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Surviving Spouses | From the Department of Defense...
Thank you for thinking of our troops! Thousands of Americans are 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:
"Gifts from the Homefront" Certificates now allow you to send a gift certificate to a loved one, family member or dear friend associated with the military. These certificates are redeemable by Authorized Patrons of the PX/BX and are redeemable at all locations around the world including deployed areas. If you're looking for the perfect gift to give that special individual anytime and anywhere, then "Gifts from the Homefront" Certificates are the perfect choice, go to http://www.aafes.com/docs/homefront.htm.
Donate to "Operation USO Care Package" at http://www.usocares.org/src/uso_home.htm.
The Gift of Groceries program at http://www.commissaries.com/certificheck/ helps meet the family needs of our Guard and Reserve troops fighting the war on terrorism.
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
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: messages@stripes.com.
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
Support the American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services at http://www.redcross.org/services/afes/
Purchase a Patriot Bond at http://www.ustreas.gov.
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. |
