I have had a lot of people ask me how I choose my contacts.  I go to the search page and type in something that is meaningful to me.  I mostly choose troops from Florida or Military Working Dog Handlers, "MWD Handler" or "K-9 Handler". I am a dog lover and I know the military does not always provide everything they need.  My very first package was a Cool Vest for a German Shepherd that was in Iraq and the "can" they lived in had no air conditioning.  Since then I have supported over 50 MDW Handlers, with some of whom I still maintain a pen-pal realtionship. I order dog treats from Jeffers Pet Supplies because they mail them direct to the troops. Then I send letters, cards and packages for the humans on a fairly regular basis, about once a month. At any given time I have between five and ten contacts. 

I don't ever expect any correspondence in return, but when I get a letter, email or a nod on the web page, it is the most rewarding feeling to know I have brightened soemone's day. I have read many posts on the website and when I see someone telling their suporters that they couldn't get through their deployment withouth the love, prayers and stuff from Any Soldier, it makes it all worthwhile.

 

Peace,

 

NicksMom:

I have had a lot of people ask me how I choose my contacts.  I go to the search page and type in something that is meaningful to me.  I mostly choose troops from Florida or Military Working Dog Handlers, "MWD Handler" or "K-9 Handler". I am a dog lover and I know the military does not always provide everything they need.  My very first package was a Cool Vest for a German Shepherd that was in Iraq and the "can" they lived in had no air conditioning.  Since then I have supported over 50 MDW Handlers, with some of whom I still maintain a pen-pal realtionship. I order dog treats from Jeffers Pet Supplies because they mail them direct to the troops. Then I send letters, cards and packages for the humans on a fairly regular basis, about once a month. At any given time I have between five and ten contacts. 

I don't ever expect any correspondence in return, but when I get a letter, email or a nod on the web page, it is the most rewarding feeling to know I have brightened soemone's day. I have read many posts on the website and when I see someone telling their suporters that they couldn't get through their deployment withouth the love, prayers and stuff from Any Soldier, it makes it all worthwhile.

 

Peace,

 

You do a lot of the same things that I do.  I will look up Ohio or Kentucky, sometimes Florida because I have family there.  I have a Marine that I am currently supporting, simply because her name is Susan too!  She thought that was the neatest thing that our names were the same (I explained that I picked her with that same thing in mind!) and I was around her age and supporting her.  She's since asked if any of my friends names match her friends names so we can have the Name Game support.  Isn't that neat?

I have several friends who are starting to request addresses and I always tell them to pick based on what makes them feel good or what they think they can do for a specific soldier.  Some can only write letters and some can send boxes.  I tell them to always follow their hearts when choosing!

I usually pick a Marine unit because I was in the Marines once upon a time ago and feel a kinship and wanting to help out a brother or sister Marine.  Nothing against the other services.  I also try to look for a contact that has not had many requests.

Dave

We started out picking Army units because we were sending to our grandson in the Army when he was in Iraq and it was more familiar doing so, but we continued with the Army /NG when they put the loooooong tours on them because it felt so sad to see what those long tours were doing to them and their families.

Gran

Started out with the Marines (ole Corp brat here), then started looking at the least requested....now I'm all over the place, Coast Guard, Army (son-in-law), Air Force, AK, Iraq, Kuwait, K-9, Medic, Chaplain.  I don't know what happened?  I became a junkie for sure.  They all have pictures of my chihuahua's though

I started with names I got at church, and a friends brother. They all came home, so I found this place, and thought I had gone to heaven! I pick Army since I am an Army brat. ( I used to bake cookies for my dad's guys when I was a teen.) I pick them for group size pretty much now. I like smaller groups because I can send stuff to the whole group. But, then I found one that was from where I was born and I had to have them as well. I like to pick at least one group from there at all times now; it makes me feel like I am connected to them.

Heidi

I picked guys from Afghanistan because I felt that Iraq was getting all of the attention & our military members in Afghanistan might feel neglected.  Then I picked them based on their names.  As it turns out, almost every contact has the same last name as someone I've had as a friend at some time during my life.  If I read their post & it touches me, I get their address.  Actually, it's too easy for me to find a contact.  I always want to send whatever they want.  I really need to win the lottery!

Hugs to all,

Sharon

 I just read a post and it attacks me. I think of them constantly and cant get it out of my head, I consider that my God-Message.

I skim certain posts that I know are doing OK and have support. I View posts that have certain items I have at home in quantity and whose leave date is farther in the future. Out of those, there is always one that stands out and pulls me in. Right now i have a team of 10 that i will continue with as I was lucky enough to get an e-mail. I have another that will be dealt with once the new boxes come in, they deal with kids/health. Another will be seen to hopefully with some e-mails at first, as shipping will be expensive and I need accuracy on what to send.

I would love to be a better letter composer, but that is not my forte' right now, there are things needed that I do not have to buy but need to be shipped out. SO I dont really choose, God just kind of puts them in my sights and its my job to go from there.

Love Hugs & Prayers, Nanc  

JustMeinAZ:

  I just read a post and it attacks me. I think of them constantly and cant get it out of my head...

I'd have to say, that's been my experience too.  The very first one was AFG, "we are hungry, we are cold"...   I was new and I was afraid... and by the time I realized they were calling to me - couldn't find them; read and read and read (I don't remember if we could "search" then, you can now, anyway-I didn't think of it).  With all that reading though, I came upon a similiar posting from the cold mountains: "we are remote... it is very cold..."  I began to write weekly, living on the very occasional AS update. When they dropped, I was sincerely non-plused. I hadn't realized how emotionally attached I had become (I heard from them once - wonderfully - when they left theater). Really didn't know what next to do.  I wrote to those listing my City, then units headed out from my State; I wrote to warriors from states I had never been to (Googled them and learned) .  I wrote to soldiers with (my) similiar surname, then ones with names so different from mine that I was greatly curious to hear their voice; many did reply.  I wrote to female Marines (God bless them) and to Grunts, Mavericks, Marine officers with stories of my pop, a 1st Division, Guadalcanal Marine.  Have written a host of Army NCO's, many privates, a few officers - Ha! even into Air Force (smile) gotta respect the guys who bring the aircraft, aye (laughter) and told each of them why. I wrote to mail handling personnel (thanking them) and to snipers (like to feed them too); wrote those who wrench and those who drive. After cleaning house realizing I had good, sturdy, useful camp gear I didn't need - I wrote those who posted that they did.  Ahh, you noticed - I finally learned the AS search function (smile).

Over the past few years it's been easy to select soldiers through curiosity and through appreciation (some post with such informative humor) and sometimes it's been the Soldier who has picked me:  "my buddy gave me your letter" or "I found you on the bulletin board" or "could you remember us again, we're going right back out". 

Any way you start is a good way. For those who feel called to this service, I believe (in very short time), certain postings will "speak" to you.  For me, I've been surprised that those who have tugged me the most strong were not always the most verbose; I've just learned to listen... and trust that is where my prayer was supposed to be.     

Guess I have one more thing to say - besides having had a long stint of just writing Medics :)   Every time I'd get a conversant Pen-Pal (what a JOY!)  I'd also find a posting for a large group and wrote/send into field addressed to "Any Soldier".  I know few supporters get regular correspondence, I'd know what a luxury it was to know (so often) that "my" guys were okay.  I know this.  So to balance my pride, my excitement, my satisfaction, my JOY!  I'd pray on that fellow and the Bud who'd pass my box to someone who hadn't received lately.  I'd grin to myself calling it my penance for receiving so much attention (smile).  It's so easy to choose, just close eyes and click.

I look at several things. I guess the most important one to me is how many times they have been requested compared to how many troops there are. If 500 troops have only been requested 30 times (or even 100 times if they've been on for a few months), I'll pick them over a group of 30 with the same number of requests. I can't send something for each person, but I figure it takes a lot of people choosing a large group to get them covered. I tend to choose a group from my state (SC) but not always. I've got those 10 kids t-shirts right now, so I'm going to look for a group that has contact with local kids. I haven't managed to establish a relationship with a group yet. That's probably harder with a large group. Just my thoughts.

I'm like Mom from SF - I read a post and I feel like the contact kinda picks me!  

I am not an extremely religious person but sometimes I feel like the contacts I have picked have been 'meant' for me and me for them.  I never would have thought I could get so attached to complete strangers through e-mails and the occasional phone call, but it has happened, more than once.  In fact, I just got a call on my cell phone from my little medic buddy Di who is home on R&R and planning her wedding.  She just called to tell me she had found the perfect place for her wedding and reception!

 

I spend the begining of my shift at work looking through that days enteries .  When I work 3-11 I write two letters each shift.  They are inside homemade cards.  That normally have pictures from my trips on them.  Like Washington DC and Philly.

But when it comes to choosing the special people...It just has to catch my eye somehow.  Normally its not someone with pictures.  But Normally its someone who wrote more than one line (sorry I like to have something to talk about in the card).  After I choose one, Like today his name might have been Joe Brown.  I look back 1 month. This could be someone who hasn't recieved anything new in a while.  Someone that has forgotten to update on AnySoldier.com recently.  But I pick someone from that might have the same first name or the same last inital, like Joe, Josh, Janet.  Some that connects them; Army, same country, sgt.  Odd I know but its my thing. 

My second favorite way is to choose people that are leaving their stations on my birthday.  I like to let them know that I will be thinking about them on my 'special' day. 

It doesn't matter how you choose them. as long as you request your soldiers and contact them .  Its a feeling unlike much else.

My mood dictates which contact I choose on any given day.  It might be a familiar name, a home state hero, or one with few address requests.  It might be one who only asks for letters or magazines.  My students write letters once a month as part of their language arts classes so I look for contacts that represent a group of 35-45 (avg.) While I occasionally send FRBs, most of my packages are FR envelopes filled with magazines (my school donates the old issues), letters, and odds and ends (like pens, emery boards, single drink mixes) that will fit into the space. I too am a freebie collector.  Pens, notepads, magnets, OTC drug samples, etc. all become packing materials. 

I think I mixed 2 threads.  Sorry, it just seemed to go together here.

 

At first it was hard to decide who to send to. The need is so great - it's easy to feel overwhelmed. But now I'm focusing on the Air Force branch and looking for smaller units that have not had too many contacts.  I found someone who last contacted a month ago and only had 12 requests since initial sign up.  The writer had a long list of specific requests but ended it by saying they would be very happy to get anything at all.  There was a tinge of loneliness in his voice, so now I'm looking forward to sending off a few packages as soon as possible.