|
Operation Hero Miles
You can help American troops travel home to spend quality time with their loved ones by donating your
frequent flyer miles. Soldiers stationed in Iraq who receive two-week leave periods can fly to Germany or
Baltimore/Washington International Airport for free, but they are responsible for the cost of flights to their
final destination. Returning soldiers often have to purchase high-priced, last-minute airline tickets so they
can spend time with their family.
Since the program’s creation last year, Operation Hero Miles has collected over 516 million frequent flyer
miles. Operation Hero Miles also uses donated miles to fly family members of wounded soldiers to U.S.
military hospitals to help their loved one recuperate.
This program has been a huge success. If you are interested in finding out more about Operation Hero Miles,
you can visit their Web site at www.heromiles.com.
Operation Uplink
Operation Uplink provides free prepaid phone cards to active-duty military personnel and hospitalized veterans.
This program has distributed more than four million prepaid phone cards since 1996.
For more information, visit their Web site at: www.operationuplink.org or write to Operation Uplink, VFW
National Headquarters, 406 W. 34th Street, Suite 718, Kansas City, MO 64111.
Help Our Troops Call Home
The “Help Our Troops Call Home Program” sells prepaid calling cards to any individual or organization
wishing to purchase the cards for troops who are deployed.
Persons wanting to donate a prepaid calling card to a military member can log on to any of the Armed
Services Exchange Web sites:
Army and Air Force Exchange Service
www.aafes.com/
Navy Exchange Service Command
www.navy-nex.com/
Marine Corps Exchange
www.usmc-mccs.org/
Click on the “Help Our Troops Call Home” link. From there, a prepaid calling card may be purchased for
anyone at his or her deployed address or to “any service member” deployed or hospitalized. The Armed
Services Exchanges will distribute cards donated to “any service member” through the American Red
Cross, Air Force Aid Society and the Fisher House Foundation.
Treasures for Troops
The American Red Cross is launching Treasures for Troops, a year-round program that offers a way
for Americans to brighten the day for deployed men and women in uniform serving overseas. You can
provide troops with a gift from home with a $20 donation to the American Red Cross Treasures for the
Troops program. Details on this program can be found at www.trianglearc.org/afes/treasuresfortroops.htm.
Gifts from the Homefront
Gifts from the Homefront allows you to send a gift certificate from the Army & Air Force Exchange System
to a loved one, family member or friend associated with the military. They can use it at any military exchange
(AAFES, NEX, MCX, or Coast Guard Exchange) retail store around the world including deployed areas. For
more information see www.aafes.com/docs/homefront.htm.
Send Greetings
You can send a special message to our men and women in the military defending American freedom worldwide
through “Operation Dear Abby.” This program allows you to send servicemembers e-mail messages via
http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/ or http://www.OperationDearAbby.net.
You can also send a virtual Thank You card through the Defend America Web site at:
http://www.defendamerica.mil/nmam.html.
|
