19-12-07, 10:22
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Remembering our troops this Christmas ... Merry Christmas to all of you so far from home and loved ones!!!
Quote:
Christmas packages for troops flood Kandahar
Updated Tue. Dec. 18 2007 10:11 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Canadians by the thousands are sending Christmas cheer to the 2,500 troops from this country serving in Afghanistan.
More than 6,000 kilograms of letters and parcels arrived at the Kandahar Air Field on Tuesday alone.
The two-week total is 43,000 kg. That represents about one-third of the mail received since August, when the current battle group arrived.
For the second consecutive year, Canada Post has shipped parcels to the troops from friends and family for free during the holiday period.
While all soldiers appreciate something from home, a bit of holiday cheer is especially welcome at the forward operating bases out in Kandahar province.
"Mail time is the best time of the day," one soldier told CTV News.
In those places where there's no hot water and only rarely hot meals, treats like cookies, candies and chocolate bars are very welcome.
But the soldiers also treasure the thousands of letters they get from schoolchildren.
In one letter, a child wrote: "I would like to know if you are scared to be in Afghanistan."
Another student told the troops: "I hope that our soldiers will be safe while you're in Afghanistan and come back to your families soon."
Warrant Officer Teresa Holmes said the letters make soldiers feel closer to their own children.
"Our kids can't be with us unfortunately, but this is the next best thing," she said.
Canada Post will be delivering for free to troops in Afghanistan until Jan. 11.
People should drop the items off in person at postal outlets.
The Department of National Defence will forward the mail to troops overseas but parcels should be addressed to a specific soldier. Senders should include the soldier's rank and mission information.
With a report from CTV's Murray Oliver in Kandahar
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