Tuesday , 18 June 2013
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Giving Care Packages to Our Troops

A Marine receiving a care package from the USO

A Marine receiving a care package from the USO

As the United States approaches its 11th year of the War in Afghanistan, 88,000 troops still remain in the war torn country, many of which have served multiple tours. It’s likely that most if not all of these troops are extremely homesick and yearn to be back home.

Fortunately, there are many ways for Americans to communicate with their family or friends who are serving abroad, in addition to military veterans. As simple as it may seem, a sending a card or a gift overseas or stateside can potentially quite all the difference in the world. In fact, keeping in contact with friends and family who are in the military, whether they’re stationed overseas or not may be more important than ever for their morale and their well-being. And even if there is no personal connection with a servicemember, there are organizations that will send cards, letters and gifts to those active members of the military, who work hard, oftentimes in incredibly dangerous situations, while protecting our nation.

The Department of Defense website lists nearly 30 organizations that send care packages as a way to say thank you to not just to troops stationed overseas but also to wounded warriors, other veterans and any other member of the United States military.

An example of a typical care package was found on the Operation Troop Aid website:

  1. 120 MIN Phone Cards
  2. Beef Jerky
  3. Trail Mix
  4. Baby Wipes
  5. Hand Sanitizer
  6. Nutter Butters
  7. Now or Laters/Skittles
  8. Peanut Butter/Granola Bars
  9. Thank You Post Card
  10. Letters from School Children

These items might seem rather dull to civilians but for those troops who are accustomed to having the same types of meals over and over again, they can really be a blessing. Other gifts can include protein bars, dry soups, oatmeal, shampoo, multivitamins, DVDs, batteries and clothing.

What may be even more important is the power of a gift and the acknowledgement of letting our troops know that while we go about our daily routine lives in America, we will never forget the courage and sacrifice they put forth every single day.

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Randy Yagi

Randy Yagi

Randy Yagi is a senior writer with Milpages.com. He also writes for other online media sources, including Examiner.com and CBS San Francisco. A Vietnam era veteran, he worked in management positions in both local government and academic settings. He is a graduate of San Jose State University, and possesses degrees in Economics, Digital Publishing and Web Media and Liberal Arts. He was awarded a Media Fellowship from Stanford University in October.
Randy Yagi

@https://twitter.com/randyyagi

Randy Yagi

Randy Yagi