can plug my computer in and respond very easy. I have made several calls home and access is fairly easy. Our calls are limited to 10 minutes but we can e-mail as much as we want.

Thanks again for the packages that have been sent by family, friends and co-workers. I will have plenty to share with my “Band of Brothers”.

Thanks,

Jack