"You’ve got mail!" are three words most of us take for granted, but to troops thousands of miles from home, it can offer just the boost they need.
As the number of military personnel deployed tops 270,000, soldiers are facing not only the hardships of combat, but also losing contact with family and friends as well as the comforts of daily life in the U.S.
You can "write" a US Service Member at the links listed below

Through the Defense Department's 'Defend America' Web site, virtual thank-you cards can be sent to service members. http://www.defendamerica.mil/nman.html


Greetings can also be sent through Operation Dear Abby. Created in 1967 after Sgt. Billy Thompson wrote Abigail Van Buren asking for "letters from home" at Christmas, the program has continued sending messages of support to hundreds of thousands of troops. http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/

Veterans of Foreign Wars has organized Operation Uplink, in which calling cards are donated to help service members keep in touch with their families. http://www.operationuplink.org/

And for those who prefer traditional letters, but don't have a serviceman's specific address, soldiers can be adopted through Hugs to Kuwait, a program started by Army wife Pamela Bates as a way of coping when her husband left for Kuwait. The service pairs civilians at home with soldiers overseas. According to Bates, the response has been overwhelming tallying over 17,000 requests in one weekend alone. Bates also gets many letters of appreciation from soldiers who have been "adopted." "I have gotten quite a few letters that just say, thank you for what are you doing," said Bates of the letters from soldiers.http://groups.msn.com/hugstokuwaitadoptasoldier/homepage.msnw

And last but not least..United Service Organizations are coordinating Operation USO Care Package and are asking for individual and corporate support to sponsor care packages which include items from service members' wish lists such as travel-size toiletries, sunglasses, snacks, stationery, journals, disposable cameras, playing cards, board games, CDs and DVDs. http://www.usometrodc.org/care.html




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