Department of Defense Guidance: Ways to Support Our Military Troops
Because of the high interest in supporting our military troops, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) has provided the following guidance to Girl Scouts of the USA.
Since many Girl Scouts and interested individuals are asking GSUSA and individual Girl Scout councils how they can send Girl Scout Cookies to military personnel overseas, the DoD asks that all councils distribute this guidance.
Note: For Girl Scout purposes, "gifts" include donations of Girl Scout Cookies.
Gifts for Deployed Personnel
DoD has requested that the public not send unsolicited mail, care packages, or donations to service members unless they are family members or personal friends. Such donations overload the DoD transportation and distribution systems and may pose a security threat to deployed personnel.
Instead of sending mail, DoD suggests that interested individuals may visit the following websites, which provide various ways to express support for our troops:
www.defendamerica.mil/support_troops.html (on-line thank you card for troops)
www.usocares.org (contribute to the purchase of a care package of items requested by troops such as sunscreen, disposable cameras, prepaid calling cards)
anyservicemember.navy.mil (e-mail message to deployed troops of any Service from your home state)
Assistance to Families of Service Members
Individuals, organizations, and businesses may offer time and resources to help families of deployed troops. Many opportunities are listed at the "On the Homefront" link at www.usafreedomcorps.gov
In addition, many local service organizations are providing ways for volunteers to help local military families.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Where can I get the name of a specific service member to whom I can write or send a package?
A1. Given security concerns, we are not providing the names of service members and we ask that newspapers and other media not solicit such information for posting in a public domain. If you personally know a military family and would like to ask them for the address of a service member, that would be acceptable.
Q2. Is there an e-mail to which I can send expressions of support?
A2. Addresses to send greeting cards and virtual thank you cards are printed above.
Q3. What can I do to show my support for service members and their families?
A3. We recommend that Americans support service members by reaching out to local military families, local military installations, and local recruiters. Americans can also honor the military by volunteering in the name of service members in their own communities. Visit a VA hospital or nursing home, or volunteer in the local community to help make up for service members who normally would volunteer but are now deployed or otherwise too busy with their duties. Many service members volunteer to coach children’s teams, feed the homeless, and aid their communities in a variety of other ways. Interested Americans can show their support and honor their military by volunteering in their local communities.
At all times, the DoD has assured us that it will deliver mail/packages sent to individual Service members by name, but it will not deliver items (including gifts of food, such as Girl Scout Cookies) addressed to "Any Servicemember".
The DoD also discourages the sending of large numbers of packages (bulk shipments) to an individual service member's address, given the logistical and security issues involved.
DoD has also made it clear that they are aware of organizations and individuals who continue to support some form of the "Any Servicemember" program by using the names and addresses of individual servicemembers and unit addresses. The DoD knows these programs are usually supported by well-intentioned, thoughtful and patriotic groups who are simply unaware of the new risks facing deployed military forces. With good intentions, some individuals and groups publicize the names and addresses of service members, but this creates a potential danger to our troops and undermines force protection measures.
As in previous years, GSUSA will be delighted to hear about Girl Scout councils that have specific military installation(s)/base(s) within their jurisdiction that are 1) interested in managing a council-approved community service project and 2) able to get approval and support from the base commander for a such a project. Without the express, written approval of the local military authority, the service project may not occur.
©Copyright 2001-2008 Girl Scouts Joshua Tree Council. All rights reserved. The Girl Scouts name, mark and all associated trademarks and logotypes, including the Trefoil Design, are owned by GSUSA. View our privacy policy here.