This is from the Dept of Defense website on how to support the troops. This was released in the same week that Womack Army Hospital announced their "Army Baby Boom". To paraphrase an old saying "With gifts like these, who needs enemies". Barbara Whitehead, BS, IBCLC eastern NC Baby bundles’ Enroute to Military Moms By Robert Hansgen / Defense Commissary Agency FORT LEE, Va., Jan. 6, 2005 – As service members deploy and redeploy in support of Iraqi Freedom, a mini baby boom is in the works, according to Defense Commissary Agency officials planning “baby bundles” for expectant moms. The “baby bundles,” a Gerber Baby Product initiative, are now arriving at Marine Corps bases around the world, and DeCA officials said the packages will soon be available at Army, Air Force and Navy installations. The bundles will be distributed through new parent support programs at military installations. The bundles include a baby wash and shampoo sample, pacifier, feeding plan and numerous coupons on Gerber product lines. Also included in the bundle is a commissary message welcoming the new baby to the military family and outlining some of the advantages of shopping the commissary. “With the addition of a new family member, the commissary benefit and savings of 30 percent or more becomes more important to military families,” said Patrick B. Nixon, acting director and chief executive officer for DeCA. “It is also a chance to thank all the new mothers who serve on the frontlines or the home front.” “At Gerber, we know that deployments coupled with expecting a new baby can cause mental and financial stress on military families and we want to do our part to support programs that are helping families cope during this difficult time,” said Jim Burkley, national account manager for Gerber Baby Products. Overall, 5,000 bundles will be distributed to new parents and expectant mothers. The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of nearly 275 commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. Shoppers save an average of 30 percent or more on their purchases compared to commercial prices, according to DeCA officials who maintain the savings are worth more than $2,700 annually for a family of four. *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html