Support our Troops

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:

American Red Cross logo America Support You - The official Department of Defense web site encouraging support of U.S. Military troops around the world, especially those fighting the War on Terror.

Operation Hero Miles logoOperation Hero Miles: In September 2003, the Pentagon started giving soldiers stationed in Iraq two-week leave periods in the largest R & R program since the Vietnam War; the soldiers can fly to Germany or Baltimore Washington International Airport for free, but they are responsible for the cost of flights to their final destination. Returning soldiers often have to purchase high-priced, last-minute airline tickets so they can spend time with their family. You can help American troops travel home to spend quality time with their loved ones.

Contribute to "Gifts from the Homefront" Certificates from the Army Air Force Exchange System (AAFES). These allow you to send a gift certificate to a loved one, family member or 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.

Donate to "Operation USO Care Package".

Donate a calling card to help keep servicemembers in touch with their families at Operation Uplink.

Send a greeting via e-mail through Operation Dear Abby or at http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/.


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.

Visit America Supports You and you can join the team, send messages to the troops, and obtain materials for developing your own support program.

Make a donation to one of the military relief societies:

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 unneccessary delays. For more information, visit the United States Postal Service web site.

The support and generosity of the American people has touched the lives of the more than 300,000 service members deployed overseas.

Free Resources for Troops

These links are provided for informational purposes only. The National Guard Bureau does not endorse or otherwise support these resources.