FULL BATTLE RATTLE E-NEWS January 2011 Whether you are an AAP donor opening your hearts sending funds to make sure AdoptaPlatoon continues this vital mission or if you are a volunteer who embraces a direct adoption or pen pal link, know that your participation as part of the AdoptaPlatoon Team makes a tremendous difference in the lives of our Deployed Military! WORDS FROM THE FRONT: Thank you all so much for your support from all of you at AdoptaPlatoon. I would like to pass on to you all with all the changes in Iraq from 2003 until now, the one thing that has changed for the better is support to the Troops and AdoptaPlatoon has led the way for support. You are all an amazing group of people and the impact that you have had on the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines is immeasurable. I just wanted to say thank you to ya'll again for all your support... Major Rob, 1st Infantry Division Our Nation's Heroes send their words of "Thanks" for your kindness and resolve to stand behind them and not forget them as they serve on our behalf. On the behalf of all my Soldiers of F Company in Afghanistan, I want to thank you so much for the support. The pillows, blankets, socks, snacks and comfort items, make such a tremendous boost for our Soldiers' morale. We can't thank you enough! Much love from all of us. The Troops of F Company
To everyone who is part of the AdoptaPlatoon Team, we salute you and say "Thank you" for your commitment in making 2010 a tremendous Troop support year and we thank you in advance for all you will do to support our Nation's Troops in 2011. AMERICANS ARE NEEDED FOR PLATOON SUPPORT FOR 2011 Please spread the word that the 2010 holidays have come and gone and we've entered a new year but our Troops remain deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and they still need their Nation standing behind them. OUR TROOPS NEED YOU! Our most urgent call for help is for Platoon Support!...We need support for our deployed Troops by sending a loving care package to a platoon of Army Soldiers or Marines and for MARRIED/FAMILY SUPPORTERS! Americans can send support to platoons either as an on-going basis or by sharing a platoon with other supporters, or by sending a one-time or occasional care package. One box of goodies to a platoon of Troops can be shared among a platoon of Soldiers or Marines and make no mistake... Your kindness makes a huge difference in their lives as they serve on our behalf. Please sign up today at info@adoptaplatoon.org and let our American Service Men and Women know that YOU STAND BEHIND THEM! What does Platoon Support entail? Supporting a group of Troops could be as small as 20 or as large as 50. Sending a monthly care package for a platoon to share with each other or sending a one-time care package for a platoon to share with each other. Who can participate? Individuals, Families, Groups, Companies, Schools, etc., can support a Platoon.
We also have married Service Members asking for support. As you know, AAP's policy is not to link single supporters to married Service Members. We are in great need of married individuals / families, or older singles (over 50) to support deployed married Service Members. Our deployed married Service Members also need our Nation's support so please, if your family can reach out and embrace a married Soldier or Marine, write to info@adoptaplatoon.org and let us know that you will "step up to the plate" and add one more member to your family! Let us know that you can send a minimum of one (1) care package per month and that you will pledge to stand behind your married Service Member deployed in harm's way! As a current supporter, if you can pen-pal or adopt another married Service Member, and you fit the criteria, please contact us right away! You can have up to 4 total Service Members at a time. We always need SINGLE ADOPTERS! Although we currently have enough single pen pals to meet the need for Troop support, AAP has many single Service Members waiting to be ADOPTED meaning weekly letters AND a minimum pledge of one (1) monthly care packages. Please let us know if you are able to ADOPT another Single Service Member. You can have up to 4 total Service Members at a time. Remember what is needed to participate in AdoptaPlatoon! Please send an e-mail with your name, address, marital status, age, and last name of your currently assigned Soldier, and what kind of additional support you think you can do. We will work with you. But remember the info we ask for is needed so please be sure to include it in your reply so we don t have to write back to you again. If you are a current supporter whose assigned Service Member has deployed home, please sign up to embrace another Service Member! Your support is so appreciated by our Nation's men and women who serve on our behalf. Let do our part America! While our Troops serve overseas in dangerous conditions, let us here at home make sure that we are SUPPORTING THEM!
Send your information to info@adoptaplatoon.org and put the following in the subject line: CURRENT SUPPORTER if you are currently supporting a Soldier/Platoon, or put REPEAT SUPPORTER if you are an AAP Approved Supporter but are not currently supporting a Soldier/Platoon at this time. Please do not submit a new application if you are an Approved AAP Supporter. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS! WE MUST CONTINUE PUTTING SMILES ON THE FACES OF OUR TROOPS BELOW is a quick update on ways to support our Troops: Pen-pal (weekly correspondence) or Adopt (weekly correspondence AND monthly care packages) with an individual Service Member; Adopt a group or Platoon of Troops (you let us know how many you can support); Send a one-time care package to a group or Platoon of Service Members (you let us know how many you can support); Participate in one of our annual campaigns with Arline Grant, our campaign director. Right now we are running our Valentine Campaign and Game Day Campaign, but will be getting ready for our Spring Campaigns shortly. Another way to help is to spread AdoptaPlatoon s mission letting everyone in your community know that our Troops need us and they do not deserve to be forgotten! We are in an urgent situation with newly deployed Troops and platoons arriving in
dangerous areas in Afghanistan and Iraq and they are signing up quickly to be supported. They are just asking to receive mail from back home their America our America -- They are asking to be remembered and saying, "Please don't forget us! We're here and we need mail from home!"... A Holiday 2010 Thank you from a proud Service Member Serving for you and me! I am just writing to let you know your gift was received and much appreciated by all the Airman in our group. Being remembered in someone's thoughts and prayers during the holiday season is a big deal over here. The fact that we may not know you or anyone from your Organization doesn't matter. As our military continues to send our young men and woman into harm's way, many of them on their 4th and 5th deployment, thoughts from home remind us why we are here. Please thank all the people who made this gift possible and may God bless each and every one of you...a deployed U.S. Service Member REMEMBER, if you are already a current, repeat approved supporter with AAP, it is NOT necessary to submit a new application. Please just email the requested information to info@adoptapaltoon.org and you'll be ready to go! Thank you for being a dedicated AdoptaPlatoon Team Member Your support makes a tremendous difference! Send a blessing and words of "Thanks" to our Troops for Valentine's Day!
If you would like to adopt your very own Soldier, Marine, Airman or Sailor this Valentine's Day, visit AdoptaPlatoon s website at www.adoptaplatoon.org and join other proud Americans who everyday know they are making a difference in the lives of our deployed Troops. Or send a one-time Valentine care package to a Platoon. OPERATION FOOT CARE Our Troops feet are extremely important As we sit next to the fire on these cold winter nights or snuggle with a warm blanket, don't forget that we have Troops serving in
Afghanistan who need your help. Bitter cold can be very hard on our Troops and an extra pair of boot socks can mean so much to a young man serving far from home. CHAPLAIN S COFFEE HOUSE Snacks, coffee, magazines, books are appreciated at these coffee houses that military chaplains' host. If you are a current AAP supporter and you'd like to participate in this campaign and lend a helping hand to a military chaplain, put "COFFEE HOUSE" in the subject of your email and send to: info@adoptaplatoon.org. If you are a new supporter and wish to participate AND PUT A SMILE ON A SOLDIER'S FACE, sign up on the website at www.adoptaplaoon.org and request a point of contact to a Chaplain and send much needed joy to Troops serving on your behalf. New supporters can also sign up on line at the AAP website! REMEMBER TO ALWAYS include the requested information in your e-mails as follows: If you are a current approved supporter and would like to participate in this campaign, please send an e-mail to Arline, AAP Campaign Director at: aapcampaign@yahoo.com with the following information: Name Address Marital status AND age Name of last Soldier / address you supported Name of campaign you want to participate in If you have someone who hasn t been approved by AAP and would like to participate, please ask them to fill out an application form located in "New Supporter" Application on the AAP website at www.adoptaplatoon.org. REMINDER: if you are already a current, approved supporter with AAP, it is NOT necessary to submit a new application if you wish to support a new Soldier(s).
LET US KNOW IF ANY OF YOUR INFORMATION HAS CHANGED AND BE SURE TO INCLUDE THE PREVIOUS INFORMATION AND THEN THE NEW INFORMATION and send it to info@adoptaplatoon.org. MORE UPDATES AAP WALKING WOUNDED AAP Walking Wounded provides immediate emergency support to active duty and recently sectioned out wounded / injured Troops and Veterans who are having financial problems and we do what is needed to ensure that our Troops and Veterans do not "fall through the cracks". Please, won't YOU help? Together, we can make miracles happen for our Nation's wounded and injured who have sacrificed so much already on our behalf. You can help by sending a tax-deductible donation to AdoptaPlatoon that will be specifically allocated to the AAP Walking Wounded Program effort. Send your kindness to our Nation's wounded by sending a tax-deductible donation made out to AAP Walking Wounded. 100% of your donation will be used for AAP Walking Wounded and all donations will be acknowledged. Send your tax-deductible donation to: AAP Walking Wounded AAP HQ P.O. Box 234
Lozano, Texas 78568 You can also contribute on-line via Pay Pal at the AAP's website (www.adoptaplatoon.org), please mark that your gift is for AAP Walking Wounded. VISIT ADOPTAPLATOON s FORUM: www.adoptaplatoon.org and participate in the many threads and conversations. Words of "Thanks" from our Heroes! Thank you all so much for your support. The entire 63 section here at the 1st Division are thankful for the snacks and magazines and reminders of home. I would like to pass on to you all with all the changes in Iraq from 2003- until now, the one thing that has changed for the getter and that is the support to the soldiers and AdoptaPlatoon has led the way for that support. You are all an amazing group of people and the impact that you have had on the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines is immeasurable. Major Rob Robinson, 1st Infantry Division **************************** I am a deployed and am writing to let you know that your gift was received and much appreciated by all the Airman in our group. Being remembered in someone's thoughts and prayers during the holiday season is a big deal over here. The fact that we may not know you or anyone from your Organization doesn't matter. As our military continues to send our young men and woman into harm's way, many of them on their 4th and 5th deployment, thoughts from home remind us why we are here. Please thank all the people who made this gift possible and may God bless each and every one of you. ****************************
In the late summer of 1998, Ida Hagg's son Chauncey wrote from the Balkans saying, "Mom, I'm deployed with a platoon of 40 soldiers and every day we stand at mail call and every day, 9 of my fellow battle buddies never receive mail. Will you send them a care package just like you send me?"... With those words, AdoptaPlatoon was born. In the early spring of 1999, Joyce Lisiewski wrote to Ida saying, "My son Brett is deployed serving in harm's way and my worry is beyond words...put ME TO WORK IDA!...Let's serve together you and I and let's make sure that our sons and our Nation's sons and daughters know that the mothers of our great Nation have not forgotten them." As the years passed, Ida, Joyce, Fran, Karen, Norma, Cheryl, Elaine and hundreds of other mothers have joined hands and hearts to remember our young Heroes as they serve on our behalf and all this time Chauncey and Brett never met. Their mothers Ida and Joyce worked to make AdoptaPlatoon what it is today serving thousands of Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors and yet, Ida's and Joyce's sons never shook hands or gave each other a hug or met eye to eye. Chauncey and Brett never met until late 2010... For every mother who has a son who is deployed and for every mother who shops and puts together care packages for lonely Soldiers serving far from home, please meet our sons...the sons who made AdoptaPlatoon a National organization. Ida Hagg and Joyce Lisiewski proudly present our sons... Chauncey Hägg and Brett Warden, October 2010 *****SPREAD THE WORD*****
Spread the word to your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers and let them know that we as a Nation need to stand behind our Heroes and ask them to join the ranks and sign up at www.adoptaplatoon.org by clicking on "New Supporter" under the application heading. Thanks to EACH OF YOU, AdoptaPlatoon s Team of Supporters, who stand behind our Nation's Troops, because we are "MAKING IT HAPPEN!" If you are an AAP supporter, please write a review. CLICK HERE and click on the write a review button. Thank You! If you would like to help with the cost of postage or help fill a care package to our Troops, you can make a tax-deductible donation via credit card (pay pal) at www.adoptaplatoon.org, or you can mail your donation made payable to AdoptaPlatoon and send to: AdoptaPlatoon Headquarters P.O. Box 234 Lozano, TX 78568 Remember, all donations are tax-deductible! Grateful words of thanks are sent your way for every blessing you send to our Nation s deployed U.S. Service Members and we thank you for continuing your participation as part of the AdoptaPlatoon Troop Support Team! God bless you and your families and God bless our Troops. Contact us at info@adoptaplatoon.org
For detailed mailing instructions visit, http://www.oconus.com/zipcodes.asp www.adoptaplatoon.org GOD BLESS THE U.S.A. 101st ABN HARD AT WORK! The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war. Douglas MacArthur
AdoptaPlatoon- Full Battle Rattle Newsletter- January 2011 All Rights Reserved