General notes & data for sending care packages
to our troops:
Seeking
information on the following, will update as acquired:
1 What is the maximum dimensions & weight for
troop packages?
2 What is the best method of sending troop
packages?
3 What is the average time in transit of troop
packages?
4 Are there any limitations on packages to the
troop?
5 Is there a central point of contact or
clearinghouse for questions about sending packages to
troops?
6 Is there a Web link with current update in info for
sending packages to troops?
7 Is there an updated or real time link/Web page where
troops can post a wish list of items?
8 Is there a contact list of other organizations who
wish to contribute, organize &/or send care packages to
troops?
9 Are there any programs/means for Americans to offer support to the allied/coalition forces to show our appreciation for their
commitment to the war that countries troops are fighting together?
10 Is there a web
link that lists a national directory for contacting military family support
services?
Suggestions
for sending care packages.
11
Send multiple small packages that will
fit in regular mailbags. This way they are less likely to be lost in transit,
& if one box gets lost the whole shipment will not. Also smaller boxes can
be staggered so it will be easier for the troops to deal with on the
move.
12
Use clear plastic or clear bubble wrap
if items need to be wrapped for protection during shipping to facilitate
quicker & less intrusive passage through
customs.
13
Be
sure addressee & return mailing addresses are legible on both a short
packing list inside as well as outside the care package to facilitate quicker
& less intrusive passage through customs. This would also add an extra
security measure for the troops so that nothing unwanted/unauthorized gets
mixed in with the care packages. See sample packing list: sample or sample packinglist,
excell version.
14
Depending on value of items enclosed my
want to use computer tracking when mailing a care package & monitor
progress at appropriate web link, 2 major links are US Post Office
Track &
Confirm web page: http://www.usps.com/shipping/trackandconfirm.htm?from=global&page=0035trackandconfirm
UPS tacking web page: http://www.ups.com/WebTracking/track?loc=en_US
15
The
Military Postal Service Agency was created to link all the partners together
with a common goal - postal service to our personnel around the
world http://hqdainet.army.mil/mpsa/main.htm
16
There is
no on-line locator information source for the men and women that serve in the
US military. If you need to locate a service person or acquire their mailing
address, you must call the applicable telephone number listed below to get
instructions on how to acquire this information: http://hqdainet.army.mil/mpsa/main.htm
TO
LOCATE A SERVICE MEMBER, USE THE INFORMATION at:
ARMY (703) 325-3732, NAVY (901) 874-3388, AIR FORCE (210) 652-5774, & USMC (703) 614-3144. Please read our additional information
regarding locating military service personnel: Navy and Marine Corps
World Wide Locator, Air Force Locator,
& Total Army World
Wide Locator
Information
collected so far:
17
Operation
Uplink is a unique VFW program that
keeps military personnel and hospitalized veterans in touch with their
families and loved ones by providing them with a free phone card. Using
contributions from supporters like you, Operation
Uplink purchases phone cards
and distributes them to servicemen and women who are separated from those they
care about. http://www.operationuplink.org/
& donations at: https://www.operationuplink.org/donate.cfm
NOTE: http://www.defendamerica.mil/cgi-bin/bye.cgi?http://www.operationuplink.org/%20
active at this time.
Added-status:
4/2/2003
18
VFW
Adopt
a Unit, which pairs a Post with a
military unit. Besides sending "goody" packages to the troops, Posts work on
the local level to offer moral support to the dependents left behind when a
unit deploys. Since the war on terrorism began, more than 500 military units,
including U.S. Navy ship squadrons and U.S. Army infantry units, have been
adopted. Information & web link at: http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=what.leveld&did=132
19
Troop
Care Package info from the “Operation USO Care Package” Online donations at:
http://www.usocares.org/donate.htm
20
“Operation USO
Care Package will continue for as long as our country is at war,” according to
Elaine Rogers, USO-Metro President. “This program is possible because of the
support from individuals, corporations and organizations that donate funds to
sponsor these care packages.” Individuals and corporations can learn more
about how to get involved and support “Operation USO Care Package” through
donations of product or funds, by calling 866-USO-GIVE. At: http://www.usometrodc.org/contents.html
21
Corporations
may also contribute to this program through financial contributions, items
donated in bulk for “These Care Packages help the USO bring a touch of home to
our men and women in uniform,” said Edward A. Powell, President and CEO of USO
World Headquarters. The care packages contain an assortment of items the
military have specifically requested, such as prepaid international calling
cards, disposable cameras, toiletries, and sunscreen. They also include
greetings from the American public, transcribed onto official “Operation USO
Care Package” post cards by volunteers and USO staff
members.
22
To donate by phone, please call 1-800-876-7469.
Customer service representatives are standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
to accept your donations. Or, send a tax-deductible donation to help those
defending our freedom. Make your check payable to the USO and mail it to:
USO World Headquarters
Department WS
PO Box 96860
Washington,
DC 20090-6860
* If your company is a matching gift company, you can double
the impact of your support! Include your company's matching gift form with
your tax-deductible gift and mail it today. http://www.uso.org/pubs/8_18_23.cfm,
donate online: https://www.uso.org/donate.cfm,
USO locations: http://www.uso.org/pubs/8_15_20.cfm
contact USO: http://www.uso.org/pubs/8_27_216.CFM
1-800-876-7469
23
The
Salvation Army's Supporting Our
Troops info is at: http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/www_usn.nsf/bd98ac1db58a806280256b3b0048eb4b/927eda03ee8623bd85256cf5006f1702?OpenDocument
24
Operation
Home Fires is a community project sponsored and hosted by the Christian
Service Center for Central Florida organizes support of the families of
deployed military personnel within Central Florida. http://operationhomefires.com/ or
http://www.christianservicecenter.org/
25
Recently,
D.O.D. has become aware of organizations and individuals who continue to
support some form of the "Any Servicemember" program by using the names and
addresses of individual servicemembers and unit addresses. These programs are
usually supported by well-intentioned, thoughtful and patriotic groups who are
simply unaware of the new risks facing deployed military forces. Some
individuals and groups publicize the names and addresses of service members,
ships or units on Web sites, with good intentions. The result, however, is a
potential danger to the troops they wish to support. At: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2003/b03222003_bt139-03.html
26
D.O.D. cannot support creative and well-intentioned
efforts that defeat force protection measures, but can instead recommend
alternatives to mail and donation programs. To show support to troops
overseas, the following are recommended: * Log on to the following Web sites
to show support, to include greeting cards, virtual Thank You cards and
calling card donations to help troops stay in contact with loved ones: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2003/b03222003_bt139-03.html
http://www.defendamerica.mil/support_troops.html
http://www.usocares.org/home.htm
http://www.army.mil/operations/iraq/faq.html
27
DoD Info
from http://www.defendamerica.mil/support_troops.html
Donate to the American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html
or Give Blood: http://www.redcross.org/donate/give
Donate a calling card to help keep servicemembers
in touch with their families at Operation Uplink at http://www.operationuplink.org or send a greeting via e-mail through
Operation Dear Abby at http://anyservicemember.navy.mil
or http://www.OperationDearAbby.net
NOTE: Resource info/data: TROOP SUPPORT MAIL POLICY
STRESSED. Added 3/31/2003-status:
active reference WEB/Links: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2003/b03222003_bt139-03.html
& http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Oct2001/n10302001_200110303.html
On Oct. 30, 2001, the Department of Defense (DoD)
suspended the "Operation Dear Abby" and "Any Servicemember" mail programs due
to force protection concerns. Although
these programs provide an excellent means of support to friends and loved ones
stationed overseas, they also provide an avenue to introduce hazardous
substances or materials into the mail system from unknown sources. Unsolicited
mail, packages and donations from organizations and individuals also compete
for limited airlift space used to transport supplies, war-fighting materiel
and mail from family and loved ones
28
Information & Web links
provided by United
States Department of Defense
on SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS
Date
Updated 04/02/2003 10:36 AM http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/
"Gifts from the
Homefront" Certificates are the perfect choice, These certificates are
redeemable by Authorized Patrons of the PX/BX and are redeemable at all
locations around the world including deployed areas at: http://www.aafes.com/docs/homefront.htm.
Make a
donation to one of the military relief societies: Army
Emergency Relief at http://www.aerhq.org, Coast Guard
Mutual Assistance at: http://www.cgmahq.orgAir Force
Aid Society at http://www.afas.org, &
Navy/Marine Relief Society at http://www.nmcrs.org.
Donate
to” Operation USO Care Package" at Donate to"Operation USO Care Package" at: http://www.usocares.org/home.htm
, The American Red Cross
Armed Forces Emergency Services at: http://www.defendamerica.mil/cgi-bin/bye.cgi?http://www.redcross.org/services/afes/%20,
The
Gift of Groceries program helps meet the family needs of our Guard and Reserve
troops fighting the war on terrorism at: http://www.commissaries.com/certificheck/index.htm,
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors at: http://www.taps.org, The
National Military Family Association at http://www.nmfa.org or Purchase
a Patriot Bond at http://www.ustreas.gov
Send a greeting via
e-mail through Operation Dear Abby at: http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/
or www.OperationDearAbby.net or Sign a virtual thank you card at the Defend America
Web site at: http://www.defendamerica.mil/nmam.html
The "Stars and
Stripes" newspaper includes a daily ""Messages of Support" section giving
family and friends of deployed service members a chance to pass along
greetings, announcements, and words of encouragement. Such messages (LIMITED
TO 50 WORDS OR LESS) will be printed on a first-come, first-run basis.
Messages may be sent to: [email protected].
Volunteer at a VA Hospital to honor veterans who bore the lamp of
freedom in past conflicts. Reach out to military families in your community,
especially those with a loved one overseas.
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.
The support and generosity of the American people has touched the lives
of many servicemembers, over 300,000 of whom are deployed overseas.
Alternate
suggestion to help out troop & their families:
29
Check
with local military family support, USO, Red Cross or local religious or
community groups to see what local military dependant requests.
Basically adopt a deployed
family or tasked unit since their resources will be reduced &/or stretched
to limits. Many
families incomes are greatly reduce due to the difference in military to
civilian pay while units need to maintain same readiness state in the US with
less people & resources. Try this link: http://www.volunteermatch.org/ or http://operationhomefires.com/
30
Could also offer to assist dependents back home.
Check with base family support services, USO, Red Cross or local religious or
community groups/businesses to Moe lawns, taxi to
store, watch children, help out around house, etc.
31
Check with base family support services, USO or Red
Cross to offer to assist families of troops still stationed home side who are
now doing double duties to cover work for deployed troops.
32 Visit with family member &
friends/co-workers dependents to offer friendship & support.
33 Donate
blood, donate blood, & donate blood when ever
possible.
34 Companies/businesses
could offer free/discounted services/products to dependents & troops
stationed state side who are taking on added duties of deployed
troops.
35 Donate to Red Cross to help
pay for shipping of care packages sent to them, also check with Red Cross before making donations of care
packages since there could be a back log for DoD, logistic &/or shipping
costs constraints.
Please remember that
besides sending safe & much appreciated care packages to the troops
overseas the security of their families back home should be the top priority
at all times. It
doesn’t take that much time or effort to Check with military family support
services, USO or Red Cross first before offering assistance to
dependents/families/units back home.
This simple consideration
will provide peace of mind to our troops overseas knowing that others are
making the effort to look after their families in their absences while not
compromising safety in the process. Hopeful this way they can fully
concentrate on their duties & mission at hand & return safely home to
their families real soon.
My other pages:
Support
Our Troops Tribute page
Printable document of
"Support Our Troops", text & links only
CharO's
NetScape Home Web Page
The
Ormsby's, Co. Cork Ireland branch
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