Query Example to an Editor

Dear Patrick Buffet:

Soldiers face the reality of moving to a new home more often than civilians do.  Moving from base to base every two or three years generates high level of stress.  This also adds stress to the soldier’s family.  It is common to see a new soldier at a new base, therefore at a new job, low-performing due to stress.  This stress and low productivity is the result of frequent relocation.  

Soldiers and family members can benefit greatly if they know how to prepare for a new move.  If soldiers and their families learn how to prepare before the transition, they will be set for success.  My goal is to teach soldiers and family members to transition with the least amount of stress possible.  Most of the coordination before and after the move is done by the soldier.  The soldier is responsible for arranging transportation for him and his family, pickup and delivery of household goods, and pickup and delivery of personal vehicle, and if the soldier owns a pet, the coordination is even more stressful and time consuming.    

I believe that “Ready Your New Home in a Week” is a must read for soldiers and their families getting ready to transition to a new base.  After all, The Fort Lee Traveler is tailored for the local military community in Fort Lee.  This article is a perfect match for such a great community.  With recent expansion and the inclusion of the Ordnance and Transportation branches, and the Defense Contracting Management Agency, Fort Lee saw an increase in personnel of over seven thousand soldiers.  Totaling around twelve thousand people, Fort Lee has become busy with incoming and outgoing personnel.     

I believe an eight hundred words article can do the job; however, I can be flexible and adjust to your needs.  For this assignment I plan to interview soldiers with twenty plus years of service.  I am sure they can provide helpful tips.  I will also interview relocation companies with experience moving soldiers’ property.   A point of view from these companies would shed light on what prepared and unprepared soldiers tend to do.  Interviewing soldiers that just arrived on base can provide firsthand accounts of personal struggles and success stories.  

As a soldier with seventeen years of service, I have moved twelve times.  I have gained a great deal of experience about moving to a new house.  In fact, I just returned from Turkey, and have been in two houses in the last two months: I stayed on base housing for a month; now I lived off base in my own house.  I can tell you that this was the easiest move ever for me and my family.  How did I do it?  The experience I gained through these years allowed me to do that.  I want to share that experience with others, especially with soldiers and their family members.

With my education background I feel that I can meet and exceed your expectations.  While undergoing my degree in English, I have gained the writing and research skill necessary for this assignment.  The American Public University’s literary publication, The Eagle, published one of my works in poetry.  You can review my poem at http://apus-literary.com/on-writing.

Thank you for your time and consideration; I look forward to hear from you soon.

Best regards,

Juan Nieves

Student/Teacher Memo

The reason for my query is because I have seen the need for more guidance for soldiers that often move around.  No doubt that this creates lots of stress on soldiers and family members. With my query I want to create the effect of awareness; I want the editor to notice that the advice I want to offer can help other soldiers with their move to different parts of the world.

I believe the strengths of my query are the point that moving around very often creates stress on soldiers and family members; also, I am a soldier and know what I am writing about. To that effect, I think I made my point clear.   If I had more time to revise my query, I would reflect more on giving the editor a link to my poem.  Since my poem does not relate to the relationship of moving and stress, I am not totally sure if I made the right decision.

I believe I am qualified to write about moving and stress because I have been doing it for seventeen years.  With that said, I have learned how to prepare before and after moving, and still have a new house ready in a week.  Additionally, I have helped other soldiers do the same with my advice.

I wrote this query for the Fort Lee Traveler, a weekly newspaper for the military community in Fort Lee, Virginia.  The website, nor the print version, offers submission guidelines.  Nevertheless, I called the managing editor and asked for guidance.  Because of the holiday schedule, the Fort Lee Traveler staff was working day-on-day-off schedule, and I was not able to obtain submission guidelines. Fortunately, I will be able to get that information after the holiday season.

I have to admit, I am excited about this assignment because I really want to use this as my first published article, hopefully!

Miracles of Garlic

At age sixty nine, my father still has black hair, not a trace of white hair on him. No, he does not dye his hair.  His blood pressure is as normal as it can be, and his cholesterol levels are healthy. My father does not have diabetes or any heart condition; he doesn’t even wear prescription glasses. I and his doctor can attest that my father’s health is above average when compared to other sixty nine years old men. I remember one occasion when everyone in my house got infected with chicken pox; my father was the only one not to get infected. In another occasion, there was an episode of pink eyes in the street where my family lives. Many people were infected but my father. I have many family members who suffer from asthma, including myself, my brothers and sisters. If this could be an inherited problem, I decided to ask my father why all his children, and other family members, suffer from asthma and he does not. To him, the answer was simple: “Garlic.” That’s right, consuming garlic can improve a person’s health dramatically. My father eats two raw garlic cloves every day. He has been doing it for at least forty years.

The health benefits of garlic are numerous. These benefits derive from the garlic’s components. According to thecalorycounter.com, one clove of garlic contains twelve milligram of potassium (Calories in Garlic). That’s a large amount for a clove of garlic. A person that eats raw garlic every day can assure that his heart and kidneys stay healthy. In fact, webmd.com confirms that “Potassium is a mineral that's crucial for life. Potassium is necessary for the heart, kidneys, and other organs to work normally.” (Vitamins and Supplements). Eating raw garlic has the benefit of consuming potassium naturally versus trough processed foods. Another benefit of consuming potassium, through garlic, is that it keeps blood pressure normal. This statement is reinforced by webmd.com “Low potassium is associated with a risk of high blood pressure…” Incredibly, garlic also reduces the risks of cancer, stroke, arthritis, digestive disorders, and infertility.

A specific group of garlic chemicals are called organ sulfurs. The Linus Paulin institute at Oregon State University reports that organosulfurs in garlic have anti-inflammatory properties. (Garlic and Organosulfur Compounds). Additionally, these compounds have antioxidants properties. If eating garlic renders the benefits of consuming antioxidants, then eating garlic prevents, vision loss, and cancer. About consuming fruits and vegetables containing antioxidants, the Harvard School of Public Health notices that “studies showed that people with low intakes of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables were at greater risk for developing these chronic conditions than were people who ate plenty of these fruits and vegetables.” (Health Benefits of). Eating garlic is also beneficial for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. The Linus Paulin institute at Oregon State University confirms that organosulfurs in garlic have these properties (Garlic and Organosulfur Compounds).

Based on the health benefits from eating garlic, many diseases can be prevented and many people’s health can be improved. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that heart disease is responsible for the death of about six hundred thousand Americans every year; it is the leading cause o dead for men and women, and about nine hundred thirty five thousand Americans have heart attacks. The CDC also reports that twenty million Americans have chronic kidney disease. Sixty eight million Americans have blood pressure, one hundred thirty thousand people suffer from a stroke every year, fifty million Americans have been diagnosed with arthritis, and fourteen million Americans have vision impairment. The website cancer.org reports that there were one point six million new cases of cancer in the United States in the year 2012, and increase by one hundred thousand from the previous year. (Cancer Facts).

These statistics are high. However, many of these diseases can be prevented or minimized by eating garlic. Garlic is easy to obtain and inexpensive. If we start consuming garlic we will become healthier at a very low prize and without many medical bills.

To conclude, my father is living proof of how eating garlic can improve a person’s health. The benefits of eating garlic can prevent many diseases that millions of Americans suffer. The statistics are too high to ignore the fact that everyone is at risk of developing some of the diseases mentioned above. To prevent chronic diseases, eating garlic is the easiest way to do it.



Works Cited


"Antoxidants: Beyond the Hype." The Nutrition Source. Harvard School of Public Health, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013.

" Calories in Garlic - The Calorie Counter." The Calorie Counter. The Calorie Counter, n.d.
Web. 8 Jan. 2013.

"CDC - DHDSP - Heart Disease Facts."Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. United States Government, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013.

"CDC - National Chronic Kidney Disease Fact Sheet 2010 - Factsheets - Publication - Diabetes
DDT." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. United States Government, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013.

"CDC - National Chronic Kidney Disease Fact Sheet 2010 - Factsheets - Publication - Diabetes DDT." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. United States Government, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013.

"Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University." Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State
University. Oregon State University, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013.

"Potassium Supplements: Benefits, Potassium Deficiency, Dosage, and More." WebMD - Better information. Better health.. Web MD, 9 Dec. 2010. Web. 8 J

Ready Your New House in a Week

You arrive to the airport, ready to fly to a new base, only to find out that you are missing your passport and your family’s.  Luckily, the airline line lets you and your family on your military orders.  You board the plane, sit comfortable and look for your iPod.  Only music can take away the stress of relocating.  Can’t find your IPod? Are you feeling more stress now?  Does this sound like you? Don’t think you are alone.  Many soldiers experience stress during a relocation.  However, there are many things you can do to prepare for that next move.

Before the movers come to pack up your household goods, empty a room, or closet to secure items flying with you.  Also, it is a good idea to put in tin this room items going as unaccompanied bag and on storage.  A storage room within the house can also be used if an empty room is not available.  The idea is to segregate certain items from what the movers will pack as part of household goods.

Before the move, make a list of items that will fly with you and your family.  The first items that must be secured are personal documents.  Military orders, passports, birth and marriages certificates, medical records, and social security cards are the most important documents you must secure.  Place these documents in a small box, label the box listing the contents in it, and place it in the empty room, or closet.  If you plan to fly with other items such as laptops, iPods, portable DVDs, a few movies, and medication, do the same. 

Next, pack your bags.  Make a list of clothing items that you will need.  In that list include uniforms.  You want to pack seasonal clothe items depending on the weather of the new location.  Place the packed bags in the empty room or empty closet.

Now you are ready to prepare your unaccompanied bags.  Remember, the military only allows you to ship a small amount of weight, so pack wisely.  Depending on how many people in your family, pack accordingly.  Among the items that you will need as soon as you arrive to your new home are plates, cups, bowls, spoons, forks, knifes, pots and spans , and other essential cooking items.  You will also need blankets, pillows, and pillow cases. It is also a good idea to pack a small television.  Once you indentify these items, place them in empty boxes and put them in the empty room.

Now that your empty room is organized with the items you will need in your new home, you are ready to bring the movers in and pack your household goods.  Do not let the movers in that empty room.  It is always a good idea to disconnect all computers, televisions, DVD players, and other media before packing.  Remember, while the movers are packing, you are in charge. Tell them how you want your items to be packed.  It is a good idea to start packing from the farthest room and move towards the main entrance.  Once they pack a box, make sure they label the box listing the contents, and write to what room the box belongs to.  Do the same for each box.

Once all your household goods are packed and picked up, the movers can pack and pick up your unaccompanied bags.  As always, make sure the movers label each box listing the content in them.  At this moment, the items for storage are also ready to be packed and picked up.

The house is empty, your bags are packed, and your personal documents are with you; you are ready to relocate.

After arriving to the new house, schedule delivery of your unaccompanied bags.  Since this shipment is only three or four boxes it should be easy to survive until your household goods arrive.

Identify the purpose of each room before the movers come in.  Receiving the movers should be easy now.  At this moment you are ready to work and have your house ready in a week.

Day one: Since all the boxes are labeled, tell the movers to place each box in the proper room.  Let the movers know where you want each piece of furniture assembled.  Open the boxes with bed clothing and make the beds. Store the rest of the bed sets.  Open boxes with clothing and hang them.  Next are the boxes with shoes.  Open them and put shoes in proper places. All your bedrooms are ready.

Day two: Unpack all boxes in the kitchen and place items where they belong.

Day three: Work on your living room; install televisions and other media, including computers.

Day four: Open boxes that belong to the bathrooms, and place each item where they belong.

Day five: Now you can organize your outdoor items.

Day six: Hang and organize all your picture frames.

Day seven: Compile all empty boxes and packaging material and have them ready for pick up.

With help from your family members, relocation should be a lot stressful that what it should be.  Follow these tips for your next move, and you will be ready to integrate to your new community in no time.