I just recieved the December issue of FSM and I was amazed to see the model club I just left on page 8. I just wanted to put it out that the guys (and girls) at the Balad Model Club are a great bunch and are always looking for donations. Their club is totally free to all the servicemembers.
When I left about a month ago the stock of supplies was starting to get low. So if anyone wants to donate kits, tools, paints, decals, etc. They are always in need and I would be happy to put anyone interested in contact with the co-presidents who have taken over the group.
The items most needed when I left were:
Hobby knives, Sanding sitcks / sand paper, Paint Brushes, Basic paint colors (acrylic), Super Glue / Cement, and of course kits of all types.
Thanks a lot to everyone who has already given so much. I know I can speak for the rest of the guys in the club at Balad that we have really appreciated everything.
Hello Adam, I just read your post and as a coincidence some members of our Armor building group suggested the idea of donating kits to the Troops stationed in the Middle East. I have no clue as to where to start, where to send kits , etc, But we are interested in sending them to Iraq or Afghanistan. Could you please send me the appropriate info so that we can get started. Thanks, Jim Rosado The Tank Crew, Cinnaminson, N.J. BTW, Where is Balad?
I don’t know where Balad is, I do however have contact info for the Joint Base Balad Plastic Model Club. One of the soliders that runs it is Maj. Brian Nomi, and you can email him with questions at briannomi@yahoo.com
Hi everyone! I am glad to see that there is still interest in the JBB Plastic Model Club. I left Iraq in Sept. Hey, good to see you CPT Cates!!! (he and I modeled together quite a few times before I left Iraq).
A few items of info to all of you. Joint Base Balad is 60 miles north of Baghdad. It’s one of the largest bases in Iraq, and is very safe. Please read my blog for more info, www.briannomi.wordpress.com.
Second, the model club is still alive and well. I do have the email addresses of the captain and warrant officer whom I left in charge when I departed. I will ask their permission to publically post their emails here. I know that they’d be happy to get supplies. Heck, anyone in Iraq or Afghanistan should be able to get model supplies, we have so much support from patriotic folks like the readers of FSM!! Seriously, it warms my heart to think of all the fun I had making models while in Iraq.
I did get your email, and will reply to that privately. Hopefullly I’ll post some contact info for model supply shipments here soon. Briannomi@yahoo.com. MAJ Nomi
You are welcome to post my address here in Balad as well as my e-mail address.
It is cool over here but at least it is dry…so far.
We took six rounds today. They all landed on the southeast corner of the base.
A couple bracketed the 37th En housing area. One of these days the scumbags will
get lucky. In the meantime we DRIVE ON!!!
I would like to contribute. I have a relative there now, but he is in a different part of I. If there is an APO address, I will try to get one of the model suppliers to ship there direct.
Hooah, we got a mailing address, and permission to post it here on the forum:
HHC 194TH EN BDE
JUAN RODRIGUEZ-SAWAO
JOINT BASE BALAD
APO, AE 09391
My unit should remain in -country until the summer, although I am not sure for what year.
I will keep you posted when Capt Petty and myself return home. By then we should have
stood up the new leadership for the club. Naturally we will communicate the new leadership
names and addresses to you.
SIncerely,
WO1 Juan Rodriguez-Sawao
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
So there you have it, for the next 6 months (till June 2010), you can send packages here. I will make a note to follow up and get a new address for the new group next year. The model club will likely be around as long as we are at JBB, which I think will be 20 years… but that’s another story.