Support The Troops

Support The Troops

In the interest of full disclosure, this page will gently (I hope) flog you into active support for the men and women in our armed forces. Offering tangible and emotional support for our troops has nothing at all to do with any of our feelings and beliefs regarding the national policies created by our elected civilian government. Sometimes, our civilian leaders turn to our military to carry out those polices. Because each of our troops has made a solemn promise to all of us to "Do my job as good as I can, wherever, whenever, no matter what," they do their very best to succeed in that mission. For some, "no matter what" means the end of their lives, and for many more, it means lost body parts, unspeakable pain, and radically damaged lives. How we feel about that mission is quite separate from honoring and supporting our servicemen and women who are keeping their promise to us. They didn't make the policy, they just get to carry it out.

SITE MAP

On this page, I'm going to offer some information on one way to directly support our troops. It is by no means the only way, and Fisher House is another. In Santa Clara County [south end of San Francisco Bay], the Girl Scouts have a "Cookie Share" program where you can purchase an extra box to be sent to our troops. If you are interested in supporting our troops, I urge you to read this page and visit their pages as well.

Magnetic ribbons such as the one in the upper left corner abound on bumpers and tailgates here in Auburn. They come in a variety of colors and styles, and are a very nice sentiment. I suspect that GI's returning home are at least a little pleased by that sentiment. But, I fear that for the vast majority of those who sport the ribbon on their vehicles, that's where the sentiment ends. I served in combat, I received mail from strangers, and I know what it means to get a letter from someone you don't know who just wants to tell you he or she hopes you and your comrades are safe, and maybe offers something to eat or read and share with your buddies.

Now, it's true things have changed since the mid-60's. The Internet has been invented, and all members of the US military have an email address. We have easy world-wide telephone service. But, a lot has not changed. Troops are still far from home, and a great many are nowhere near an Internet terminal or telephone. Some see combat. Many could have mortars and rockets raining from the sky at any moment, even though they are in a moderately "safe" environment. Home and family are a long way and a long time away.

If you know a particular troop and his or her needs, you should skip all of this and just start writing. If you want to provide support to someone you do not know, here are a few ideas that worked for us on the receiving end, and seem to work for Andrea and me now from the sending end.

So, let the flogging begin!

Point your web browser at AnySoldier.com. This website has contacts with several thousand Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, and Sailors, and the list keeps growing. Each of these troops has agreed to help distribute packages and letters, since today, all APO/FPO mail has to be addressed to a specific person. These troops thus give you an avenue to personally provide support to tens of thousands of service members currently in combat zones. The site provides a wealth of information about what to send, how to send it, and who these young men and women are. You can select names from a list, and search the site on various criteria. There is a warning on the site that it can become addictive!

Inevitably, in any military unit anywhere, there are a few troops who get gobs of mail, many who get an average amount (I was in that group), and a few who get very little (or sadly, none). I knew which of my guys weren't getting much mail and they were the first to get the letters and packages addressed to "Any Serviceman." That is what AnySoldier.com is all about.

Admittedly, AnySoldier.com is a big site and if you're still not sure, read the rest of this much smaller page, and then take the plunge. However, I really urge you to at least scan AnySoldier.com before writing to anyone. It is packed with updated, important information about how to send mail, and it gives you access to what those troops who have registered have said their needs are.

Sharing

Throughout the remainder of this page, please remember that in remote duty situations, and particularly in or near combat, virtually everything is shared. Difficult remote duty, and especially combat, forges strong bonds between people. Your letters, food, books, CD's, etc. sent to one GI are going to be shared with his or her comrades ... that's a large part of the joy of getting a package in the first place. This of course means that your support goes much farther than just one troop. You'll see that in the couple of short stories below, and writing with the knowledge that you're really writing to him and his unit, you multiply your support many times over.

Personal Note #1: As I was preparing for my first combat mission with my team, a mentor (and possibly a second "Dad") told me: "Lieutenants have three standing orders in combat -- Complete your mission, Take care of your troops, Take care of yourself -- in that order." I took that advice pretty seriously, as did my peers. When a "surprise package" would arrive, we all shared in it of course. But for me alone, each of them was a personal gift. I got to see my troops' eyes light up just like kids and Christmas. All those young men on my Team were my responsibility, and anyone who sent some happiness into their lives is right at the top of my Hero Ladder.

Definition of "Support"

If a real American GI can eat it, read it, listen to it, wear it, share it with his/her buddies, or otherwise enjoy something tangible, you are supporting the troops. If a local troop's family is struggling (a problem for the Reserve and Guard people since they had real jobs before being called up, and their incomes have crashed), any help you give his family is "support," and you may think this odd, but his comrades will see it as support for them too. And, please note: As AnySoldier.com puts it, "This isn't just about stuff." Your letter counts way more than you might think.

I recently had a somewhat strange experience in the parking lot at the Post Office. I had just mailed packages to two troops in Iraq and one in Afganistan, and as I approached my truck, the guy parked next to me asked me why I didn't have a ribbon on the tailgate (he had several, and actually, "asked" is charitable ... "accosted" might be a better term). I asked him how many troops he was sending regular mail to, and he finally admitted "none." I offered to copy off the three troops' addresses from my customs declarations so he could start, but he said "I don't have time for that," and left. I guess you just can't trust those ribbons (the event did propel me to order and display a ribbon from Any Soldier, however).

Guidelines

Here are the things I have found that work, based on my experience as a recipient of similar support from strangers:

Snack food: The troops eat moderately well now (but not always), however snack food is still really cool since you can share and eat it with your buddies. Many stores have a large assortment of dried fruits, trail mix, jerky's, and nuts in sealed bags, all sharable. Sunflower seeds and salted peanuts were most welcome and are inexpensive. In the summertime, be careful of things that might melt. Baghdad highs can reach the high 120's, so categorize chocolate chip cookies as "winter food." This is really true for Afghanistan, where summer highs are similar to Iraq, but the winters are much colder. A Reserve Major who just returned home here in Auburn commented in the newspaper that they didn't get much in the way of sweet things and bags of LifeSavers, granola bars (winter food), and dried fruit were highly prized. Canned sardines, smoked oysters, tuna, vienna sausages, Spam, and the like are also good since, while probably adequately fed, your troop and his/her unit aren't likely to get these sorts of "appetizers" very often, or at all. Be sure and include a box of crackers with these. One note: Unless you know your troop, do not attempt to send homemade items. Troops have been warned to discard anything that isn't in a sealed wrapper or package if it comes from someone they don't know.

Kool Aid/Gatorade: We had to disinfect our water with iodine and some of today's troops may have to as well ... teeny little pills for your canteen, and a bottle of liquid for the water trailer if we were lucky enough to have one. It keeps you from getting sick, but the water is pretty much undrinkable. Pour some "just-mix-with-water" Kool Aid in and life gets a whole lot better in the thirst department! We recommend enclosing such items in ziploc plastic bags if they are packaged in paper packets.

Coffee/Tea: Drinkable coffee and tea is a real luxury. When we were on field rations, there was none, and at forward bases, the warm brown water was called "coffee," but that's where the resemblence ended. From what we hear, our military can make planes invisible to radar but still can't make good coffee. We sometimes grind up a bag of beans from the grocery store, pack it in a ziploc bag, and send it with a small container of Coffee Mate and some sugar.

Magazines: Sports Illustrated seems to be a good bet. If you have any knowledge about your troop's interests, there are others ... snowboarding, motorcycles, outdoors, fitness, etc. News magazines are generally good. Local newspapers if your pen pal is local. Be careful however, our current combat troops are in Islamic countries, and some things may get stopped. I know it's odd that we can't send whatever we want to to our own troops through our own Postal Service and military but that appears to be the world we live in now.

Books: Having a book to read is a fantastic pleasure. It's an opportunity to escape by yourself for a short time and escape into someone else's fictional world, and when you're done with it, you can give it to one of your comrades. Just be careful that what you send won't be construed as a political message. See below for more.

Toiletries: Among many other bad things, combat is often an exercise in filth. Showers can be scarce if even available at all; you may need to drink the only available water; your clothes are stiff and stink; your hair sticks to the inside of your helmet; your teeth itch and your mouth tastes like last week's cat food; you don't remove your boots because the smell from your feet will water your buddies' eyes and your socks are stuck to your feet anyway; you eat your field rations with your hands caked with dirt, grime, and sometimes blood. In this environment, there's a lot we Americans can do to help, even if it is only "give the troop one chance to clean up a little." Deodorants, antiseptic disposable wipes, disposable shaving items, hand cleaner, etc., all help, especially if they're the kind you can use without water. Small soaps and bottles of shampoo for times when enough water is available; chapstick and lip balm; sunscreen; foot powder; toothpaste and a travel toothbrush; all are helpful (I emphasize "small" because often, to be useful, these things may have to fit into your rucksack. A few small items beat one large one).
CD's: If you know your troops's likes and dislikes, you're way ahead of the pack. If you don't, give it a try anyway ... if he or she doesn't like it, it'll go to someone who does, and everybody wins. I sometimes record and burn CD's from the radio if I'm sending it to someone who lives locally -- it's a little bit of home.

Pre-paid Phone Cards: Unlike "my war" where we occasionally called home on the radio thanks to MARS and Ham Radio operators, some but not all of today's troops do have access to telephones. Many must pay for the calls, however, and calling collect isn't usually an option for them. Pre-paid phone cards will let your troop and often his comrades call home if they have phone access. Just make sure the card you send is usable internationally ... some are only valid for certain parts of the world, and many that say "international" are actually valid only for calls from the US, not to it. The AAFES has been authorized to sell cards that will work to the general public. Unfortunately, they are denominated at international rates and only come in fairly large sizes. AT&T also sells cards in smaller sizes that will work. We get them at Target. Check the AT&T website to find a store near you. Be aware also that a 100 minute card may not give your troop anywhere near 100 mins. If they can call on military circuits to an installation in the US and the operator will place the call on the card you send, they will get all the minutes. If they have to go to one of the "phone centers," they will pay international rates and maybe get 15 - 20 mins on a "100-min" card.

Letters: Maybe what we enjoyed the most were Real Letters from Real Americans. The first time we write to a GI we don't know, we tell him/her a little about our history and maybe include a picture of us (easy now with digital pictures and word processors). Thereafter, we just keep it on what is happening here, what we're doing, possibly interesting things going on in the community, etc. Please: No matter what you send, include a letter from you to him or her! The letters for us were a connection with home even though we didn't know this person, so don't underestimate the value of your letter. Tell them how you sent the package, and try and make it close to a full page.

Some Examples

While staging equipment at Bien Hoa for our next mission, one of the guys there had a brother who was a DJ at a radio station. He began to send tapes of his programs in which he talked about all of us as being part of his "radio network." The radio maintenance guys tuned a spare TRC-24 transmitter into the FM band, and each night we got to listen to a couple of hours of hometown radio. And, his hometown listeners, intrigued by his talk of us as part of his "network" began sending letters and care packages.

While on mission with an Army Infantry unit, a soldier who had a wife and two little kids was really agonized over them. One of the kids needed regular treatments at the hospital and his wife was pretty frazzled. Over time, the lawn mower had quit, a couple of appliances were conking out, she was having plumbing problems, and finally the car quit running.

One morning, unannounced, a group from the community arrived. A couple of the men tackled the lawn mower and car and fixed both, cut the grass, pruned some of the bushes, and fixed the sprinklers. A couple more went after the appliances and plumbing, fixed a broken window, and cleaned up the garage. Two women with little kids took her kids to the park for most of the day, and a couple others took her out for a facial, lunch, and adult conversation. Several others cleaned the house, and got a dinner started.

Nate's wife came home to two kids who had had a great day, dinner was ready, the house was clean and everything worked. Thereafter, someone from the community would take her to the hospital each time, a couple of men would cut the grass each week and keep stuff working, and about once a week, a group would take the kids so she could get out.

They mailed a letter with some photos to Nate who shared them with us and his comrades. Needless to say, Nate was stunned and in tears. So were all the rest of us.

One of my young troops (OK, we were all young!) at a very isolated site on the Laotian/N. Vietnam border was from a small town. He had a wife and a 2 year old son, and a Mom, Dad, and a younger brother in the town. When we were not wearing combat gear, we had black baseball caps with our unit name embroidered on the front in white, and in fact, as a unit, we were sometimes known as "The Black Hats." He had sent two of our hats home to his son and little brother, along with our names. The town adopted us, and sent regular packages, packed in popcorn which we also ate. He drew maps and diagrams to help us understand who these people were and where in the small town they lived. We were refueled and resupplied by helicopter, and on one trip, they dropped off our mail and another package from the town. In addition to the usual letters for each of us and the goodies, there was an 8x10 photograph taken on the ball field at the school in front of the bleachers. My troop's wife and son were in the middle of the front row, with his Mom, Dad, and Brother next to them. Next to her was a sign with his name on it. The remainder of the front row had signs with each of our names on them. The entire town was seated behind them, and everyone, including babies and two dogs were wearing our Black Hats. There aren't words in our language to even begin to relate what that photograph meant to us.

Personal Note #2: We all read the letters of course, and we saved them in a box, usually next to our HF SSB radio. They got re-read many times. Please, don't underestimate the value of your letter! It matters far less what you say than that you took the time to say it.

A Couple of Cautions

Politics: Remember that in our Republic, an elected government made up of civilians formulates and makes our national policies. Our military forces are occasionally called on to implement those policies. When you write, it's best to leave your political ideas and beliefs on the front porch. Your troop is keeping his promise to us and the country, but that does not necessarily mean he agrees with everything he is doing all the time. When it comes to political beliefs, each troop is an independent American citizen, entitled to the same freedom of belief as you and I are (Admittedly, when you wear the uniform, you are somewhat constrained in how you can express your political beliefs, but you still have the right to hold them). You may think the war he or she is fighting is necessary and good which is your constitutional right; He/she may have serious doubts. Conversely, he may believe passionately in the war and his role in it. This is not the place or time to engage in discussion if you don't.

This goes a bit deeper than just "not talking about politics." We often send paperback books. Not long ago, I finished one involving a fictional President and his family and a shooting tragedy, and the plot focused on gun control legislation. It was just a fictional story, but we didn't know my troop very well at that point, and we sent another one instead. Half way around the world, he might have seen it as an attempt to influence his own beliefs about gun control.

Personal Note #3: When you are in combat, you must believe in your mission. It is not an intellectual matter for discussion over the campfire. You have an obligation to do your job and support, and possibly die for, your comrades. NCOs and Officers have an obligation to lead, and to take care of their troops and possibly die for them. History has borne out the fact that Vietnam was probably a mistake ... one that took over 58,000 American lives and untold numbers of the "other guys" and innocents. There were times, such as when our units were retaking territory that we had already taken once, that I wondered what was going on. But I and everyone else still believed in our mission. There are no other alternatives. So, give your chosen troops a break here. Over a beer in the summer sitting on your deck with you he might be willing to discuss the "big picture" but not while he's facing serious harm.

Emotions: In a similar vein, try not to presume on the mental or emotional state of your troop. He may be reading your letter while combat adrenelin is still running through his body. He may be injured and in pain. He may have just had a very close comrade die, or have just gotten bad news from home and be anguished for his family. On several occasions, I needed to unload my feelings about the chaos, pain, the killing, and the death to someone, and I did so in rambling, fairly incomprehensible letters to my college roommate, who now, after 50 years is still my best male friend (I regretted writing them as soon as my adrenaline level had declined, but nevertheless, I did it again). He accepted the role of "unloadee" knowing I guess that I couldn't do that to my family. Those strangers who simply told me they cared about my troops and me (remember, everything is shared), who said they thought about us often, and hoped we were safe, were our heroes and mine especially.

Religion: This is a difficult subject because for many people, religious beliefs play a major and important role in their lives, and it is tempting -- in fact possibly automatic -- to include those beliefs in words intended to be comforting. Unfortunately, the old proverb "There are no atheists in foxholes" is really an urban legend. There are, and there are also Muslims, Agnostics, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians of various flavors, and you probably get the idea. The best plan is to simply accept that your troop is quite capable of handling her/his spiritual life and matters, and leave the details to the military chaplins who are actually there. Trust me, they are very competent!

A Hint For Letter-writing

We find that it is much easier to write interesting letters to our troops if we emotionally adopt them as members of our family (we adopted two of our four kids -- I suppose that may help make it easier for us). We think of them as "our" Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, and Sailors, we tell them they've been adopted by two Americans. We send them pictures of us and their "adopted brothers and sisters, nephews, and nieces." One Airborne unit told us we were the "Company Grandparents."

Postal Rules

Things have definitely changed since the mid-60's! The Bad News: You can no longer send a letter to "Any Service Member," nor can you drop APO/FPO mail into a mail box or mail it at a contract post office in a supermarket. You will have to mail it at a "real" Post Office, and you will have to fill out a form. But, there's Good News too: Unlike sending packages to us in the 60's, you will know who your are sending them to. Except for the townsfolk in my troop's hometown, we never got a repeat surprise package from the same person, but today, you can essentially adopt a whole unit, and provide continued support to them. You are likely to eventually hear back from someone as they find a little time, and you'll get to know them. All in all, I think it's a good trade.

Here are the rules, at least those that work for us:

There are two customs declarations: a small one page one, and a white multi-copy one. They are available at any Post Office. A letter-size or flat envelope requires the small one, part of it is stuck to the letter, and the PO keeps the rest. If the clerk says you don't need it, ask him or her to put it on anyway.

All mail must be to a specific service person (by name), and must have your return address on it.

All packages must have a PS Form 2676-A (Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note - CP72) accompanying them, again available at the Post Office.

Fill out the FROM and TO blocks. They must match the address on the package. Fill out the DESCRIPTION block. "Magazine, Book, CD, Snack Food, Phone Card, Letter" are just fine. Leave the NET WEIGHT columns blank, and make up some number for VALUE (We usually put in $10.00) Write "USA" in COUNTRY OF ORIGIN OF GOODS.

Check the "Airmail/Priority," "Gift," and "Treat as Abandoned" boxes. You really do need to send it Priority mail, and it'll take anywhere from 10 - 15 days, or maybe a bit more, especially around Christmas.

Sign and date it at the bottom. You may need to show ID, although the PO guys here know us by now and haven't asked for ID in a long time. You'll get a copy, they'll keep a copy, and the rest goes in a sticky backed clear envelope and is pasted on the back of your package.

We strongly recommend using the Flat Rate Priority Mail boxes which are free at the Post Office, and will cost $8.95 [right now] for whatever you can cram into it. You can order them from the USPS on-line and they'll deliver them to you, all for free. There are two styles: One is a cube, the other looks like a shirt box. It's the cube you want. I don't recommend reusing other boxes, especially those with printing on them. If you do, you will likely have to wrap the box ... just scratching out the printing generally won't work.

Replies

You may likely hear back, particularly if you include your email address and your troop is a more senior officer or NCO. I put our email address on each letter just in case the troop has access, and many do. We also have gotten hand written letters. All of our troops have become friends, and their letters and emails will often bring tears to our eyes. You will be very surprised at how much your support means to all of them, and we still hear from those who have come home. "Airborne Jeffrey" sends us pictures of his family and 1yr old twin boys. He even introduced us to his parents and large extended family in the Southwest. However, please don't request an answer ... even though we include our USPS and email addresses, we always remind the troop that he/she is under no obligation to reply. In the nearly four years I was in SE Asia, I dropped a thank you note to maybe 5% of the people I or my troops got letters from. Free time is a precious commodity in combat, and first you sleep, then maybe clean up some if you can and eat, clean your gear, and, if you still have time left, you concentrate on corresponding with your family. A good friend and mentor once explained when I confessed I had not written to these people, "Skip, you pay it forward." I still have quite a bit of paying it forward to finish! And, remember: In today's Armed Forces, all GI's aren't named "Joe." Some are named "Deborah," "Ann," or "Heather." They count too!

So, find a troop through your friends, relatives, or AnySoldier.com, and help me pay it forward. You'll make some GI's day a lot better (and that of his/her comrades too), you'll feel really great, and that "Support The Troops" ribbon on the tailgate of your truck will shine a lot brighter.

Now, consider yourself flogged.

Top of Page | Fred's Pages | Home

Permission is granted to reproduce any and all textual material in this HTML page for non-commercial purposes only. Reproduction or use of any graphic or photographic image is prohibited without the written permission of the site author and all persons appearing in such images. Reproduction and/or distribution of any software products downloaded from these pages is subject to the terms and conditions accompanying the downloaded files. All logos are the copyrighted property of the organization(s) represented, are used here with permission, and may be reproduced and/or used only with the permission of those organization(s).