14 DECEMBER 2 009 Dear Members and Volunteers of Operation Shoebox New Jersey, I wanted to let you know how much myself and all the other Soldiers stationed here at FOB Delta, Iraq appreciate your support. Our unit is an Assault Helicopter Battalion based in Trenton, NJ and the majority of us are New Jersey residents. So not only were we happy to receive the expertly prepared care packages, it was nice to know the aid comes from home. Times are tough with the holiday season approaching, we have been deployed on Operation Iraqi Freedom since January 29, 2009 and we will not return home until mid-late January 2010. As you can imagine most of us are pretty homesick and spending Christmas away from our families is not something we're looking forward to. Your care packages are among the best we have received over the course of this deployment, I can't even begin to count how many compliments I've received on behalf of your operation. The Soldiers here are VERY impressed. Additionally the timeliness of these packages could not have been better, spirits are up and the need was great. as a graduate of North Hunterdon High School and a resident of Clinton. New Jersey I am extremely impressed with this program and will seek to provide any assistance I can on upon my return home. So on behalf of all of us here in Iraq, Thank You for the care packages and Happy Holidays from Iraq! You are a constant reminder of what we're fighting for. Micheal Buchholz SGT, S6, US ARMY