[mosquitobite]

Come on guys - THIS is what Thanksgiving - real THANKS should be all about! :)

[mosquitobite]

Also, I hope no one expects them to write back. They're busy saving their own lives & ours!!

[Strutt9]

Thank for posting... will do our part!

[mosquitobite]

PING!

[steveyp]

ping

[grobdriver]

I've used this site the last two years. It's great.
Sent packages of Christmas cards, each with a CD inside along with well-wishes. Wife and I write about 10 cards a night, send to the point contact as a package.
The site has a search function where you can find folks from your state to support, or you can pick your favorite branch, or you can just pick names from a long list.

[Adiemus]

Thanks for the good info!

Last year, my family hosted a couple of basic trainees on Thanksgiving as part of a program to get GI's out of the barracks and into a home for the day. We fed them a top-notch Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings. They spent the entire day with us. But I think we (my spouse and I) got more out of it than they did - it was an honor indeed.

[goresalooza]

Well said, Mosquito...I'm dang tired of hearing the anti-Bush and anti-American stories in the media right now...I've had it! It's just gotten so old. I need a break....always enjoy writing and sending care packages to our brave troops.

Thanks for this posting! :)

[Mrs Zip]

ping

[La Enchiladita]

Thanks for posting this.
I for one would like to see more FReepers sending mail to the troops.
"Any Soldier" is a great site. Once you start reading about the troops, you want to adopt ALL of them!
A lot of troop support was diverted after Hurricane Katrina.
They still need us, in fact more than ever.

We boxed 15,000 care packages this past weekend at Operation Gratitude. They are labelled and ready to ship.

Please, everyone, don't worry about getting a response. Just do it!

[bmwcyle]

bttt

[trooprally]

And don't forget Christmas if time is too short for the paper work to be processed before Thanksgiving.

Try contacting the military hospitals. As long as the soldier/airman is not badly hurt, they'll be over joyed to get away. We've been told not to talk about there injuries unless they bring it up.

Also, we've been told they feel more comfortable with a buddy coming with them.

[FarmerW]

I have a confession related to this. Creeps into my mind every day and I am sorry for what I did.

I was in an airport last year and saw some very young enlisted Marines at the same eating area as I was. I started to say something as they walked into to obviously by lunch, we all know what young enlisted make. The kids acted up and I didn't get to the counter before they ordered.

I thought, that's OK. I will go buy then dessert. Not that they need a dessert, just so they know I care, to say thanks..but I got shy and I didn't do it. I regret it every day. I think of those two brave young men every day.

I am sorry I didn't act when I had the chance. I don't want to let other chances go to show we care.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

PING and bump!

[Albion Wilde]

BUMP!!

[LNewman]

And, pssssst. Spread the word.

You got it!

[Anita1]

Here's the site: http://www.anysoldier.com/

[injin]

here's another great one :

http://adoptaplatoon.org/new/

[calypgin]

Perhaps the most important function served by supporting the troops is raising their morale. They are subject to the negative media and politicians, and often feel like nobody supports them or cares what they are doing. Even sending a simple letter of support helps them beyond words.

As for sending care packages, it is not an expensive proposition. The post office offers two different boxes which can be mailed for a flat rate, regardless of weight ($7.70). You can quite a bit in them. And the troops mostly request inexpensive items, such as toilet paper, ramen noodles, and Little Debbie Snacks, and Dollar Store items such as puzzle books, baby wipes, hand sanitizer and such. As some of the soldiers have said, it's not the content of the packages so much as the act of people who don't even know them taking the time and money to reach out to them.

This is one of the most worthy efforts I've run across. I've been supporting various units for some time now. And, yes, media bias is still "my thing", but, as I told one contact's wife, with whom I correspond, "I am personally determined to undermine the media and their agenda in as many ways as possible."

Cheers

[silverleaf]

adoptasoldierping

[Grenada]

Thanks for the info. Will do.