This started in late July 2003 when we became aware that our son, Sergeant Brian Horn with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, was still living under extremely harsh conditions. His unit parachuted into Northern Iraq on 26 March 2003 (Brian spent his birthday on that plane) and 5 months later was still sleeping on the ground. We never knew this, it wasn't told to us by Brian or any of his Soldiers. It was by a report and pictures in Stars & Stripes!

Our family was sending Brian boxes of stuff to help him with his lack of food and simply to show support. We learned that he was handing out a lot of the stuff we sent, he was always asking for more to help the guys he was with. Brian's father, Marty, did 20 years in the Army and is all too familiar with the feeling of non-support, and did not want to see his son or the other Soldiers feel the same garbage shown him during the VietNam era. We decided together to send boxes addressed to Brian, but with the added line of "ATTN: Any Soldier^®" so he would know those boxes weren't for him, they were to be passed around. We contacted all our friends and relatives, using email to keep them informed on what and how to send support. We decided on August 26th to post a web page instead of bothering everybody all the time with email, they could simply check the site when they were ready to help. The domain name of "AnySoldier.COM" was not available, but "AnySoldier.US" was, so that we became.

Brian's Aunt in North Carolina contacted a radio station, WBT, and the good folks there got involved, even doing radio interviews with us several times. That changed everything. The folks in the Charlotte, N.C. area jumped at the chance to help the Soldiers of the 173rd and support started in a big way. We then added up to 7 contact Soldiers in Brian's unit to help distribute all the packages. As Christmas neared we saw a need to expand our effort beyond Brian's unit, and on January 1st we changed the web site to include ANY Soldier. That turned out to be not the best decision as we were told that Airmen, Marines, and Sailors wanted to be part of this successful effort also. And so now they are.

We will retain our name in honor of the Soldiers we started this for, who left Iraq in February 2004. Any Soldier Inc. is very proud to be a part of millions of service men and women's lives, and we enjoy the enthusiastic and generous support of folks around the world. Any Soldier Inc. is different from every other effort in a number of important ways; it was started because of a Combat Infantry Soldier on the ground in Iraq who gave excellent suggestions on what to send, it is run by a retired Army Soldier who knows the look on a Soldier's face when they get mail, and when they don't. It is a completely volunteer effort where you have the chance to show your support, in whatever way you want, directly to Soldiers you select, and that is why this is so successful. Any Soldier Inc. will continue to grow, improve, and with your help, make the lives of our Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, and Sailors just a bit better in that they will know we care and appreciate their sacrifice.

In September 2004 we were finally successful in acquiring the domain name "AnySoldier.com" and started to migrate away from AnySoldier.us to help avoid the confusion many folks had over the "dot US" name.

In August of 2005 we aquired AnyAirman.com, AnyMarine.com, AnySailor.com, and AnyCoastGuardsman.com domain names and started work on offering 5 service-specific versions of the web site.

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You select one or more Soldiers from the Where to Send page. You will notice the Soldier's address includes the line, "ATTN: Any Soldier^®" . The Soldiers are volunteers for this effort, they will see the "Attn" line, and will put your letters and packages into the hands of Soldiers who don't get much or any mail. This effort is 110% voluntary.

We provide help on the What to Send and How to Send pages.

You send your support, and maybe some stuff, directly to whatever unit or units you want, you don't send us anything. PLEASE read the entire web site before you send anything as we want you to be informed and comfortable with this effort.

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ALL of the names on the "Where To Send" page are military personnel located in areas considered combat zones or danger zones (IAW DOD 7000.14-R, Vol 7A, Ch 10, May 2009).

All the names are volunteer contacts with Any Soldier Inc., who accept the mail and packages you send them, see the "ATTN: Any Soldier^®" line on their address, and pass it on to the folks around them who don't get mail.

The number of folks around them is noted on their page, male and female. Note that this IS NOT the number of Soldiers in their unit, it is the number of folks the contact is in a position to help with the mail.

The contacts are from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. And, yes, the National Guard. Each contact (if you click on their name) has a page of "updates". The updates are usually email from them telling you something about them and what they may want or need. You will quickly discover there is a huge range of the types of contacts as well as their needs.

You may obtain the addresses by simply clicking on the link provided and filling out the form, the address will then be emailed to you.
There is a limit on the number of addresses you can get that that information will be posted on the request form. If you need more addresses for your organization or event, click HERE.

Some points:

• PLEASE do not use this program until you have read, at a minimum, this page, the "Terms and Conditions" and this FAQ page.

• Every contact is different. Some are writers, some are not. Their updates are not edited, except for a rare slip of security or request for something on the restricted list (usually pork). We ask every contact to tell us something about them and send pictures if they can. They are all required to complete this application. Most follow directions, some not so well. Soldiers are often like the rest of us, not always perfect.

• Some contacts use their rank, some do not. This is usually directed by their command. No postal employee can dictate that an address must contain a rank. The addresses are given to us by the contact. They probably know better than anyone what it should be.

• Use the addresses exactly as shown when you request it. You may notice the addresses don't look like your's. Then again, you aren't a heavily armed gypsy, they are. There is no such thing as a street address. Shouldn't really be a surprise if you think about that...

• The requests are simply that, requests. As stated often on this web site, this is about support, not just stuff. You will note that most all the contacts mention that letters are THE thing most prized to get. Expensive undershirts are nice, but not required. I can tell you for a fact that most Soldiers find it difficult to even ask for support, to list what they need. It's below them. Marines in particular find this really distasteful and most would rather die then ask for help. But they are all learning that THIS IS ABOUT SUPPORT, NOT JUST STUFF, and they all appreciate that.

• Try using our search tool on the Where To Send page. There isn't another one like it anywhere that you can identify what units are asking for. You can't hurt it, so give it a try. You can learn quite a bit by using it.

• All contacts are required to send updates to this site as often as they can, usually every 2-3 weeks. This protects you, the supporters. We can't be there and verify each contact is even still there. Each contact is required to have an alternate there and we have that person's name and email address. If 50 days go by and we don't hear from the contact, a warning email is sent. After 60 days, the contact is dropped from our "active" list and put on the "Old Contacts" list. We take no pleasure in dropping anybody and understand full well that the contact may be on a mission, on leave (that's vacation to civilians) or simply couldn't get an email to us. Should the person contact us again, they are added back on the "Active" list.

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On the "Where to Send" page are the troop's updates. If they have a change of address, you will see "Address Has Changed". If you requested their address in the past, you will have to request it again if you wish to send them more items. Sorry, but yes, this does count against the allowed amount of addresses you may get.

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Yes, several.
First thing is to read as much of our web site as possible. It is all there to help you do this properly and safely.
Be sure to read the "How this works" on the home page, then the "How to Send" and all of this "FAQ" page.
Then, pick ONE contact from our site, and send ONE small box yourself. This is the icebreaker, you will learn a lot from doing this.
One of the biggest problems of doing a collection drive is that you really don't know what you are getting.
Folks with good intentions (most of them anyway) will simply clean out their closets and kitchens and give you stuff you would not dare give your kids.
How will you react when you find out that you sent deadly peanut butter products?
Consider the liability of sending items you have NO guarantee of their quality or safety.
Also, size matters. The best items to send are the smaller ones, not the gallon hair gel tubs for example.

So, how to do this right?
Simple, pick a 'target'. Either a type of unit or type of request.
For example, you have connections in the Medical World. So, use the search tool on our "Where to Send" page and put "Medic" or "Corpsman" in the 'Title' box. Hit that and read what they are asking for. Then you fill that need and you know who you are supporting, why you picked them, and that you send things they need.
Can't beat that!
Or, any number of other 'targets' are possible. "Beanie Babies", "iPods", "DVDs"(Legal versions ONLY please), items needed for the Women Warriors, for the Hispanic, or Black Warriors, ... you get the idea. AnySoldier.com is the only place that has this ability for you to pick who you want to support and just how to support them.

One of the biggest problems is postage. Doing a drive you will surely get far more weight then you might think. Even with flat-rate boxes you can figure at least $1+ per pound. This can get very expensive. Be very careful about IRS laws about donations. Asking for donations so you can send stuff to the troops is likely NOT tax deductible, even if you use the information from AnySoldier.com. Of course, you need to discuss this with a real tax professional, which we are not.
Then to add to the fun is getting the right size box so that the items don't rattle around (and of course break) and actually putting the boxes together will take a lot of time. A lot of boxes will take a LOT of time.
Of course, let's not forget the amazing enjoyment of filling out the completely stupid customs forms. They take a huge amount of time to do, and they were formatted by some government worker completely ignorant of military addresses or reality.

Want a safe and efficient way of doing this? Pick a 'target' as mentioned above, and let one of our sponsors help you.
See them on the "What to Send" page.
All of our sponsors offer the best quality, price, and service. They will do the boxing, customs forms, etc.
It also removes the liability of sending something bad from you. This should be a major consideration.

Hope this helps.

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We never release email addresses, sorry. It is our policy so as to protect the contacts from huge amounts of SPAM.

We do suggest however that if you wish to email with the Soldiers that you send your email address in your letter or package and let the Soldiers contact you.

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We have a request form available HERE.

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In a word, No.

The absolutely senseless "Any Servicemember" mail program in the '90s was dropped. And for very good reasons.
The requirement now (actually since 9 January 2003, DOD Postal Manual, 4525.6-M, Issue #22093) is that you must address mail to a real address, as in to a particular Soldier. That is where we come in. YOU pick who YOU want to support from our "Where to Send" page and YOU send your support to THAT contact. NEVER, EVER, send anything to "Any Soldier" or to us at Any Soldier Inc.

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No, not unless you are a direct relative of the Soldier.

We warn the Soldiers to not eat anything that does not come in a factory sealed package.

This is really a sad sign of the times, but you can understand that for safety reasons it has to be this way. But remember, the reason those things tastes so good is partly because they are made without preservatives. Put that in a box, let it sit for weeks, (especially in the summer) and you can guess what is growing in that box. The Soldiers will throw out any homemade items so please don't waste your time or money sending the most bestest cookies ever made.

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There is not one thing on this site, or anywhere, that requires you to send stuff.
Letters are THE MOST requested thing by these Soldiers.

So, all you need do is send a normal letter in a normal envelope with a normal stamp.
Tip: If you want, put your email address in your letter, many Soldiers can and prefer to reply that way.

What to write?
Too easy: like you are talking to a friend, because that is what that Soldier is going to be to you real quick.
It is also VERY helpful if you leave your full return address as part of your letter, envelopes tend to get trashed quickly.

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You sure can!
However, you MUST use the address *exactly* as we send it to you including the attention line under the contact's name.

Our contacts trust us and we work hard to offer you the most accurate addresses possible. Other organizations gather addresses from anywhere; the woman down the street who knows a girl that has a cousin in Iraq...etc.
Our mission is to get support to the troops, and that includes getting supporters addresses they can rely on. Don't waste your time and money on organizations who pass out expired or invalid addresses.

Our contacts look for the attention line in their mail. Your project or organization will use the addresses as you get them from us. Do not 'rebrand' Any Soldier^®.

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Sorry, no. Two suggestions:

1. Find the unit's web page and contact them that way, or
2. Use the locators:

ARMY	(703) 325-3732
AIR FORCE	(210) 652-5774
NAVY	(901) 874-3388
USMC	(703) 614-3144
Coast Guard	(202) 493-1697

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No. In my 20 years as an Army Sergeant, I can tell you that I don't support this idea one bit. First of all, lists like this are usually bogus. "Soldier, sign your name on this list."

Also, if a Soldier is really lonely, he isn't about to advertise that.

Another reason is that I have seen this backfire in a big way.
A Soldier's name is on a list and he has no idea that he is advertised.
Worse is when his family is identified as not caring about that Soldier. Not good.

Let a Soldier contact you if he/she wishes.

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Normally, no. Donations (monetary only) direct to Any Soldier Inc. are deductible. However, we are not tax consultants, not even close. If you are concerned with the tax effects on your support, please consult with a legitimate tax wiz before you take the plunge.

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Absolutely!!! While in a war zone, they ARE Active Duty!

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I get this a lot, and it is a good question.

First, define 'need'. Does your employer give you everything you need to do your job? Then why did you buy that briefcase/laptop/day planner/space heater/lava lamp on your desk?
You get the picture, you got those things to make your job easier or better.

Also, ever go to your local store and they were out of what you went there for? And you don't even live in a war zone! They do!!

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Can Scouts use AnySoldier.com? You bet. AnySoldier.com's President is an old Eagle Scout.
If you want to do a project with your Scouts, it might be helpful to read the next item, "For Teachers". Need more help, fire me an email.

Working on your Eagle Project or Gold Award and want to use AnySoldier.com as a basis? This is a popular idea and you will join a large number of new Eagles who have already done this.

The steps I recommend:
1. Read ALL the home page, FAQ, and How to Send pages first.
2. Be SURE to read the "Can I do a collection drive?" above on this page.
3. Spend at least one hour reading entries in the "Where to Send" page so you have a good feel for the contact's wants and needs.
4. Talk to your parents about your project and your plan.
5. Draw up your plan, keeping in mind all steps in your project (advertising, collecting, sorting and packing, and postage), then send to me by email.
I will assist any Scout working on their Eagle or Gold, you can count on that.

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We get questions all the time from teachers if using AnySoldier.com is a way their students can write letters to the Soldiers or how to go about it.

Too easy.

Start by reading ALL the home page, then the FAQ (this) page. It will help a lot if you do your homework prior to using this site or trying to organize any effort to write to the Soldiers.

There are any number of ways you can have your students show their support of the Soldiers, but here is a suggestion:

Make it a homework assignment for the students to read the AnySoldier.com web site.
We *strongly* encourage that their parents also be involved in this.
Ask the students to pick their favorite contact, and write a short note why.
Then have an in-class discussion on the web site, and set up some kind of competition on who the best contact(s) are (this can be by a drawing by young students, a paper by older ones, or a debate by even older students) and the class picks the contact(s) the entire class will then support.

This really gets the students to not only get behind your idea because they will quickly learn that they CAN make a difference, but will then be smart enough to help you pull off your intended project. With luck, this will spark not only their interest, but may help getting their parents involved.

Another often asked question is can they send all the letters/drawings in one package to the same address, or do they need to be in separate envelopes? The answer is both. Either way works. Be mindful that you don't want to send 37 letters to a contact that is supporting only 3 folks...

Also, be SURE to read the "Can I do a collection drive?" above on this page.

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If you are a Soldier, Airman, Marine, Sailor or Coast Guardsman who wants to be a contact, click here.

If you know one (close relative or close friend only), please contact them and have them check out the web site and use the form on the "For Soldier, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guard ONLY!" page.

If the Soldier is unable to communicate via email with us, you may consider being an 'advocate' for them.

You need to get all the information required on the application form, complete it, and in the comments section identify yourself, giving your name, email address, and phone if you wish to be called to expedite this. Be mindful that you are then responsible to keep us updated on that Soldier and pass on information as to their wants and needs.

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Actually, it is easy.

It is a 24 hour clock, so starting at midnight, it is "Zero Hours", or 0:00hrs.
At 1 in the morning (1 AM to real people), it is 0100hrs (zero one hundred hours).
At noon, it is 1200hrs (twelve hundred hours), dinner time is (6PM for you) 1800hrs (eighteen hundred hours).
The minutes are just added on, so you finished dinner at 6:45PM, the military did it at "eighteen forty-five hours".

Now you can go impress somebody ;)

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EVERY request for addresses IS SENT to exactly the email address you entered on the form, and it is actually sent before you see the page saying it was sent.

If you don't get it in a decent amount of time, there are several things to check:

1. Did you enter a correct email address?
2. Do you have AnySoldier.com blocked? If you have one of those crazy settings of only accepting email from the people you set, better set us BEFORE you request an address
3. Did you check your Spam folder?
4. If you use one of the free email services (ie: AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo, GMail, etc.), remember that gazillions of other people do also, so they are notorious for not being the fastest on the planet for delivery.
5. Is your ISP blocking us? Especially possible if you are using a work email address, or behind a DoD network. Check with your network geek or ISP.

Sorry, but if you don't see it in your email there is nothing we can do.

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No, it is not illegal, it simply won't go anywhere, the postal service just won't accept the package.
This is not the postal service's fault, they won't have anybody to give it to as the DOD won't support the program.
This is very understandable if you think about it. Here is a APO guy with a zillion packages and he has NO idea what to do with them.

However, that is not what we are doing here.
With our effort you address a letter or package to a full and complete address with the addition of an attention line. That line tells the Soldier that the package is to be handled in accordance with our effort.

There is no USPS regulation concerning "Any Soldier", however there is a DOD Postal Manual (DOD 4525.6-M) Issue #22093 dated 9 January 2003, which states, "a. Mail addressed to "Any Service Member," or similar wording such as "Any Soldier," "Sailor," "Airman," or "Marine"; "Military Mail", etc., is prohibited. Mail must be addressed to an individual or job title such as "Commander," "Commanding Officer," etc."
Good luck finding this version of this manual...

Some postal clerks are confused by this so we suggest to avoid any arguments you simply draw a line through the attention line. The Soldier will see this and appreciate your valor at the post office and he/she will still know what to do.

We don't advocate getting into an argument with anyone.

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Yes!! CNN should be so current!
This web site has been updated many times a day, every day for !

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No way!! We know there are supporters using this site from (at least) the following 64 countries:

Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
China
Costa Rica
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
England
Fiji
Finland
France
Germany
Grand Cayman
Guam
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Kazakhstan
Korea
Latvia
Malaysia
Mexico
Netherlands
Newfoundland
New Guinea
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Panama
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Saudi Arabia
Scotland
Singapore
Slovakia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Switzerland
Tanzania
Tasmania
Thailand
Turkey
Uruguay
Viet Nam
Virgin Islands

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Might be, should be.
It IS supported by people that are Democrats, Republicans, and others.

This is NOT a political site, or a site that will make or endorse any political statement or party.

This site is about supporting Soldiers. Period.

We welcome and appreciate support from everybody.

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Please send no more than about 5 boxes to any single address at one time.
Most units simply can't handle a deluge of packages, and it is especially hard on the Soldiers to hand out more than this at a time.
Remember, they left their car at home.

If you have a really large effort, spread out shipping over about 5-7 days at a time, about 5 packages to each address.

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Check the "Old Contacts (use the drop-down menu on the left)" and "Projects & Others" list. The reason, if available, that the person came off the active list will be shown on their page, emailing us won't get you any more info, sorry.

Any Soldier Inc. reserves the right to remove any contact involved in illegal, immoral, or improper activity. A contact may also be removed at his or her request. Once removed, that contact's information ceases to exist on our servers.

We also require all contacts to send updates to this site as often as they can, usually every 2-3 weeks. This protects you, the supporters. Of course, we can't be there and verify each contact is still there. Each contact is also required to have an alternate there and we have that person's name and email address. If 50 days go by and we don't hear from the contact, a warning email is sent requesting an update. After 60 days, the contact is dropped from our "active" list and put on the "Old Contacts" list. We take no pleasure in dropping anybody and understand full well that the contact may be on a mission, on leave (that's vacation to civilians) or simply couldn't get an email to us. Should the person contact us again, they are added back on the "Active" list. (close)

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Click HERE and please read carefully.
Teachers, click HERE.

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There are a few postal clerks who make up their own regulations instead of taking the time (or maybe lack the ability) to read their own regulations.

Want to have some fun? Ask them to show you the regulation that requires what they are doing.
Here is a look into the future:

First, they get that "deer-in-the-headlights" look. Often with mouth hanging open.
Then comes the muttering and stuttering....
Finally comes the string of excuses and they say something like, "Oh, well, we don't have time for that, so we'll let it go THIS time...."

Go to another post office where the clerk may have a positive number in their IQ score.

NOTE: NO WAY are all postal clerks are like this.
They are people too and have the same DUH-to-weight ratio as the rest of us.

We have many reports of postal clerks even helping pay the shipping out of their own pockets for AnySoldier.com supporters!!

Work with them, help them by knowing what YOU are doing.

Incase you missed it, read Isn't it illegal to send mail to "Any Soldier"? above.

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Many Soldiers have access to phone systems that can accept phone cards, but NOT ALL by any means!
Sergeant Horn (who was the reason we started this organization) spent a year in Iraq, and a year in Afghanistan and has never been where a phone card would help.

However, many of our contacts DO request phone cards. So, where do you get the right ones? We suggest:

Military Exchange Prepaid Calling Cards The Department of Defense Military Exchanges have been authorized to sell the following prepaid calling cards to individuals and organizations who wish to purchase these cards for our troops serving overseas in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. THESE are the cards to send!!! Click HERE. (Tip: ONLY send to contacts who ask for phone cards! Not all units can use them.)

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Click the service branch you wish to check:

Army
Air Force
Marines
Navy

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Each Soldier has his/her own description page on the "Where To Send" page, and on it there is a link to show you any specific restrictions to that Soldier's address.
The following will give you an overview:

• Obscene articles (prints, paintings, cards, films, videotapes, etc).
  
• Firearms. (no kidding...)
  
• Any matter depicting nude or semi nude persons, pornographic or sexual items,
  or non authorized political materials.
  
• Bulk quantities of religious materials contrary to the Islamic faith.
  Items for the personal use of the addressee are permissible.
  
• Pork or pork by-products.
  Check the USPS site for exact information.

Updated APO/FPO zip code database courtesy of Oconus.com

Enter a 5-digit APO number:

(Note: About Restriction "U2": "U2 - Limited to First Class Letters", Box "R" is for retired personnel that live overseas and are still authorized an APO/FPO box. Their address will be something like Box 3345R. Doubt you will see anything like that in Afghanistan or Iraq...)

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What the troops write for posting on the "Where to Send" page is sent by email to our Support Team, which currently is only Marty and Brian Horn. ALL 'updates' are reviewed for OPerational SECurity (OPSEC) problems and if found are marked with 'XXXX'. If the "update" has pictures attached, they are processed, uploaded, and coded into the page, then the "update" is posted. This includes new "contacts". This is NOT an automatic process. It is far too important and sensitive to allow that. We post what the troops say, we do not correct their grammar or spelling, because we kant spel either and don't wish to change anything...these are very real people. The "updates" are posted every day of the year, without fail, and have been for !)

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The military, and the government in general just loves acronyms. HERE is a good place to see what they mean.

Of course, there are some that the government won't give you so try HERE for others.

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The Any Soldier Inc. effort is about support, not just stuff, and it is 110% voluntary.
You send what you want to whoever you want and it goes direct to a 'real' Soldier. No middleman involved.

With that in mind, we strongly suggest tailoring a box for an individual Soldier, it really is the thought that counts and the stuff just helps.

However, you can do whatever you like.

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Your SUPPORT! This is NOT an attempt to resupply the military, or fix every logistical problem. What counts here is the morale of the Soldier. Send a letter or a new Army tank, they both help, but a Soldier that knows he/she has the support of the folks at home will use that tank far better than without the support.
Count on that.

We will continue to do our best to list the items requested by the Soldiers.

Again, this is not an effort to get you to spend a bunch of money, it is about you sending support to those who give us the freedom to express our thanks for our freedom.

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But we are...As of 1 June 2006 AmericaSupportsYou.mil accepted AnySoldier.com. Again.

President George W. Bush wrote THIS to Any Soldier Inc.

Current: "Servicemember support organizations"
Stars and Stripes (HTML version, local copy)
(original link, may not work)

23 September 2005: Our thanks to the staff of "Stars and Stripes" for inviting Brian and Marty to their offices in D.C. to meet their staff, a tour of their facilities, and a great lunch.

12 June 2005: "Miller Salutes Sgt Brian Horn, May's Unsung Hero of the Month"
Stars and Stripes (PDF version, local copy)
(Fun to note that Stars and Stripes own staff submitted Brian for the award.)

12 June 2005: "Care packages are always appreciated, but sometimes they can be hit or miss"
Stars and Stripes (PDF version, local copy)

24 March 2005: "200 Soldiers read to their kids from Kabul"
ARNEWS, Army News Service (PDF version, local copy) (original link, may not work)

22 March 2005: "Kabul Soldier Reaches Volunteer Program Milestone"
DefenseLINK News (PDF version, local copy) (original link, may not work)

29 January 2005: "Web site provides 'any Soldier' care package option"
Stars and Stripes (PDF version, local copy) (original link, may not work).

4 January 2005: "Program brings parents home to kids on tape"
ARNEWS, Army News Service (PDF version, local copy) (original link, may not work)

14 July 2004: "Any Soldier Inc. Shows Support for Deployed Troops"
DefenseLink (Armed Forces Information Service) (local copy)

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If you use Earthlink SpamBlocker, or other email filter that blocks every email sent to you and I have to request your permission to reply, that isn't going to happen.
If you send somebody an email and want a reply, then allow that to happen.

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Well, we are doing pretty good! We constantly get contacts and they are posted when we confirm their status.

If you know a Soldier who would like to be a volunteer contact for us, have that Soldier go to Soldiers Apply Here! and apply, or email us at "Support@AnySoldier.com" and we will take it from there.

All a Soldier has to do is understand the Any Soldier^® effort, actually be a volunteer in a war zone, provide some information and keep in touch to provide feedback.

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Several reasons actually.
Most important was to stop merchants, so-called clergy and even a high ranking politician from abusing our site. They were getting tons of addresses and sending advertising, trying to 'save' and convert, and even sending anti-war material to the troops.
Some people seem to miss that each of our 'contacts' serves a number of other people. So, no need for so many addresses.
Some people also routinely ignore that we survive on donations. Countless organizations (you might be surprised at who some of them are) were stealing our addresses, and even selling them(!) and not helping us at all.

This web site depends on YOUR donations. We don't charge for addresses, but without your donations, this site ends. Some people think that sending support to the troops is what keeps this site going. It does not. Donations can be made here.

This site is about support. This does not mean carpet-bombing with junk. It is a letter, maybe even in a box, addressed to a particular Soldier, Marine, Sailor, Airman, or Coastguardsman, that will change the day of that Warrior. I can tell you for a fact, that a simple act like that may not only save the life of that Warrior, but affects the morale of the entire unit, making them more effective and survivable.

We want them home. Standing up. ALL of them. We believe you do too.

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We are often asked why we don't have a registration service, where a Soldier makes a request then someone filling the items requested checks them off so the Soldier does not get too many, like a Gift Registry. Well, here are a few reasons:

1. Remember, AnySoldier.com is about support, not just stuff.
If a Soldier requests something, it is for his folks. Meaning more than one.
But what if it is for an expensive item, like a laptop or microwave? Good point until you realize the life expectancy of anything Soldiers use.
I can tell you from experience, there is nothing, not even your 3 year old child or 16 year old son, more destructive then Soldiers. They don't do it on purpose (most of the time), it is a side effect of the macho world.
Also, one microwave used 24/7 by one platoon (30-something Soldiers) is a tough life for any poor microwave.
NEVER buy an expensive item. NEVER buy a cheep item. Buy in between, and send two.

2. You check off a requested item and the USPS or APO pulls the sock-in-a-dryer vanishing act on the item.
Is it possible things get, uh, lost in the system? You bet. We have articles about this on our "How to Send" page. One thing that has interested us is that we have NO reports of insured items being stolen...

3. I have a saying, "There will ALWAYS be bottom feeders". There is no doubt that 99.9% of the users of this site are really good folks. Problem is that leaves those bottom feeders willing and able to screw up all they can. They exist, trust me. I'm not meaning only the punk with no life trying to hack anything it can, but folks who mean harm to our Soldiers. Able to spoof sending all the items requested, then the Soldiers don't get anything.

A 'Gift Registry' is not going to happen...

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Excellent question, and we have two good answers:

1. This is about support, not just stuff. We advocate that sending a letter is more important then a box. Don't have to believe me, you will see this mentioned time and time again in the updates that the Soldier make in their updates.
If we generate a huge resupply of any missing items the contacts are requesting, we miss our goal.
It is far more important for you as an individual to show your support then some company sending tons of stuff.

2. We can't. Any Soldier Inc is a non-profit charitable organization regulated by the IRS. One thing we are not allowed to do is unfairly compete with for-profit companies. We *could* make a deal for, say, Under Armour^® shirts. They are the most requested T-shirts and are very expensive. Under Armour actually did agree to work with us so we could offer them to supporters at a huge discount, and we were excited about that. BUT, the IRS won't allow it because we would ruin all the companies that sell Under Armour by taking away all their business. So, out goes that idea.

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We hope you do, but we do not guarantee it.

The Soldiers are under no obligation to reply. They can't be. We can't burden Soldiers who don't get enough sleep, don't eat enough, live out in the open, or whatever, to do anything not related to their job. Sure can't have their leadership tell them to reply either. If you get a reply, it is voluntary by that Soldier.

However, if you want to really increase your chances of getting a reply, simply pre-address an envelope to yourself, a few pieces of paper, and maybe a pen and put them in your package. No need for a stamp on the envelope. In your letter to the Soldier which you also put in the box, ask him/her to drop you a quick note or more and ask if there is anything in particular you can send.

An even better idea is to use the postcards we offer HERE. Better chance you get a reply with them...

Many of the troops are asking that you include your email address in your letters and boxes if you would like a reply or thank you. This is of course far easier for the troops that have Internet access. This is completely voluntary on your part and does not guarantee a reply. But it helps.

One supporter said it perfectly,

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What is the 'XXXX' doing in the troop's updates?

ALL updates are sent by email to our Support Team. The Team reviews the update for OPSEC (OPerational SECurity violations) and in places that may be a problem, we simply replace it with the 'XXXX'. To help confuse the facts, we always use 4 'X's, so if a contact says something like, "I have 5 people in my unit." or says, "I have 5,000 people in my unit." always using the same 'XXXX' hides the troop strength. We do this for unit locations, types of equipment, etc. The updates are then posted, they never show up automatically.

We do NOT edit for spelling, vocabulary, etc. What they write is what you see.

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