Last Christmas, Iain Dale told us all about Surprise Supplies, a scheme set up to ensure every British Soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan had a little something to open on Christmas Day.

Well yesterday I received an email from a relative who works for the Royal British Legion about an Easter box appeal set up by thanktheforces.

Owing to the intense heat in Iraq and Afghanistan, our brave boys won’t be eating chocolate, so thanktheforces is urging us, the British people, to send them sweets and other treats instead.

“We are currently collecting any gifts from the people of Sussex who would like to show the British troops that they care. We collect, wrap, pack and send donated items to the Senior Chaplains in operational theatres in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The Chaplains will then distribute the gift boxes to where the need is greatest.

“Most of the boys and girls are living on Army ration packs (lots of calories but very boring). They also have little access to any of the everyday luxuries we have become accustom to. We cannot send aerosols or pressurised products as they are a potential hazard on the military flights, but anything that doesn’t perish, leak, burst or explode is ideal. There is a maximum weight limit of 2kg on each parcel set in place by the postal service. If you would like more information on the types of gifts that can be sent please contact us for a more complete list.”

Although the pick-up service is only in Sussex, thanktheforces does state that “you could order online and have the shopping delivered to us” or “send us some supermarket vouchers and we will shop on your behalf”.

We should never forget the debt of gratitude we owe our servicemen and women, fighting for their Country without question, and I would strongly urge everyone to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to show our armed forces that yes, we the people really do care!

Other charities which help the forces include: St Dunstan’s, Help for Heroes and of course the Royal British Legion.

Yesterday was no different, but the email really struck me, and brought home the truths of our soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan (one of my favourite topics on any day).

I am not breaking this one. Although this is USA orientated we mustn’t forget our own British troops are also ‘out there’ fighting to keep us all safe.

You and Him

You stay up for 16 hours
He stays up for days on end.

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.

You complain of a ‘headache’, and call in sick.
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.

You put on your anti war/don’t support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.

You make sure you’re cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.

You talk trash about your ‘buddies’ that aren’t with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He patrols the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.

You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn’t get to eat today.

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.

You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn’t have time to brush his teeth today.

You’re angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He’s told he will be held over an extra 2 months.

You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love’s perfume.

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they’ll ever meet.

You criticise your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.

You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don’t.
He does exactly what he is told even if it puts his life in danger.

You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.

You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars and helicopters all night long.

If you support your troops, send this to 7 people.

If you don’t support your troops well, then don’t send this out. You won’t die in 7 days, your love life won’t be affected, and you won’t have the worst day ever.

You don’t have to email this. It’s not like you know the men and women that are dying to preserve your rights.

But their legacies will be rightfully blackened by one, fear-inducing word: Iraq! Because, side by side, they angered the international community, defied the United Nations, and illegally invaded Iraq, providing false evidence of Weapons of Mass Destruction to sell the war to their people.

So far, between 54,213 and 59,873 Iraqi civilians have been reported to have been killed. Every day that figure rises as reports of another car bomb, another ambush or another attack filters through from the anarchic Country.

The two leaders insist that they did not want Iraqi civilians to be killed, but the campaign in Iraq started off with what they called “Shock and awe”, bombs falling on the capital of Baghdad, hitting Government buildings as well as marketplaces and streets. Their very first wave of attacks trained on civilians, innocent civilians, whose only crime was to live in a Country run by an evil dictator, and soaked with oil.

The campaign was, in its own rights, a success. The Government was toppled and, eventually, replaced with an elected Prime Minister. However, the Country itself is forever scarred.

The thoughtlessness that surrounded the invasion was soon to be blinded by the lights of the World’s media shining upon it. It is difficult to conceive what would happen if a foreign army toppled the stable Governments of the US or UK, but the events that continue to this day in Iraq, two-and-a-half years after it was given back its independence from the United States, are demonstrative of the terror that would most likely engulf the Country: destructive anarchy with a nation whose police and army are unable to control its people.

As the people who invaded and caused the breakdown of the State, it is our Political, and moral, duty to work to restore order for the people. They need to be comforted by the promise of a secure, quiet life. However, the promise of 21,500 more troops to be deployed to Iraq will do nothing but add fuel to the fire of their anger. More troops in Iraq means more time in Iraq, when we are seen as the sole cause of the terror.

In two years time, the UK will have a new Prime Minister and the US will have a new President. For the sake of the people of Iraq, our brave troops and their families and friends, it is important to hope that these two leaders will work to restore peace and stability to the Country, but also that they will withdraw their substantial military presence and provide the Iraqi citizens with long overdue hope.

That is why a Conservative Prime Minister in the UK, and Hilary Clinton in the US, would make a perfect combination to do just that. To reassure the electorate that, united, we are working together, for peace.