Any Discussion About A Troop Adoption?

[freakygar]

Searched but did not find anything on this.

Could we set up a Troop Adoption Program? The guys that are in contact with the troops already could hook up a CS member that wants to adopt with a soldier that wants to be adopted.
It would be a cigar version of a pen pal. Emails/photos could be exchanged as well as care packages sent from the adopting parent.

Don't have all the answers yet just running it through my head right now.
Any thoughts or ideas are welcome.

Al

[Spect]

http://www.adoptaplatoon.org/

[ChasDen]

The summer before last I was humbled by the amount of work and effort folks go through to get stuff, necessities not just luxury items to forward deployed troops. It’s an art and does require some connections and long hours to get it done efficiently. I would suggest everyone find a way to roll their sleeves up and even if its just 1 weekend, get to know these fine people who give so much of themselves. We did it to teach the kids some values but it was I who I believe learned the most and as a grown man I have been changed forever since.

The link provided above is one of many awesome places set up to do it right.

A few places to contact to help directly:

America Supports You

Soldiers' Angels

Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Operation USO Care Package

VA Voluntary Service

There are many ways to adopt a soldier so you should have no trouble locating one through some of the links above.

Thanks for supporting them!
Chas

[CigarGal]

I think this is a great idea and if you contact one of the fellows who receive the group shipments I bet they could hook us up. I would be willing to do a one on one with a trooper.

[massphatness]

Grace & I just signed up at www.AdoptaPlatoon.org

They hook us up with a soldier, and we commit to writing one letter a week plus sending a monthly care package for the duration of their deployment. Their site is not the most organized thing I've ever seen, but it's a worthwhile endeavour once you figure it out.

As a side note, they go to great to lengths to say the soldier may not be able to respond frequently or even at all, depending on their situation, location & mission status. However, it's our job to keep writing letters and sending the monthly care packages.

It took about 10 days from my initial sign up for them to contact me, then another few days for them to get us paired up with a soldier.

Sent my first letter off today, and I would strongly encourage the gorillas on this site to give the troops the gift of time -- your time. The cigar packages we send are obviously fantastic, but IMHO, getting mail from the states -- particularly for those soldiers who may not have a lot of family writing them -- might make even more of an impact.

[freakygar]

Great job Vin!

Thanks to all for the links.

I was hoping to do this with CS members. I received some very concerning PM's from some BOTL's cautioning me about this.

So after some disappointment, I asked sgt smokey (John) to be my pen pal soldier. He has agreed so we will see how it goes. After telling John some of the concerns he said he will look for soldiers in country that might like the program.

We will see.

Thanks again to everyone.
Al

[AD720]

Since you guys are on the subject of helping out the troops, here is another charity that I like to contribute to whenever I can:

http://www.operationuplink.org/

[DAL]

http://www.anysoldier.com/

[lpsto99]

I am willing to be "adopted". This is actually my first post here, as I have just discovered this place.So far it is really cool to see a bunch of friendly people with the same thing in common get along. I am currently deployed here in Iraq and can most likely help you get hooked up with a soldier (ARMY) in need of a pen pal or whatever. Feel free to PM me or post any questions you might have. It really is refreshing to see people still support us 5 years later (I was here in '03 too). Kudos to a well run forum and nice people.

[massphatness]

Grace & I received our first e-mail from our adopted soldier today. To say it made my day would be a definite understatement.

People, if you really want to feel good about something, consider getting involved with one of these organizations that helps provide moral support to our men & women overseas. This completely squashes my earlier post about getting scammed on eBay.

[TikiHut27]

I send out pics and notes every week or two and anyone who wants to know more about what we are doing here in Kabul can PM me. I'll send a copy of the notes and include you on future ones.

[TikiHut27]

Our top supporters here are:

1) Soldier's Angels www.soldiersangels.org
2) Mama Cindy Soldier Fund www.MamaCindy.freeservers.com
3) Local American Legion/VFW posts
4) Club Stogie, of course

If you are looking to support an organization that really makes a difference to the troops, start with these!

(This thread is yet another reason why CS is so highly regarded here! Thank you...)