My Soldier

I wrote about what the students at Manhattanville College back in NY is doing for our soldiers abroad. Today, I heard on Air America Radio that they've started a new program, My Soldier. My Soldier is a way for us to get in touch with the soldiers abroad and correspond with them. The program was started by a student at Manhattanville who went abroad to serve in Iraq for 14 months on active duty. He's 23. He's a soccer player. It hit home because I went to school down the street from him, I'm 24, I'm a soccer player.

My Soldier will send you a starter kit with info on how to contact the soldiers abroad. It's free to join, but I think it'll cost you a stamp to write a letter, or if your soldier has e-mail, that's free. Postage is the same as if you were to send mail within the U.S., there are no air-mail charges or anything. Here's some info on the program, you can click here for their website for more info.

My Soldier is a program that puts politics aside and lets U.S. soldiers know that someone back home cares. When a person enrolls in the My Soldier program, they agree to adopt a soldier. They receive a “starter kit” containing guidelines for letter writing and care package preparation, a red My Soldier bracelet, and a specially designed My Soldier baseball hat to include with the first letter they send to their deployed United States Armed Serviceperson. The first letter/care package they send is addressed to their soldier's platoon contact who then distributes it to their soldier. The soldier then replies and direct correspondence begins (about 80% of soldiers respond, but 100% appreciate getting the letters). The program is free.

I joined and because of all of the great media coverage they're backlogged right now, but once I get my info, I'm gonna be writing as much as I can. If your company or a group of 25+ wants to participate, they ask for a $10/kit donation to help offset costs, Manhattanville College is eating all of the costs right now, they're going to keep it up until a large donation or corporate sponsorship comes along to help out.

***UPDATE*** 11.52am
Here's another website Any Soldier that puts us in touch with our soldiers overseas.

Comments

[republicanpartyreptile]

Thanks for the info. Definitely worth looking into. I'd be curious to hear your experience with it. (Air America as a reference no less.)