34AEJ7D@CMUVM.BITNET (Bill Gorman) (02/21/91)
Index Number: 13681
The following text describes ways of getting E-mail to members of the
American Armed Forces serving in the Persian Gulf. Perhaps some of you
might find it interesting and/or useful.
W. K. (Bill) Gorman
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
E-Mail to Troops in the Persian Gulf Area - Not really a list
Editor's Note: I have received inquiries about a network address to
use for mail to troops in Operation Desert Storm.
While not a mailing list, there is probably enough
interest in some countries to post the following.
Besides the service mentioned below, GE Information
Services is offering a free service on their GEnie
network. For more information you may contact
GEnie in the US at 1-800-638-9636. The GEnie
service requires that you call a GEnie dial-in modem
and sign onto their "Letters from Home" service.
Please note that in both cases the services are
probably subject to interruption or delays without
notice. Be sure to provide all the information
provided. I have no information on how these
services are actually working at present. Marty Hoag
Date: 13 Dec 90 13:15:43 U
from: George Bennet <George_Bennet@Admin.MsState.EDU>
subject: Desert Shield mail
...
A drop-box address has been established at
saudi-connection@Ra.MsState.Edu to route personal messages to
U.S. military personnel involved in Operation Desert Shield.
Since there is presently no known direct internet route to
Saudi Arabia, these messages will be uploaded to the Saudi
Connection, a BBS network. Traffic on the Saudi Connection ends up
with a sysop in Saudi Arabia who prints the messages on a laser
printer and delivers them to the U.S. military postal system
there.
Although the routing is very complex, these messages are now
being delivered to the addressee in Saudi Arabia in less than a
week. In comparison, there have been reports that snail-mail is
taking six to 10 weeks.
While the contents of these messages are not available for
public viewing, they are also not private. One or more sysops in
the system will censor the messages for racial slurs, profanity
and obvious things of that nature. The Saudi Connection is a
private endeavor and those involved in it feel strongly that it
should only be used to send "positive" messages. No message will
be passed which might adversely affect the morale of the
recipient.
This is presently a one-way deal. No system has been
established for return mail, so be sure to include your snail-mail
address, especially if you are writing to ANY SERVICEPERSON.
Include the serviceperson's name and address in the body of
your message as shown below:
Specific Individuals:
Name, Rank, Social Security Number
Operation Desert Shield
Organization/Unit (Deployed)
APO NY ZIPCode
Local Forces <----THIS MUST BE INCLUDED OR IT WILL GET SENT
TO NEW YORK AND THEN BACK TO SAUDI!!!!!
Any Serviceperson:
Any Servicemember
Operation Desert Shield
APO New York 09848-0006
Local Forces <----THIS MUST BE INCLUDED OR IT WILL GET SENT
TO NEW YORK AND THEN BACK TO SAUDI!!!!!
It is important that you put "Local Forces" as the last line
of the address. If you don't, it will take a very long time,
indeed, to reach the addressee.
Please try to limit messages to 20 lines.
Once again, the drop-box address is:
saudi-connection@Ra.MsState.Edu
--