Christmas Cards for the Troops

Since it was disclosed by me two weeks that you can not send cards and letters to 'A Recovering Soldier' or 'Any Wounded Soldier,' several members of my church asked me if I could come up with an alternate address for sending Christmas cards to the wounded troops at Walter Reed, and this is what I was able to come up with:

First the reason you can not send letters and cards addressed to ‘Any Wounded Soldier’ or ‘A Recovering American Soldier’:

Walter Reed Army Medical Center officials have indicated that packages, letters, and holiday cards addressed to ‘Any Wounded Soldier’ or ‘A Recovering American Soldier’ cannot be accepted. This decision is in support of a policy implemented by then Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Transportation Policy in 2001, and was made to ensure the safety and well being of patients and staff at medical centers throughout the Department of Defense.

Additionally, the U.S. Postal Service is no longer accepting "Any Service Member" or "A Recovering American Soldier" letters or packages. Mail to "Any Service Member" that is deposited into a collection box will not be delivered.

Walter Reed Army Medical Center have suggested that instead of sending an "Any Wounded Soldier" letter or package to Walter Reed, that you please consider making a donation to one of the more than 300 nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping our troops and their families listed on the "America Supports You" website, www.americasupportsyou.mil

Other organizations that offer means of showing your support for our troops or assist wounded service members and their families include:
Operation USO Care Package: http://www.usocares.org/
To Our Soldiers: http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/tooursoldiers/
American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org
And my personal favorite, Soldiers Angels: http://www.soldiersangels.org/

For individuals without computer access, your local military installation, the local National Guard or military reserve unit in your area may offer the best alternative to show your support to our returning troops and their families. Walter Reed Army Medical Center will continue to receive process and deliver all mail that is addressed to a specific individual.

As Walter Reed continues to enhance the medical care and processes for our returning service members, it must also must keep our patients and staff members safe while following Department of Defense policy. The outpouring of encouragement from the general public, corporate America and civic groups throughout the past year has been incredible. Our Warriors in Transition are amazed at the thanks and support they receive from their countrymen.

If you still feel sending a card is most appropriate you can send cards to wounded troops via Operation Holiday Thanks organized and supported by Fox News, at the following address:

Operation Holiday Thanks
c/o E.D. Hill
Fox News Channel
1211 Sixth Avenue
17th Floor
New York, NY 10036

Since all cards and letters have to go to Fox News and then to the wounded, they need a little extra time, so send them out today.

If you want to mail a card or letter or even a package to troops serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, the mailing deadlines to have them arrive in time for Christmas is past, however, don’t let that stop you, packages, letters and cards are welcome at any time by our soldiers.

Mailing Deadlines and Guidance:
• Packages must be addressed to an individual service member. Mail cannot be delivered to “any service member.” Use the member’s full name, military organization or unit and APO/FPO address.
• Do not include the country name in any part of the address when using an APO/FPO address.
• Choose a box strong enough to protect its contents, and use plenty of cushioning material such as popcorn or newspapers.
• Consider using the Postal Service’s free Military Kit — eight boxes of three different sizes popular for mailing to military personnel, along with mailing labels, tape and U.S. Customs forms. Kits can be obtained by calling toll-free to (800) 610-8734. Choose option 1, and when a live agent responds, ask for Care Kit 4. This might come too late for Holiday mailing so stop by your local post office and ask for the boxes AND the Customs forms.
• Write the delivery and return addresses on one side of the package.
• Place a return address label inside the package.

If you missed the parcel post deadline (that was earlier this week), here are your options for getting mail to an APO/FPO address by Dec. 25:
• Space Available Mail (SAM): Nov. 27.
• Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL): Dec. 4, except for ZIP codes starting with 093, which are all areas of contingency operations (Iraq and Afghanistan). The suggested deadline for those locations is Dec. 1.
• Priority Mail: Dec. 11 (093 ZIP codes, Dec. 4).
• First-class letters and cards: Dec. 11. (093 ZIP codes, Dec. 4).
• Express Mail Military Services: Dec. 18 (not available to 093 ZIP codes).

Thank you for taking the time to support our troops both serving overseas and those recovering from their wounds, so often they are neglected at best and shunned at worst, my "brothers in arms" will appreciate anything that you do for them, and so will I.