Be A Hero...To A Hero: Support Our Troops:

Be A Hero...To A Hero
Support Our Troops

A Message from Pete and Pam Wright

In September, our son Jason was deployed to Iraq. Like many of you, we are frustrated about these wars. Like many of you, we said "We support the troops." After Jason left, we asked ourselves, "What have we done to 'support the troops?'"

The painful answer: "Not much."

After this, we spent a great deal of time on the Internet. We wanted to learn all we could about how ordinary people - like us and you - could support the young men and women who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan." Read this message from Pete and Pam Wright.

Why Help?

"It means the world to us knowing that while we are on the front, America has our back. Thank you for all the support you have given. Your letters mean the world to us ."

Thousands of US soldiers say they are grateful for the letters and packages they receive from family and friends. But it is the support from strangers that they find astounding. We hope you will take a little time to support for these young men and women who are living in a barren world, far from home.

How You Can Help*

Check these websites to learn how you can help.

Guard Family - Click your state. You will find a contact name and number for the Family Assistance Center or Family Readiness Group in your area. Staff at these centers love to have offers of assistance for deployed soldiers and their families.

Adopt A Platoon - Jason tell us about troops in the field "who have nothing." You won't find a better way to support a small group than by Adopting a platoon.

Any Soldier - Want to support a soldier who is in harm's way, but have no idea about what to send, who to send it to, or how to send it? Here's how.

Boatsie's Boxes - A wonderful family operation that sends boxes to hospitals, groups of young troops who are deployed for the first time, and reaching the Forward Lines of operation all over Iraq and Afghanistan.

Give2TheTroops® - a group that includes military troops, family members, companies, organizations, schools, volunteers and donors who want to support our troops.

Cell Phones For Soldiers -The Cell Phones for Soldiers program was launched in April 2004 by 13-year-old Brittany Bergquist and her 12-year-old brother Robbie of Norwell, MA.

Soldiers' Angels - Soldiers' Angels supports tens of thousands of American Service Members stationed around the world. The numbers grow daily. Soldiers' Angels are dedicated to supporting service members during and after their deployments.

The Hugs Project -The Hugs Project, started June, 2004 in Oklahoma by Ray and Karen Stark, is a non profit 501 C 3 organization that makes cool ties (affectionately nicknamed "hugs" since they go around the neck) to help keep our troops and allies cool during the summer and warm during the winter.

Operation Mail From Home - Everyone Needs Mail from Home!

Operation Uplink - Donate a calling card to help servicemembers stay in touch with their families.

America Supports You - a nationwide program launched by the Department of Defense recognizes citizens' support for military men and women and communicates support to members of the Armed Forces at home and abroad. Connect to Homefront organizations in your state.

Free kit for mailing

How Teachers Can Help

Have your class adopt a servicemember or a unit as pen pals. Use this project as an English lesson, letter writing skills practice, geography facts, art project, etc.

Jason wrote, "I have a pen pal. She's in 2nd grade. In fact, her entire 2nd grade class is writing our legal team here. Their teacher is the sister-in-law of one of my colleagues. When we all received our first letters 2 weeks ago, just before Halloween, there was so much excitement. It's amazing how one letter from a child in Arizona can have such a positive effect." - Captain Jason Wright, Judge Advocate

Operation Kids 4 Troops started in the classroom of TSGT Spencer C. Cluff, a high school teacher (Human Anatomy & Physiology, Medical Terminology) in Oklahoma City and an Air Force Reservist with the 507th Medical Squadron at Tinker AFB.

Many schoolchildren have had their lives deeply touched during this time of war. For DOD Support to Civilian Schools Educating Military Children and Resources, please go to the Military and DoD Special Education page.

Kids Can Take Action Too!

Every day you receive help from many people — bus drivers, teachers, cafeteria workers — and they appreciate it when you say "thank you" for their help. But there is one group of people you may not even think about thanking — the men and women in the military who serve all over the world. boy writing letter

Kids Take Action - As our troops in help children in Iraq and Afghanistan, find out what kids can do to support these troops.

Kid's Action Idea List - Find out what you can do, and what other kids are doing, to support our troops.

Tips for Writing a "Thank You" Letter to a Soldier. You'll find a sample of a thank you letter you can write to a soldier.

"Thank You to our Troops"
Mammoth Elementary School
Mammoth Lakes, CA

The Wrightslaw Team says thank you to Ms. Mayfield's fourth grade class for their wonderful letters.

Click here to help send A Million Thanks to our troops for Thanksgiving.

Kids Celebrate Soldiers. Over the past month, we have received package after package of the most wonderful letters and cards from kids to soldiers. Many have come from schools.

What Troops Miss Most

"I miss...

the freedom to just go somewhere and feel safe
wearing something pink
fresh butter and milk..."

Troops say they miss their families most. Read Halfway Home from Afghanistan.

Find out What They Miss Second Most.

USPS Military Care Packages:

This free kit may be ordered by calling 1-800-610-8734

For military families, associations and groups preparing to send care packages to service members overseas, Priority Mail is the packaging of choice. To address the current demand, the Postal Service has created a special "kit" that contains the necessary mailing materials based on the most popular items ordered to send care packages to the troops.

The kit contains five each of Priority Mail Box-4, Priority Mail Box-7 and Mili-Pac Tyvek envelopes / one roll of Priority Mail tape / and ten customs forms with envelopes.

Dimensions for Priority Mail Box-4:	7 x 7 x 6	(in inches)
Dimensions for Priority Mail Box-7:	12 x 12 x 8	(in inches)
Dimensions for the Mili-Pac:	12 x 15	(in inches) (Tyvek envelope)

All care packages must be addressed to INDIVIDUAL SERVICE MEMBERS as per the Department of Defense. The Mili-Pac features detailed addressing information and it is encouraged that that process is followed for all mail destined for military units overseas. The address block on the Mili-Pac includes Service member full name; Rank or rating; Military organization or unit; APO/FPO (Air/Army Post Office or Fleet Post Office) with 9-digit ZIP Code. See graphic attached.

*Due to security concerns and transportation constraints, the DoD cannot accept items to be mailed to " Any Servicemember ." Some people have tried to avoid this prohibition by sending large numbers of packages to an individual servicemember's address, which however well intentioned, clogs the mail and causes unneccessary delays. Please use websites like those listed above to help support the troops.