Recieved an unexpected package at my doorstep yesterday. It contained a beautiful framed photo and a letter. The letter is as below.

10 May 2011.
Dear Alan and Judith.
We would just like to say thankyou in a more personal way in the form of this letter. We are aware that your package was originally addressed to an Australian Soldier of MTF-2. Due to the overwhelming response from the generous Australian public, we were inundated with parcels from all across the country.
As luck would have it, our Crew received your package and we were all very grateful for such a kind gesture on your behalf.
We also wanted to let you both know a little bit about ourselves, and what we are doing over here in the Middle East. We are a crew of Officers, Airmen and Airwomen who operate the AP3C Orion aircraft out of Edinburgh, South Australia. Our aircraft's main role once upon a time was Anti-Submarine Warfare, however since the Middle East Operations started back in 2003 our aircraft and crews have been deployed in support of Coalition and Australian Forces, firstly in Iraq, and more recently Afghanistan. We provide support by conducting ISR missions. (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance)
Our troops as well as our Coalition troops do an outstanding job on the ground, and we are all proud to contribute to their work, by providing a professional overhead watch for many.
We also conduct anti-piracy patrols throughout the various Gulfs and water ways within the region. As you are probably aware, piracy is a big issue in the region and our aircraft can contribute in many ways towards preventing such occurrences. By providing a visual deterrent, and working along side other coalition aircraft and warships, we are making positive progress in eliminating piracy and ensuring safe passages for many Merchant ships passing through the region from all over the world. We have also included a photograph of our crew, so you can put some Australian service men and women's faces to our thankyou letter. We are Crew 1 of 11SQN, and are all very proud to be serving our country over here, and it is kind gestures and support from people like yourselves that make our job so much more rewarding. Please take care and once again a sincere thankyou from all of our Crew, over here in the Middle East Area of Operations.
Crew 1,11 SQN.

It of course referred to the Anzac Day package we sent. It obviously did not reach a 5RAR soldier but never the less it brought a little bit of Australia to serving personnel over there.

The photo is of the crew in front of their Orion aircraft. My wife is over the moon and has already picked a spot on the wall for the photo of "our" crew to go. Now she is already planning a Christmas package to send!

Alan