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We have no reason to doubt the sincerity of this effort to garner holiday mail for U.S. troops, but its distribution
is neither authorized nor supported by the U.S. military. In fact, the Department of Defense has urged that unsolicited mail
and packages not be sent to forward-deployed sevice members except by family members and close friends.
To bolster force protection, the general public is urged not to send unsolicited mail, care packages or donations to
service members forward deployed unless you are a family member, loved one or personal friend.
On Oct. 30, 2001, the Department of Defense (DoD) suspended the "Operation Dear Abby" and "Any Servicemember" mail
programs due to force protection concerns. Although these programs provide an excellent means of support to friends and loved
ones stationed overseas, they also provide an avenue to introduce hazardous substances or materials into the mail system from
unknown sources. Unsolicited mail, packages and donations from organizations and individuals also compete for limited airlift
space used to transport supplies, war-fighting materiel and mail from family and loved ones.
Recently, DoD has become 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. These programs are usually supported
by well-intentioned, thoughtful and patriotic groups who are simply unaware of the new risks facing deployed military forces.
Some individuals and groups publicize the names and addresses of service members, ships or units on Web sites, with good intentions.
The result, however, is a potential danger to the troops they wish to support.
As those lists are in the main out of date, the following also applies in a press release just last week from the Department of Defense...
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait, Jan. 9, 2004 -- The Army's 3rd Personnel Command has issued guidance to redeploying troops about
redirecting their mail for a smooth, timely transition to their home-bound addresses.
The unit manages postal operations in the Operation Iraqi Freedom theater, and has provided procedures to be followed
by soldiers, mail clerks and commanders to ensure mail is properly channeled.
The Defense Department is in the process of bringing home 130,000 service members and pieces of equipment numbering
in the tens of thousands from Iraq, replacing them with 110,000 soldiers and Marines and fresh equipment. Service members
heading home can help to minimize the logistical strain on the military mail system that the redeployment presents. So troops
leaving the theater should tell family, friends and correspondents to stop sending them mail, said Lt. Col. Robert Howard,
3rd PERSCOM's postal operations director.
"The military mail system will be taxed heavily during this redeployment period," he said. "On an average, each soldier
redeploying will be mailing out two to three personal packages home. The reduction in redirected mail will only benefit the
overall military mail system." Howard also said the same standards apply to deploying service members entering the OIF theater.
In addition.....the military, quite rightfully, have guidelines for the protection of privacy/security rights for their
members...in a pdf file with the heading "Removal of personally identifying information from unclassified websites"
To further bolster the seriousness of the situation we will give a few extracts from emails/calls received FROM
THE ACTUAL TROOPS INVOLVED....either directly from them, or from their parents.....
P******* called to tell me that he had received 1500 pieces of mail from people he didn't know this week. Then
proceeded to ask me if I placed him on a mailing list. Told me to stop it immediately if I did. I explained what
happened. And he was pretty mad. He had to take ALL of that mail to his CO's office and open each and every piece
with a mask and gloves on! Besides his CO being there, they had INTEL people there too. He had to undergo questioning
regarding the mail and how these people got his name. I almost lost my right to mail him things, and his security clearance
was almost taken away! That's very important to him and the other soldiers. The CO and INTEL were also concerned
about the security of the base's address. They really didn't want to have to check the mail more than normal for mail
bombs, poisons, and hate mail. They are even considering changing the APO address for his base.
F*, you aren't the only one with this problem. L**** and A**** are both being punished for getting too much
mail! They are being forced to share, which they don't mind but they HAVE to write all the senders back!!!!!!!!!!!
L***** has extra KP now sorting the mail which takes about 4 extra hours a day on an already 12+ hour shift. This has
become a major problem for a bunch of our kids. B**** and I have been trying to contact as many of the different sites as
we can to have our soldiers removed but so far not a lot of luck and 4-8 new sites seem to spring up every day! L****
and A***** are receiving mail from people in the middle east and Asia, they are not welcoming this mail. They are being
punished. EVERYONE AND ANYONE please help us to contact the sites with our soldiers listed and have the lists removed
because of all the unwanted mail. L**** received 68 packages two days ago and over 200 letters!
mom
me and c*** need your help. i tried to call tonight but you didn't anwer the phone. Lets just say me and
c**** got alot of mail over the christmas season. Well the day i left someone/ somehow to divion commender wrote to our bn
commender stating something about me and c*** getting mail , why was our chair of commend taking care of our. which become
a big issue while i was home on leave. Now because at time while i was gone me and c** were the only two getting mail in the
company. Our chair of commend said that we to open all of our box in front of an NCO and have to write back every person
who sent our a letter or package. Mom i have a bag our over 400 letter and 2 more half the size. Also about 75 box.
mom we need your help. do what you have to we are getting in trouble for getting mail,
love your two children at war with
their leadership
w*** and c***
K*** received a call from her Sgt. today asking that she only get mail from family from now on. They are starting
their re-deployment back to the states and will not be able to forward mail back here. I ask that you would please stop
sending K** mail, packages and cards her Sgt. would be most pleased! If you know of anyone that is also sending other soldiers
mail/packages and they are within 3 months of re-deployment we need to stop sending mail over, unless it's your soldier (child/spouse).
My son has received 10,000 cards and packages.His base is going cracy. This is the first time
I have been on. How do I have his name removed from all of the lists? His name is all over the web site and also his address?????What
are you all doing?
OK MS B, I LOOKED AT THE LIST TODAY AND SEEN MY NAME, MS B, YOU KNOW HOW MUCH TROUBLE I AM IN. THE
OFFICERS HATE THIS AND THE OTHER DAY COL ***** HIMSELF BLAMED ME FOR IT, I TOLD HIM I NEVER REQUESTED MY NAME TO BE IN
ANY LIST BECAUSE I NEVER DID IT AND HE BELIEVES ME, NOW THEY ARE INVESTIGATING ALL THIS.............I GUESS THE IG WILL
BE LOOKING AT IT AND SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET INTO TROUBLE FOR POSTING IT............I HAVE EMAILED A COUPLE WEBSITES AND STILL
HAVE NO ANSWER, SEEMS LIK E IT IS SPREADING MORE THAN ANYTHING. I DON'T KNOW, JUST YESTERDAY I GOT ABOUT 20 PACKAGES
AND I WANT TO BURN THEM ALL NOW! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My son who was in Afghanistan had to burn everything because a few of the Afghans that the Army had burning the boxes,
started copying down the addresses. The Army was afraid that people back home would be getting boxes with bombs or something
in them. All mail was shut down until that mess was cleared up. My son told me not to open anything that I thought had
come from him until he had okayed it.
well, my son has also gotten into BIG trouble for mail, and i did NOT put him on any list how
did the names and addys get out there? he says he gets about 300 pieces of mail a day and about 10-15 boxes a day and his
unit HATES mail call becaue of him. he calls up and ALMOST yells at me telling me he has enough to worry about with staying
alive, that he doesn't need his CO on his back. does anyone have ANY info on this?? and he says it isa not that easy to dispose
of either. they have to burn their mail and right now he is so busy he doesn't have time. he sleeps in letters on his bed
because they have such small space. can anyone help me?
Below are Web sites for several organizations that are sponsoring programs for members
of the Armed Forces overseas.
The above information was taken from the official website of The United States Department of
Defense and may be found on the following URL...
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