With the recent
deployments of US Service Members, thousands of Americans are again
asking what they can do to show their support for servicemembers,
especially those serving overseas in this time of war. Below are Web
sites for several organizations that are sponsoring programs for members
of the Armed Forces overseas. While it would be inappropriate for the
Department to endorse any specifically, servicemembers do value and
appreciate such expressions of support.
Please do not
flood the military mail system with letters, cards, and gifts. Due to
security concerns and transportation constraints, the Department 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 unnecessary delays.
For the latest
information about Deployed Marines try this link:
http://www.usmc-mccs.org/News/deploy/supporttroops.asp.
Donate a
calling card to help keep servicemembers in touch with their families at
Operation Uplink at: http://www.operationuplink.org/.
Send a greeting
via e-mail through Operation Dear Abby at:
http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/
or www.OperationDearAbby.net
Make a donation
to one of the military relief societies:
Army Emergency Relief at http://www.aerhq.org/
Navy/Marine Relief Society at http://www.nmcrs.org/
Air Force Aid Society at http://www.afas.org/
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance at http://www.cgmahq.org/
Donate to "Operation USO Care Package" at http://www.usometrodc.org/care1.html
Support the
American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services at:
http://www.redcross.org/services/afes/
Volunteer at a
VA Hospital to honor veterans who bore the lamp of freedom in past
conflicts.
Donate
to"Operation USO Care Package" at:
http://www.usocares.org/home.htm.
The Gift of
Groceries program at:
http://www.commissaries.com/certificheck/index.htm
helps meet the family needs of our Guard and Reserve troops fighting
the war on terrorism.
Reach out to
military families in your community, especially those with a loved one
overseas.
The support and generosity of the American people
has touched the lives of many servicemembers,
over 300,000 of whom are deployed overseas.
