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NOTE: Due to security concerns and limited transportation
space, the military can no longer accept mail to “any service
member”.
These websites represent several organizations sponsoring
programs for members of the Armed Forces overseas. While the items
and services are not endorsed by the military, these providers help
soldiers and their families keep in touch. You may:
• Donate a calling card to help keep service
members in touch with their families at Operation Uplink a http://www.operationuplink.org/
• Send a greeting via e-mail through Operation
Dear Abby at http://anyservicemember.org
or http://www.OperationDearAbby.net
• Sign a virtual thank you card at the Defend
America web site at http://www.defendamerica.mil/nmam.html
• 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/care.html
• Support American Red Cross Armed Forces
Emergency Services at http://www.redcross.org/services/afes/
• Volunteer at a VA Hospital http://www.va.gov/vetsday/
to honor veterans who bore the lamp of freedom in past conflicts.
• Support families whose loved ones are being
treated at military and VA hospitals through donations to Fisher
House at http://www.fisherhouse.org.
• Send a personal message via "Stars and Stripes"
- U.S. troops deployed to the Persian Gulf region and other locations
can now receive personal messages from family members, friends,
neighbors, colleagues and supporters via the pages of the overseas
newspaper "Stars and Stripes" as well as "Messages
of Support," which can be e-mailed to "Stars and Stripes"
24 hours a day at messages@estripes.com,
are limited to 50 words or less and will be printed on a first-come,
first-run basis. "Stars and Stripes" reserves the right
to screen and edit all messages and to omit any determined inappropriate.
• Purchase "Gifts From the Homefront"
gift certificate - These can be redeemed by troops in their local
exchange. Anyone may purchase these "Gifts From the Homefront"
with a U.S. credit card or check, but only authorized AAFES customers
can redeem them at any PX or BX. Sold by CertifiChecks, these gift
certificates can be purchased 24 hours a day, seven days a week,
every day of the year, and they come in denominations of $10 and
$20. At this time military authorities have advised that CertifiChecks
can only be sent to a specific service member at his or her APO
or US mailing address. AAFES officials said they are currently working
to find a solution to allow CertifiChecks to be sent to units or
non-specific troops.
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