Bad: The Dear Any Servicemember mail service I mentioned yesterday is apparently suspended. :-(

There are security concerns about anonymous items (anthrax, etc) being sent directly to the frontline troops. The anonymous nature of Any Servicemember made this a dangerous and uncontrollable vector for anybody who wanted to harm the troops.

Good: There are other ways to send smiles to our boys and girls overseas. :-)

Operation Dear Abby was started many a year ago to allow people to write letters to our troops overseas. The modern (security conscious) system allows you to send a note that can be read by any servicemember with internet access. Posts can also be printed off by division personnel with internet access to distribute to troops who aren't online.

For a more personal touch, join SlagleRock's Letters to the Troops campaign. A friend of Slagle's is being deployed to Iraq and will hand carry letters that bloggers post on their sites. Just write a letter and trackback to Slagle's post linked above and they'll take care of the rest. Be quick about it though - the deadline is today!

(My letter follows in the extended entry.)

My thoughts and hopes are with you every day and even more so at this time of the year. I respect the sacrifices that you are making in your service to our country. I dearly wish that it wasn't necessary but am very thankful that there are people like you who are willing to carry this burden.

I can't adequately express how grateful I am to you. I go to sleep in a bed each night. You might be on a cot, an improvised hammock, snatching a few minutes of rest still strapped in your gunner's seat or trying to find a patch of ground without too many rocks in it. I'm awakened each day by the ringing of my alarm. You might be awakened by an explosion, a call to arms, gunfire, alarums or dozens of other terrifying things. While I sit down to a home cooked meal you could be in the chow line or eating rations (God forbid you get stuck with the MRE dehydrated pork patty), or just as likely not eating at all.

The sacrifices you make are incredible and you don't get nearly the amount of thanks that you should. I want you to know that no matter what the Michael Moores of the world say, no matter what tripe comes out of Hollywood and regardless of what is spewed forth by the pundits of the world, you are respected, supported, and held in the highest regard. You ARE our country in the finest sense of the word.

I was very sad to learn today that the DEAR ANY SERVICEMAN campaign is on hold. My kids spent hours drawing pictures for you. If you can picture in your mind a mural full of spiders, stick people, our flag and a house (as drawn by 2, 4 and 5 year-olds), that picture was made for you.

Keep up the fantastic work and please come home safely,

Jim Peacock
USN-R (retired)

jim@jpeacock.net