If you have old outdoor books and magazines, I want you to join me in donating one (or more) of them to the troops.  Email me and I’ll pass along where to send them.

Yesterday I received an email from a soldier serving in an infantry unit getting ready for a 12-month deployment to Afghanistan.  It will be his 3rd time there, and his previous experience at Forward Operating Bases has him preparing early for this one by requesting the donation of outdoor books and magazines to keep him, and others in his unit, entertained during down time.  Below is his email:

I’m currently serving in the U.S. Army Infantry stationed at Schofield Barracks, HI. Currently we have a short peacekeeping deployment on the horizon, and then shortly afterwards we are slated for a 12 month deployment to Afghanistan.

I was contacting you (along with the few outdoor magazines, outdoor book suppliers, and survival / bushcraft schools) with the intention of asking for support, if possible.

This will be my third deployment overseas and with repetition comes knowledge and foresight.

Being in an Infantry unit, we are almost always posted far outside of large Forward Operating Bases (FOB’s). Generally posted in small Combat Outposts (COP’s), we find there is a HUGE lack of reading material (or at least reading material that people WANT to read!). Along with that, being infantry – if one doesn’t have a huge love for the outdoors prior to enlisting, which most usually do, they soon learn that love as it becomes part of their job and their life.

Also, on both of my previous deployments I’ve found that when subscriptions sent overseas individually are usually stolen or ‘borrowed’ and never returned before even making it to their recipient. The mail, as you must imagine, passes through the hands of at least 15 or 20 individuals when it makes it down from USA to Europe, to Country, to Province, to FOB, to Division, to Brigade, to Battalion, to Company, and finally to Platoon COP. Books are easier to order overseas, since they’re usually shipped in boxes, which sometimes keeps people from stealing them.

I’m working on filling a ‘Toughbox’ or Foot Locker type trunk with outdoor magazines and books for my platoon.

So, I was wondering if you’d possibly be able to donate any outdoor books, bushcraft books, survival guides, course materials or otherwise for our purpose.

He requested that I not publish his name or email address on the web, but said that it’s OK if I pass it along via email.  So, to recap:

1.  Get an old book or two to donate.

2.  Email me:  jmbushcraft@gmail.com

3.  I’ll respond with where to send them.

4.  I’m leaving for a 28 day river trip next tuesday, so after that I won’t be responding to email.  So there’s a time element.