I have to second Sarah's view.  In between package shipments to my soldiers I send letters or postcards.

Postcards with a heartfelt message go over really well and don't cost much. I travel frequently and send postcards to all my soldiers from everywhere I go.  They love it.  It's another way to make a connection and to remind them of the America they love.  They get to see something other than Iraq and my chicken scratch penmanship !!!!  I get to remind them once more how much I appreciate their hard work!

A postcard is also a good way to "tease" your soldier about an upcoming package. Send a postcard of somewhere you are visiting or your hometown and say:  A little bit of ______ is heading your way!  Or - "My hometown is famous for______" And then follow with a small package.

 

 

 

 

 

Depends on the soldier.  I hear from too many.   I started by choosing female soldiers, thinking (correctly) that they probably didn't get too much girl stuff out there in the desert.  There are two problems with female soldiers.  First, they tend to be in more stable situations (eg, a nurse in a field hospital) and, second, women are natural-born talkers.  So here I was, not expecting to hear back from anyone, and almost every one of them wrote me back.  Now I've got more pen pals than I can keep up with.

And I love it.

Guys are often in physical circumstances that make it much more difficult for them to write.  They don't have writing materials.  Their jobs are very physical and they are just too bone-tired at the end of a 12-hour day.  (They are sometimes too tired to eat; ain't no guy who's too tired to eat gonna be writing no letters!)  And guys just aren't the letter writers that we women tend to be.  On the other hand, I think these very guys are the ones who most need our support.

However...if you want a response, my best suggestion is to include writing materials.  Better yet, include a self-addressed envelope or postcard.  (No need to include postage, as it's free from their end.)

Hi,  I agree with all the posts. I get a response  about 25% of the time.  But when you do hear, well it is so extra special. I have been blessed and have had some great contacts that I am still in touch with.  I have sent packages and never heard until they got home. I also got a email from a wife of a soldier. He kept all of the letters he recieve and she was writing to  thank us for our support after he got home.  That one made me cry !!! Another group sent me a Flag and Certificate in a framed shadow box they made.  I was in shock when I got it !!! I have that one hanging on my wall in front of me to remind me to pray for  "My Troops" everyday.  So keep on sending the LOVE,  Even if it is just a post card !!! One common theme from most of the Troops letters to the site...they love the  letters more then any thing...Just to let them know we are thinking of them means the most!

I will never forget reading a post from a chaplain contact who told how regular form-type correspondence was never read or appreciated by the recipients, that it ended up in the trash, and had other negative, discouraging comments about things his group had received.  I was thinking that he must have indeed had a bad week and hoped that he would be relieved soon.

Several of the groups print up certificates of service and send to their supporters when they are nearing the end of their deployment.  One we had gotten recently was a combined Iraqi/American certificate from one of the MiTT units and was signed by both commanders.

We try to send rare/unusual items at times tucked in the packages, and we got a response from one contact who said we sent "cool stuff". 

One year we got a Christmas card that puzzled me at first when I saw the picture on the front of people I didn't recognize and it said inside that his daddy's name was _________.  He was still in Iraq and we had gotten a card from his family.

Gran

I hear back more from the letters I write than the packages sent. I have sent many a package and used to keep track of what went where when,but I am wiser now...I spend that energy writing another letter or packing up another box. Some of my contacts have kept in touch even after they have come home. Truly treasures are these outstanding men and women who put it on the line for us everyday.

WOW! After reading some of the posts I realise just how lucky I am. I have sent several boxes, letters, etc to groups and have heard from only a few, some I heard from on a regular basis and then nothing others I have never heard from. I have however, made best of friends with one of my contacts and we are planning to meet  when she comes home in February! We are fortunate enough to be able to talk on a daily basis. There are a few days we do not but most days we do. I certainly appreciate this but I also appreciate those who are not able to contact me as often. Unfortunately most of my contacts have since come home or have been dropped form the list. I will most likely get some other contacts in the near future but for now I send a box a week to my new best friend and her group. She is in a posistion to get alot of stuff to alot of different people so I feel good knowing that I am helping others. I just wish there was more I could do

I figure I hear back from about 25%, but it seems I get more response back from letters than when I send a package out the first time.  I've started sending letters first, and then if I hear back, I will send a "customized" package, depending on what they need.  I do still occasionally send a package right off the bat--some of the posts just get to me!  I used to worry at first about whether the package made it or not, but I figure as long as the contact is still posting and the address hasn't changed, the odds are in favor of them getting it.  If you start out worrying about each and every package, you won't get far.  I just say a little prayer as I put the address on, that whoever needs it most will wind up with it.  If the Good Lord decides that someone other than the addressee (i.e. thieves) need it worse, so be it, because along with that pack of baby-wipes, he or she also got some love and prayers, whether they wanted it or not!

Ok Gran,

Now you've piqued my curiosity...is the negative chaplain still a contact?  Do you remember who he/she was?

Every now and then you come across a posting that has some discouraging comments about the items received, but thankfully they are far and few between.  I remember one that complained about the "generic" care packages that were packed with hygeine items, food, etc.  I assume that they didn't get many more replies, because the soldier was dropped from the list after that for not updating.

I'm always amazed at how grateful most of our troops are for the simple things that we take for granted--like clean socks.  I would say I've heard from about 50% of my contacts either through their postings or they've mailed me back.  However, I am always slow with thank you cards, etc. so I definitely cannot fault anybody in that department.

If I hear nothing, I just assume that they got what I sent and it was put to good use.

Take care,

Maggie

It has been extremely rare for me to hear back from the things I've sent. I have the advantage (?) of having a son over there who is registered with anysoldier.com and I know what happened with him. He had all sorts of good intentions for sending thank you's (his thoughtful mother even sent him a box of thank you notes) when he registered. As he got settled there (to the extent one does get settled, he found himself working 15 to 20 hours a day. Six hours sleep in a night is a wonderful experience for him. As we often read on here, these men and women have pretty important things to take care of every day...like staying alive!!!

I still wish I heard from my contacts and I really wish my son would write those thank you notes but I've just decided to tell myself that someone who needed what I was sending received my package. If I hear back from someone, that's a plus but I know how Matthew's soldiers have been blessed with what they've received!

When I first started, I didn't hear from anyone (I even included self-addressed post cards).  I consoled myself that they were busy and that there is a blessing in giving without expecting anything in return.   About 3 or 4 months into it I got my first card. It completely made my day/week.  Since then I've recieved replies from many, but I'm still content that I'm doing God's work whether I hear from them or not.

Huh.  I also read a negative post from a chaplain, maybe 2-3 months ago.  I forget the details, but he didn't complain about form letters, so it was not the same post.  Not sure if it was the same chaplain.  I remember wondering what his problem was.

Hi All,

One of the first things I read on the site was the remark that some of the contacts are writers and others are not….
I try to keep this in mind when reading the email postings.  After reading so many that report standing in long lines to access a computer for a 10 min time limit…at dial-up speeds.  I understood better.  Given this, it is remarkable that some can even load the website’s application page to sign up.  Now, when I read the short and sweet (“still here”) email updates I assume they used the other 9 mins to write to their families :-)

I say this only as a reminder to read with tender eyes and assume only noble intent.  I read the post referenced and I too was momentarily taken aback.  I assumed he didn’t want to horde nor be a leach upon the resources that would be more appreciated if directed elsewhere.  I thought Gran characterized this well, we all have bad days and “in deed . . .bad weeks.”  The troops are eventually redeployed and this Chaplain (God willing) will be relieved.  

I can only speculate on what his problem was…I’d guess an unanticipated 19-month deployment would be mine.

Shine on,
betc

 

Just when you start getting discouraged about not hearing from anyone, something will come in that makes your day, and you're so thankful for that one, you don't worry so much about what you haven't received.

I got a homemade postcard yesterday--it was cut out of cardboard, and had the lines drawn on with a pen!  Not only did it remind me of how resourceful our troops are, it reminded me that it truly is the thought that counts. 

Hi Folks,

I think that Chaplains are under enormous stress in doing their jobs...probably don't need to elaborate on it. I'd like to hope that you may have caught that Chaplain on a bad day, which to any of us would be a horrific disaster. I wrote to this excellent Chaplain in TF Spartan who was operating in the worst of conditions, but got commended for his company's outstanding attitude and performance. The man was taking some hard times and I gave his packages my best effort, but there was still a gulf between his life and mine and even though he made efforts to explain things, I think that he himself needed someone who understood, and I think about that from time to time.
Folks should understand that while not everyone can write back or that occasionally packages may not be received, this is the most direct and important effort you can make and we should never falter in our resolve because of a bad experience. That's why I believe in you folks here, and this program we're all in. Keep Going!
 

When I first started on Anysoldier I used to type up my letters because I have such poor penmanship -illegible really.   Then I heard that the troops didn't like printed letters (form type letters) so I started writing shorter notes by hand.   I actually received more responses when i started doing that. I don't know what is going on with that chaplain but I hope he has been relieved and getting himself some help.