With the 4th of July near, I felt it would be a good time to pay tribute to the many soldiers that defend our country every day. War is a hot topic these days, but as we all know, freedom does not come free. Whether or not you agree with the current foreign policy, it is important that we all support our soldiers. I've always been grateful for the brave men and women who serve to protect our country. However, "Support Our Troops" took on an even stronger meaning for me when my 19 year old brother shipped off to Parris Island for Marine Boot Camp this past February. He graduated in May, and seeing all those young men in uniform at the graduation committing to protect our country was an amazing experience. I couldn't be more proud of my brother.
Almost everybody knows of somebody who is serving overseas. All too often, we want to help but we're not sure what to do or how we can make a difference. Even something as simple as walking up to a military uniformed person to shake his or her hand and say "Thank you for serving our country" goes a long way. Here are some others ways you can show your support to our troops and their families:
Cell Phones for Soldiers: This is a really neat program started by a couple of kids in Massachusetts. How many of you have old cell phones lying around that you will never use again? A company called ReCellular will take your unwanted phone and turn it into a prepaid phone card with 1 hour of use for soldiers serving abroad. They have drop-off locations all over the U.S. Visit http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/locateDropoff.asp to find one near you.
Letters: This is no new concept, but I don't think we fully comprehend how much letters mean to soldiers. They need to know that we are thinking of them and proud of them. If you know somebody overseas, take a few minutes to tell them how much you appreciate what they are doing. If you don't know anybody currently deployed, there are programs that send your letter to a deserving soldier. Two such programs are www.amillionthanks.org and www.anysoldier.com. If you really want to make them smile, include some funny jokes or comics or a newspaper clipping of positive things they are doing overseas. You can even send emails at www.amillionthanks.org.
Operation Baghdad Pups: This organization's quote "No Buddy gets Left Behind" is a good summary of their mission. While serving overseas, some soldiers come across abandoned dogs with a low chance of survival and decide to raise them. As the soldiers care for the dogs during their stay, a strong bond forms and they can't bear the idea of leaving the dog behind when they return home. If you are a dog lover, it's not hard to understand how comforting the companionship of a dog would be while living in a war zone. To find out how you can help, visit http://www.baghdadpups.com/.
Care Packages: There are a couple of ways to go about sending a care package. United Service Organizations (USO) allows you to sponsor a care package for as low as $25, while each package contains both needed and requested items valued at $75. You can learn more at https://www.uso.org/donate/custom.aspx?id=565&. If you would like to make your own care package, here are some good items to include:
- Beef jerky
- Power Bars (one of my brother's favorites...they get very tired of military MREs!)
- Prepaid phone card
- Instant drink mix
- Lip balm
- Mini games
If you don't have someone in particular to send one too, there are several organizations that will forward your package on to a soldier such as http://www.give2thetroops.org/.
Operation Homefront: While all of the other suggestions have been for the soldiers themselves, they all have families they have left at home. Many of them have gone abroad because it was the best way they knew to care for their spouse and children. Operation Homefront has chapters all over the United States that help military families in need. Please visit http://www.operationhomefront.net/ to find out ways you can help.
I hope everyone has a wonderful, fun-filled 4th of July holiday, but that we also take a moment to honor those protecting us. For the time being, my brother is in San Diego at the School of Infantry and out of harms way, but I know there will be a time when he will be one of the brave men serving overseas. I hope there never comes a day that he asks himself if what he is doing is appreciated.
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