Chocolate wanted for U.S. troops in Afghanistan

You probably know the feeling: All of a sudden, you crave chocolate. Doesn't matter what kind - even baking chocolate in the cupboard will do in a pinch.

Senior Master Sgt. Kimberlee Keller had one of those cravings in mid-October. But it's not always easy to find chocolate at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan.

And if Keller, an Air Force paralegal at the massive airfield 25 miles outside of Kabul, couldn't find a single M&M at the base exchange, she wondered how military members in remote provinces get their fix.

So Keller, president of Bagram's Top 3 - a mentoring and service organization open to senior enlisted personnel - decided to ask veterans groups in the United States to send chocolate to Afghanistan. The goods will be distributed to far-flung outposts as a holiday pick-me-up.

Call the operation what you will: Edible Freedom. Enduring Fudge. Energizing Feast. Whatever you do, mail the goods by Nov. 20 to ensure arrival by Dec. 10.

"Being away from home is very difficult, even more so for the holidays," Keller wrote in a letter to VFW chapters. "This small token would mean so much to everyone."

"We will package and hand out every bit of chocolate we receive," Keller said. "I don't think we could ever receive too much chocolate!"

She recommends using the U.S. Postal Service's priority mail option, which costs $11.95 to ship a box weighing up to 70 pounds.

Keller, from Jennings, Fla., arrived in Afghanistan in August. She said she generally turns to Hershey's chocolate when she needs a fix, but splurges occasionally on white chocolate truffles from Lindt.

Bagram, with 21,000 personnel, won't get first dibs on the shipments - smaller, isolated outposts take priority, she said. The logistics are still being worked out. One contact at a far-flung outpost told her they might rely on mules to transport the candy.

"Don't know if we can reach everyone, but we will do our best," she said.

Kate Wiltrout, (757) 446-2629, kate.wiltrout@pilotonline.com