USO to focus on women

[unhappycamper]

Jill Biden, left, and Nancy Pelosi help stuff the first USO care packages tailored toward women. The new packages include items such as makeup and hair care products.


USO to focus on women
By Mark Abramson, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Saturday, November 21, 2009

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — For years, the United Service Organizations has been sending care packages filled with items such as DVDs, phone cards, beef jerky and playing cards. But now, some of the boxes will contain items specifically for women in the war zones.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, joined about 20 members of Congress on Capitol Hill to help kick off the new program this week by putting together 2,000 care packages.

The packages are full of goodies like skin care products, makeup, hair care products and other things women may want, said USO spokesman Mark Phillips. "We shied away from the more frilly things because they are serving in a combat zone," Phillips said.

Phillips said as a former servicemember, he knows what it is like to be surprised with a care package.

"Out of the blue, this care package shows up from someone you don’t know. That means the world. Just the fact you got it is a huge morale booster. It lifts your spirits," Phillips said.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66230

[Captain Hilts]

1. Make-up??? In the heat of Iraq? The dust of Afghanistan????? STOOOPID. nt