[Ansteorra] OT: Troop Support Mailings

[John Yates]

Greetings!
   While not having read but a portion of the posts
related to service members overseas, some of what I
have read brought to my mind something I have
received.
   This is a release, the maint poits of which follows
at the bottom of this post, from the Department of
Defense.
   I have been running the past few days a news story
that I wrote based on a release from one of the
Choctaw rribes who are trying to support thie overseas
militarily deployed members. This gave me pause when I
read it, and I plan to be running it tomorrow locally.

   Please not that I am not in any way criticizing any
troop support effort, just passing along some info I
received. I also understand it had some national play
over the weekend.

Valstarr
-------------------------------------------------------

TROOP SUPPORT MAIL POLICY STRESSED

To bolster force protection, the general public is
urged not to
send unsolicited mail, care packages or donations to
service
members forward deployed unless you are a family
member, loved
one or personal friend.

On Oct. 30, 2002, the Department of Defense (DoD)
suspended the
"Operation Dear Abby" and "Any Servicemember" mail
programs due
to force protection concerns.  Although these programs
provide
an excellent means of support to friends and loved
ones
stationed overseas, they also provide an avenue to
introduce
hazardous substances or materials into the mail system
from
unknown sources.  Unsolicited mail, packages and
donations from
organizations and individuals also compete for limited
airlift
space used to transport supplies, war-fighting
materiel and mail
from family and loved ones.

Recently, DoD has become aware of organizations and
individuals
who continue to support some form of the "Any
Servicemember"
program by using the names and addresses of individual
servicemembers and unit addresses.  These programs are
usually
supported by well-intentioned, thoughtful and
patriotic groups
who are simply unaware of the new risks facing
deployed military
forces.  Some individuals and groups publicize the
names and
addresses of service members, ships or units on Web
sites, with
good intentions.  The result, however, is a potential
danger to
the troops they wish to support.

DoD cannot support creative and well-intentioned
efforts that
defeat force protection measures, but can instead
recommend
alternatives to mail and donation programs.  To show
support to
troops overseas, the following are recommended:

* Log on to the following Web sites to show support,
to include
greeting cards, virtual Thank You cards and calling
card
donations to help troops stay in contact with loved
ones:

http://www.defendamerica.mil/support_troops.html

http://www.usocares.org/home.htm

http://www.army.mil/operations/iraq/faq.html

* Visit Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and
nursing
homes.  Volunteer your services to honor veterans who
served in
past conflicts.

Mail from family members and loved ones has always
been
encouraged and the military mail system will continue
to work
hard to get that mail to servicemembers overseas.



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