How to support the troops

What does it mean?

William P. O’Donnell, in the Franklin Observer writes,

“For me, as the father of a Service Member, supporting our troops goes beyond a simple gesture. It means actively getting involved and reaching out to the brave men and women whose commitment and service to our country is both unwavering and inspiring. By truly supporting our troops in a meaningful way, we can honor their sacrifices and show our gratitude for their dedication to protecting our freedoms”.

This is a simple way to conceive of supporting the troops. It means finding a way, either philosophically or practically, to demonstrate that you believe in the sacrifice, duty, and dedication of our active duty service members, independent of current action or political affiliation. Supporting the troops means supporting the individual men and women who have chosen to defend their country.

where do you start?

Supporting the troops begins with recognizing that these American men and women have chosen to dedicate their time, professions, and lives in the service of protecting and defending the United States of America. They do this with the full knowledge that it might demand their lives in the process. Their families and loved ones also live with the ever-present threat of loss. They do this voluntarily.

Supporting them starts with keeping this fact first and foremost in your thoughts of the troops. Recognizing this makes many people want to take an additional step to show practical support in the form of sending letters or care packages, showing a sticker or wearing a shirt proclaiming support, or donating to causes that give emotional and functional support to them. There are many ways to get involved but most fall into the categories of:

Donation Communication  Advocacy

what can you do?

How you choose to support the troops is a personal decision that depends on your resources, time, and desired level of involvement.

Donation

For those with resources and no time, financial donations to organizations that have a stated mission of supporting our service members are a great way to get involved. We wish that it wasn’t the case, but all nonprofit organizations need money to fulfill their missions. 

‘Overhead’ for a nonprofit is not a dirty word, it is how the mission is enacted and when you donate financially, some of the money goes directly to the beneficiaries, but some of it also must go indirectly in the form of supporting the staff and needs of the organization that serves them. You can make a big difference by supporting the organizations that support the troops with a financial donation.

Action item: Donate to a nonprofit organization that has a stated mission of supporting the troops.

Communication

For those wanting a more personal connection, sending care packages and letters to those currently deployed is a hands-on and fulfilling way to show support. Donating to supply drives and letter campaigns can also fill this need. We often want to feel that we are personally, functionally, and practically showing support. There is no better way than by identifying an individual service member or unit of service members and offering them direct emotional and practical support. The troops want to know that the people they are defending care about them and what they are doing.

Sending messages and saying it directly is the absolute best way to let them know and it feels great to know that you are taking action to let them know they are supported. Finding ways to send care packages or letters to a deployed service member can be hard when you don’t know someone personally and don’t know where to start. HeroBox is a service that does this for you and makes the connection aspect easy and straightforward.

Action Item: Send a care package and letter to a deployed service member.

Advocacy

There are also advocacy groups and various political and civic campaigns that might align with your beliefs and have the ultimate aim of supporting the troops. Government agencies such as the Department of Defense and Veteran’s Affairs, and pseudo government agencies such as the USO can provide you with information about current conditions and needs. You can also reach out to your local representatives to see what legislation and actions are being considered. Whatever you choose, know that the underlying sentiment of gratitude, appreciation, and care for the troops is recognized and appreciated by the individuals receiving it. The most simple way to advocate is to advertise that you personally support the troops. Buy a t-shirt from a supporting organization, or put a sticker on your laptop or water bottle that invites people to think about and ask about the troops. Keep them always on our collective mind so we never forget their service and sacrifice.

Action Item: Wear a shirt that promotes a troop supporting organization or put a sticker on your water bottle.