Buzz
Serving in the military can be challenging and isolating, which is why receiving mail from loved ones and strangers alike means so much to service members. If you wish to pen a letter to an anonymous service member, maintain a positive and uplifting tone, share general details about yourself, express gratitude for their sacrifice, and perhaps include some artwork! Collaborate with a reputable organization to ensure your letter reaches a random service member. If you're sending your letter to a specific soldier, ensure you adhere to the specific mailing guidelines provided by the U.S. Postal Service (or your local postal service).
Steps
Guidelines for Crafting an Inspirational Letter to a Soldier
Encourage children (especially) to handwrite their letters and include drawings. Whether from an adult or a child, a handwritten letter always carries more sincerity and personalization—just ensure the handwriting is clear! Adding artwork is also a wonderful touch, especially when it's challenging to find ample content to write to a stranger.
- Encourage kids to sketch cheerful scenes from home, such as playing in the park on a sunny day. Discourage illustrations depicting conflict, such as planes bombing tanks.
- It's acceptable for adults to include artwork as well! Alternatively, consider sending a photograph of a stunning sunset or similar scene (without featuring individuals).
Crafting a Letter to a Soldier: Guidelines
Start with a positive, generic greeting for an unknown soldier. When addressing an anonymous soldier, opt for a salutation like 'Dear Hero' or 'Dear Brave Patriot' to infuse your letter with positivity from the outset. Avoid overly formal greetings like 'Dear Sir or Madam,' and steer clear of overly generic ones like 'Dear Soldier.'
Express gratitude for their service. Begin your letter by expressing appreciation for the soldier's sacrifices. A simple 'Thank you so much for your service' suffices, or you can convey deeper thanks such as, 'I am immensely grateful for you and your fellow soldiers who safeguard our freedom.'
Share brief, general details about yourself when writing to an anonymous soldier. Offer insights into your life without getting overly personal, assuming that you won't receive a response. For instance, a child might introduce themselves and mention hobbies, while an adult might provide profession and family background.
Avoid sensitive topics and provide contact information cautiously. Refrain from discussing death, politics, or religion, maintaining a positive and uplifting tone throughout. If you desire a reply, you can include contact details, but don't anticipate a response. For children, it's advisable to use a guardian's contact information.
Include a closing statement and sign with your first (and possibly last) name. Conclude your letter with a simple “Yours Truly” or “Sincerely” after expressing gratitude and sharing about yourself. Sign off with your first name, and if comfortable, your last name.
- Children should refrain from sharing their last names unless authorized by a guardian.
- If acquainted with the recipient, personalize the closing with terms like “Love,” or similar.
Dispatching a Letter to a Random Soldier
Seek out online organizations specializing in delivering letters to soldiers. Numerous groups gather letters addressed to unidentified soldiers and distribute them to deployments worldwide. Locate and collaborate with one of these organizations to send your letter without specifying a recipient.
- In the U.S., notable organizations include Operation Gratitude and A Million Thanks, among others.
- Ensure the chosen organization is either government-affiliated or a reputable charity, verified through platforms like Charity Navigator, depending on your location.
- For individual letter delivery, the U.S. Postal Service (and similar services globally) won't forward letters addressed to “Any Soldier” or equivalent; specific recipients must be identified.
Adhere to the organization’s stipulated letter-writing guidelines. Your selected organization will furnish you with essential regulations for composing letters. All necessitate positive, uplifting content and employ screeners to filter out overly negative or contentious letters.
- Common guidelines include refraining from extensive discussions on politics or religion, avoiding personal details or contact information about children, and refraining from using glitter or confetti.
Omit specific dates as delivery times vary significantly. Many organizations advise against dating letters due to varying delivery durations, sometimes spanning several weeks. The aim is to ensure letters feel timely rather than outdated upon receipt.
- Avoid specifying dates like “December 28,” opting instead for broader references such as “During wintertime,” to maintain relevance despite potential delivery delays.
- Letters sent to overseas U.S. military personnel typically take 1-2 weeks for delivery on average, though this timeline can fluctuate due to various factors.
Organize a collective effort with friends to send batches of letters to the organization. Collaborating with friends, family, colleagues, or classmates to compile letters into a single packet is a fantastic way to support organizations like Operation Gratitude, which distribute letters to soldiers in bulk. Initiate a letter-writing campaign at your school or workplace, gather the letters, and dispatch them to the organization's specified address for processing.
- Operation Gratitude, for instance, provides a U.S. mailing address for submitting letters, emphasizing the consolidation of all letters into one package—avoid sending individual envelopes or stapling them together.
Inquire about contributing to the organization to cover postage expenses. Although these organizations are typically charitable and offer their services free of charge, they still incur shipping expenses for sending letters worldwide. Consider making a small donation, such as $2 USD, to help cover postage costs each time you submit a packet of letters.
- Even if donations are not explicitly requested, it's worthwhile to inquire about contributing.
- While the U.S. Postal Service delivers all military mail at domestic rates regardless of the destination, the cumulative cost of shipping boxes of letters can become substantial.
Sending a Letter to a Designated Soldier (U.S.)
Exclusively utilize USPS services for mailing correspondence to military personnel. Legally, only the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is authorized to deliver mail to military installations both domestically and internationally. Alternative carriers like UPS and FedEx do not accept mail addressed to military destinations.
- Using USPS is cost-effective, as it charges domestic rates for military mail, irrespective of the global destination.
Address the letter as domestic mail, not international. Apart from affixing a standard first-class stamp (for letters), address the envelope as if it's intended for domestic delivery within the U.S. Avoid mentioning specific international destinations, even if the recipient is stationed in another country.
- The envelope should adhere to standard U.S. mailing practices, with the return address on the top left, postage on the top right, and recipient's address centered.
- Write legibly on the envelope, preferably using all capital letters as per USPS preferences.
Use “APO” for mailing letters to Army and Air Force personnel. When addressing a letter to a member of the U.S. Air Force or U.S. Army, include their name on Line 1, their Unit (or PSC) number and Box number on Line 2, and 'APO' followed by 'AA,' 'AE,' or 'AP' and their deployment ZIP code on Line 3. Follow this format for the recipient's address:
- Line 1: JAMES WILSON (rank designation not required)
- Line 2 (Army): UNIT [number] BOX [number]
- Line 2 (Air Force): PSC [number] BOX [number]
- Line 3: APO AA [+ ZIP code] (use “AA” for Americas, “AE” for Europe, and “AP” for the Pacific)
- Unit/PSC number, Box number, and ZIP code vary based on the service member’s deployment.
Use “FPO” for mailing letters to Navy or Marine personnel. When addressing a letter to a member of the U.S. Navy or Marines, include their name on Line 1, their Unit and Box (or Ship and Hull) numbers on Line 2, and 'FPO' followed by 'AA,' 'AE,' or 'AP' and their deployment ZIP code on Line 3. Follow this format:
- Line 1: JAMES WILSON (rank designation not required)
- Line 2 (on base): UNIT [number] BOX [number]
- Line 2 (at sea): SHIP [number] HULL [number]
- Line 3: FPO AA [+ZIP code] (use “AA” for Americas, “AE” for Europe, and “AP” for the Pacific)
- Unit/Box (or Ship/Hull) numbers and ZIP codes vary based on deployment location and status.
Pointers
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Expressing gratitude is always appreciated when corresponding with military members! Thank them verbally and, if you’re feeling creative, through artwork!
Important
- If you're penning a letter to an unidentified service member, your message undergoes review by the chosen organization for delivery to a military base. They'll discard letters seen as too negative, insensitive, or controversial (politically, religiously, etc.).
