Adopt a Platoon
Individual Soldier Adoption:
Anyone can adopt a troop (individuals, families, schools, youth groups, civic organizations, religious institutions, private companies / corporations, etc.)
An adoption link requires that you pledge to send a card or letter to one individual service member on a weekly basis and a minimum of one care package per month. You can “adopt” more than one soldier with a maximum of four service members.
Pen-Pal Support
Anyone can pen-pal with a troop (individuals, families, schools, youth groups, civic organizations, religious institutions, private companies / corporations, etc.)
A pen-pal link requires that you pledge to send a card or letter to one individual service member on a weekly basis. You can pen-pal with up to four troops.
Most of our single service members requesting a single pen pal link are usually young — between the ages of 18-29. Our single service members enjoy receiving letters and cards from single Americans close to their age as this closeness in age might provide something in common to write about. Families, youth groups, and schools can be assigned a single service member in order to send cards and letters support measures as a family / group project. If you are single and fall between the age of 18-29, please be sure to provide us with your age in order for us to assign you appropriately.
PLATOON SUPPORT or MILITARY COMPANY SUPPORT:
Large groups such as civic organizations, schools, youth groups, religious institutions, private companies, corporations, government organizations, clubs etc. can ADOPT AN ENTIRE PLATOON OR MILITARY COMPANY. A platoon or company varies in size. Typically, platoons are between 15 to 40 soldiers.
Your support to the platoon / company will be shared among the soldiers in whatever amounts of support you send. Our soldiers are a “Band of Brothers” and “Battle Buddies” and support is shared within the platoon / company. How to manage platoon adoption support must be decided by the organization or business, but examples are as follows:
A day is designated once or twice a month whereby employees, club members, schools, youth organizations, etc., set out boxes so that individuals can bring soldier support care package items as well as cards and letters. A team is designated once or twice a month to package and mail all support gathered. Some businesses pick up the cost for shipping while the employees / members of an organization supply the “goodies” and necessary care package items. Some employees take up a fund collection to cover shipping costs.
Schools can work to arrange a department-wide, campus-wide or district-wide support measure in supporting a partial platoon or an entire platoon. Students design the greeting cards and write letters (lesson plans can be incorporated) while faculty, paraprofessionals, administration and school staff members donate care package items and goodies. Parents can also participate as well as community leaders and local businesses. Students of all ages enjoy designing greeting cards and writing letters to the troops. Teachers, please incorporate this patriotic opportunity into your lesson plans. While embracing support for our U.S. deployed service members, students can research military bases on the Internet, visit military museums, ask a local military hero to visit the school and write essays such as “What freedoms do I appreciate” or “What does being an American mean.”
HOLIDAY, CAMPAIGN, or ONE-TIME SUPPORT:
Any individual or group can support one of our holiday support measures (i.e. Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, etc.).
