mainetroopgreeters' recent photos http://mainetroopgreeters.smugmug.com/ WELCOME TO MAINETROOPGREETERS .COM … to the oldest and most widely recognized website and picture portal for the troops who have transited through Bangor, Maine. The website http://WWW.MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM and this picture portal are dedicated to each of these troops and to their family members and friends. It has received over 74 million "hits" in a little over two years. WHO’S WHO? A brief explanation of each group follows. MAINETROOPGREETERS .COM MAINETROOPGREETERS .COM became a domestic non-profit in 2005 for the purpose of assisting our troops in areas not being served by the local greeters program. Some members of MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM are troop greeters who wished to offer a handshake and snack to those military personnel transiting BIA and then go a step beyond by offering something for the family and friends of these troops. This is mainly accomplished by taking and publishing their troop’s picture on this picture portal. Printing costs for the business cards used to inform troops where they can locate their pictures as well as the costs associated with maintaining WWW.MAINETROOPGREETERS. COM are currently paid for out-of-pocket or through donations when available. 100% of the funds received are used for Troop Support. There are times when MAINETROOPGREETERS .COM assists other worthwhile groups who have established programs which serve our deployed troops. PROJECTS: MAINETROOPGREETERS .COM has purchased individual 3’ X 5’ embroidered nylon flags for distribution to various units stationed in the Middle East. The Senior NCO presents these flags to individual troops demonstrating outstanding performance of their duties below the level of formal commendations. Units passing through Bangor may request participation in this program by writing to mtglegion@Yahoo.com. The 'Troop Video' and many of the musical videos on this website were created by the Webmaster. Videos of troops arriving at BIA were recorded and edited by a greeter/member of MAINETROOPGREETERS .COM. We are all volunteers for MAINETROOPGREETERS .COM and are happy to utilize our personal equipment, i.e., cameras, computers, printers, etc., to accomplish our mission. Items purchased through MAINETROOPGREETERS .COM for our troops include the flags, small toy items for troops to distribute to the children in Iraq and Afghanistan, books, school supplies, candy, Christmas/holiday items or other amenities that have been requested by the troops, family members or friends. PAYPAL is available on the home page of our website at http://WWW.MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM or you may make checks payable to "TROOP SUPPORT FUND" and mail to: MAINETROOPGREETERS .COM P.O. Box 246 Brewer, Maine 04412 Email us at: mtglegion@Yahoo.com FREEPORT FLAG LADIES Figuring prominently at many troop flights transiting BIA are the Freeport Flag Ladies. Each Tuesday morning you will find this trio of women standing on Main Street in Freeport, ME “wearing our country’s colors and waving the American flag”. They were ‘on the hill’ on Main Street without fail every day during the declared Iraq War. Whenever possible the Freeport Flag Ladies make the long drive to Bangor International Airport or to Pease International Airport in New Hampshire to meet troop flights. Depending on road conditions these trips can take from two to three hours each way. These ladies have taken thousands of pictures of the troops which can be found on their website http://www.freeportflagladies.com. The Freeport Flag Ladies are always on the lookout for interesting toys, games, and magazines along with nutritious and tasty foods to include in the packages they mail weekly to the troops. Neck pillows for wounded troops are shipped along with shorts, flip flops and shirts. Everything these ladies do is paid for out-of-pocket or with an occasional donation. This requires them to devote a great deal of time to fundraising along with purchasing, packing and shipping items. A network of chaplains, other military personnel, family assistance programs, and family members, among others, provide contacts for their work. If you wish to donate to this group please visit their website and use the Paypal button located there or make checks payable to “Freeport Flag Ladies/Elaine Greene” and mail to: Freeport Flag Ladies 17 School Street Freeport, ME 04032 THE MAINE TROOP GREETERS The newly formed (2008) The Maine Troop Greeters organization is located at Bangor International Airport. This is not a new group of volunteers; known predominantly as the Bangor Troop Greeters, they have simply established a formal organization that has adopted the name Maine Troop Greeters. When notified of military flights arriving at BIA members meet and greet the troops and have done so for many years. Donations received by this group are applied to the purchase of convenience items, along with snack and candy items that have been determined appropriate for distribution to the troops transiting BIA. Greeters are very grateful to Verizon, (formerly Unicel) and US Cellular for donating the use of cell phones and airtime for troop use and to the Dollar Store for their generous donations of stuffed bears that in the past were given to new Mom’s and Dad’s. OURSTOPINMAINE Although a self proclaimed “Nana and Gramp” operation, Bud and Lynne are honored to provide pictures of our troops deploying through Bangor International Airport (BIA). They both participated for several years in providing pictures to Mainetroopgreeters.com and eventually decided to develop their own picture portal. Many of their pictures are located on both sites. You can access their pictures at ourstopinmaine.com. NOTICE: We at Mainetroopgreeters.com do our very best to take pictures of EVERYONE on a flight but occasionally a troop will request that we not take their picture and we respect their decision. With only one (occasionally two) people taking pictures it is not possible to photograph every flight but we encourage you to check out the other picture portals listed on this page. IF THERE ARE NO PICTURES POSTED FOR A PARTICULAR DATE THEN MOST LIKELY NO PICTURES WERE TAKEN. Pictures are posted on this site within 12 hours of the flights’ departure from Bangor. Please check dates on both sides of the one you are looking for in case it was a near midnight arrival. MUSIC/VIDEOS Be sure to check out the Music/Videos honoring our military located at WWW.MAINETROOPGREETERS.COM Don't miss "Daddy, Where You Going?" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luLhwqXk1N4 performed by then 8-year-old Brian Wardwell. SMUGMUG ALBUM If you decide to make your own SmugMug album please go to this address: http://www.smugmug.com/?referrer=x5T8pBBDP8u6E http://www.smugmug.com/img/feed-icon.png Tue, 02 Jan 2007 17:34:29 -0800 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:23:33 -0800 http://www.smugmug.com/ Copyright 2009, the copyright holder of each photograph. Some portions copyright SmugMug. All rights reserved. http://mainetroopgreeters.smugmug.com/Troop-Pictures-2006-2007/October-2006/Troops-October-5-2006/DSC03841/120669493_b93pN-Ti-1.jpg mainetroopgreeters' recent photos http://mainetroopgreeters.smugmug.com/