Fred,
Before, the threads were in General Discussion, right out in front of everyone on stickys. Now they have a separate forum. The Troop Support forum has a dedicated group of viewers, but doesn't get the same viewing numbers as the general discussion forum does.
You must realize this, too- this thread is in general discussion and not troop support.
The more the topic is in front of people, the greater response you will get. I'm sure that there are a lot of folks who intend to or would like to donate, but it just kind of gets forgotten.
And yeah, JohnnyKay5 and SSG Adams being so well-known and outgoing probably helped a lot. But Alex is still there, right?
As far as the economy goes- believe me when I say this- the troops are just as pleased with $20 bundles as they are premiums. Just the fact that you take the time to send some smokes makes a great difference to the troops. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money. (Been there
)