Hello! I'm Susan and I found this site in early December.

My husband Simon and I always said 'we support our troops' but finally realized that meant more than just saying it. I started searching for ways to send care packages to the troops and found Any Soldier. Since then, we have 'adopted' 6 units, sending Christmas packages and letters to them and, to our great delight, getting a couple of letters in return.

We plan to continue sending what we can, especially regular letters, and are so grateful for a place like this that gives us the means (and the knowledge!) to truly support our troops in a way that has meaning, and is useful. The letters we have received from 'our soldiers' are precious. They will remain family treasures, always.

Hello everyone, My name is Jamie I live in Southern California I am 31 yrs old and a single mom to 12 year old twins (boy/girl) I work for kaiser permanente in the workers comp billing dept. I have been involved with many organizations for almost 4 years now sending care packages overseas, writting letters to soldiers overseas and in hospitals recovering. I have organized many fundraisers and sent the doantions in care packages. I have sent hundreds of letter and have made many good friends.. I have met a few of the soldiers that received my letters in person and still keep in contact via email and phone calls. My grandparents were both in WWII. My mother was a single mother raising 4 kids and my grandfather moved in to help after my grandmother passed and he would tell my 3 older brothers and I war stories and taught to always respect our soldiers and vets. I dated a special forces right before 9-11 and we were together 3 years. He was in Afghan and Iraq so I was always sending care packages and letters to him, and started getting friends to write his unit and send packages for the whole unit. When he got out of the Army I continued to stay involved and support the troops. I always wanted to do more and to help the families more. I started my own non profit organization vixensforvets.com and I sell calendars and posters and my proceeds go to sending care packages overseas as well as assisiting with the families of wounded and fallen soldiers. Its my first year but i hope it to be a sucessful year and I am already starting on the 2009 calendar and to update the website for more sucess. I received a dvd for Christmas from a friend who helped me get my non profit started its called The Christmas Card it was a very beautiful movie of a soldier who fell in love with the woman he received a Christmas Card from. I noticed in the dvd case there was a Christmas card with instructions how to send it overseas and it led me to anysoldiers.com website and I just became a member. I look forward to making lots of new friends and becoming a pen pal to many.

Rie Keul, SusanV, and Jamie Moore, Hello and welcome to the forum!

Navigate and find answers to questions and share ideas. We are a sounding board of concerned supporters.  

Thank you for stopping, pull up a chair, get yourself a cup of your favorite and stay a while.

Thanks for stopping to visit, door

 

I am SPC Maldonado, Elizabeth (25 year old) from Miami, FL. I am currently in Ballad, Iraq. I am a BMET (biomedical equipment tech) we repair medical equipment. I am married to a wonderful husband from Arcadia, Indiana. My parents are Colombian. I was in college during the 911 attacks. I was having breakfast, after the 2nd plane hit I got up and threw up. I quickly realized that it was no coincidence so I got in my car and headed to my little sisters HS to pick her up. While driving I heard reports about the pentagon. I thought we were on our way to WWIII. I got my lil sis home and I could not keep my eyes off the news. I told my parents I would head out to NY as a volunteer but they did not approve. I was on my way to the University of Miami from MDCC with a full scholarship when I decided to join. I joined in 2005 (about 3 yrs after the war began). I could not believe what I would see on tv so I decided I had to take part in it. I just couldn't keep complaining and not actually doing something about it. So I let a full scholarship to UM for the Army. My parents were very upset. When I reflect on it all I can't believe it. Do I regret it? NO!!! I was telling my mother last night that I have seen many horrible things. Evil is alive and working. Yet I have witnessed more good than ever. I told mom that it is in war when we can clearly see both sides (yin and yang) but let me tell you all that the goodness is far greater. All of the support we get from the states is unreal. I am blessed to be witness to such kind people (all thanks to the support from you all). I am so grateful I to have experienced all this and I just wanted to say thank you on behalf of us all. You guys are great , and you are our heroes

.

Welcome, Elizabeth!

We appreciate all of your kind words.  Thank YOU for your service to our country and all that you have sacrificed to keep us safe.  I tell everyone that I have received more than I have given since being a part of soldier support.  It is just a feeling that can't be described!  You have a great and wonderful day and please, stay safe out there.

Wow Elizabeth what kind words indeed!  Thank you for your service and tell all your battle buddies the same!

Please becareful and stay safe

Much love and Respect.

Lisa

Elizabeth Hello to you and your husband, and Welcome!

September 11th 2001 was one of those times in our lives where we will remember where we were and what we were doing.

It was the end of an era and the start of a change for the whole world.

In each of us there was an awakening of changing times.

Your parents only want the best for you but you must follow your heart. It shows that they care. 

You have to live your life, no one else can do that for you.

My daughter decided to enlist after 9-11 and though it gave me a few grey hairs I respected her wishes.

It is hard on parents to see their children off to be in harms way. It is our nature of protecting.

Good continues to blossom in the world from the good deeds of those who care.

There are many caring here, willing to support the good that can be done where you are located.

To that end we find ourselves fortunate to be able to be a participant.

Our intent is that we give you and your fellow soldiers hope in the knowledge that you are in our thoughts daily.

Feel free to let us know how you and your soldiers are doing.

Blessings to you and your family, door 

  

 

 

 

 

Hello everybody, my name is Glenda from Puerto Rico.  I just found this site and I would like to know more about it.  I would like to get in touch with boricuas soldiers to know more about them and share the news about Puerto Rico.  I dont know if I can write my e mail here, I ll do it anyways and If it is not acceptable I assume the moderator will erase it.  Boricuas mi e mail es divastyle25@hotmail.com.

Elizabeth, your words brought a lump to my throat - THANK YOU soooooo much for your service.  You say we supporters are our heros, but trust me YOU and your brothers and sisters over there are the real heros.  STay safe!

Elizabeth, Your story touched me.  I think everyone here remembers where we were and what we were doing when those planes hit.  Heck, I wanted to enlist, and I was 46!  LOL!  I can't tell you how grateful we are (I speak here for my husband as well - he is a supporter, too) to you for your service and your ideals.  You will be in our thoughts and in our hearts; please keep us posted as to how you are doing and what you need.  You are never alone over there.

Pat 

Glenda Welcome!

I went to the "Home page" and clicked on the "Where to Send". Once at that page on the left hand side is a little magnifying glass. That is the search engine for the site. I clicked on it and entered Puerto Rico into the search engine and found 22 contacts. That should get you started.

Blessings, door

Welcome Glenda - I'm sure the soldiers deployed from Puerto Rico will be ecstatic to receive news from home!   Supporters in the states can only provide substitutes compared to what you can give them.  Welcome to Any Soldier.

Ann

Greetings and hello,

My name is Theodocia and I have been using AnySoldier for several months to be in touch with our soldiers and send them goodies and things they need. I come from a long military family but the "rank" abbreviations are beyond me. Is there a site that would help me break them down. Some of the addresses that I have requested have the soldier's name at the top without giving a rank - like Sgt, LC, whatever. Underneath where it says "Soldier's Title" there are often abbreviations that I cannot translate. When I write, I would like to be able to address the soldier correctly. Can anyone move me on? I have never posted on a chat room and haven't a clue what I am doing but I am plowing ahead. Thanks,

Theodocia

Hi Theodocia,

Welcome!

The ranks and various military acronyms are a mystery to a lot of us! And what the contact puts in the "Soldier's Title" is not necessarily a rank. It may be a job title, such as "Broadcast Journalist". Or an acronym such as EO, which is Equipment Operator, but also not a rank. It's kind of confusing...

There's a very handy chart on the "Where to Send" page, about half-way down, under the 5 logos, that shows the ranks for the various branches:

Ranks of the Soldier contacts HERE.

My rule of thumb has been this: if the soldier includes their rank, I address them as such. If not, I call them by their first name. For example, PFC Sarah Smith I would start "Dear PFC Smith"; Sarah Smith I would do "Dear Sarah"; or the always correct "Dear Soldier". (I've even used 'Dear Soldier" and found out that the letter was given to an Airman. I asked him if that bothered him, and he said "No way! I got mail!!!"

Hope this helps you.

 

EDIT: Some soldiers purposely leave off their ranks, so if the address you were e-mailed from AnySoldier doesn't include a rank, don't use a rank when addressing letters and packages, even if you know what it is.

 

Greetings and hello,

My name is Theodocia and I have been using AnySoldier for several months to be in touch with our soldiers and send them goodies and things they need. I come from a long military family but the "rank" abbreviations are beyond me. Is there a site that would help me break them down. Some of the addresses that I have requested have the soldier's name at the top without giving a rank - like Sgt, LC, whatever. Underneath where it says "Soldier's Title" there are often abbreviations that I cannot translate. When I write, I would like to be able to address the soldier correctly. Can anyone move me on? I have never posted on a chat room and haven't a clue what I am doing but I am plowing ahead. The information on the page that shows "Ranks" does not tell me what an Air Force S4 is.

Theodocia