Supporting Our Troops: How to Write a Letter to a Soldier

The life of a soldier in a foreign country can be scary, boring, and lonely. When mail comes, letters are treasured. However, some soldiers receive nothing in the mail, month after month. Some of these soldiers don't have much family back home, or their families are busy, or just not the letter-writing type. So if you want to write to a soldier, here is how to find one to write to, and what to write.

The first option to consider is a soldier you know, or is from your community. If you don't know anyone to write to, or the soldiers you know are all receiving lots of letters and packages, there are several reputable organizations that can get you in touch with a soldier who needs some extra support. One of these is My Soldier, which just asks that you write letters once assigned a soldier. Another is Soldiers' Angels, which asks that you commit to sending packages as well as frequent letters.

So, you have a soldier, and now you have to sit down to write your first letter. The first thing you should do is take out a piece of paper and a PEN. Please use pen and ink, rather than a computer, to get your letter on paper. You want to show this soldier that someone back home cares about him, and a handwritten letter gets that message across much more strongly.

Another key is to keep your letters upbeat. Your letter is a refreshing distraction from army life, so you should always have a happy tone. Don't talk about your bad day or your awful boss-talk about a funny client, or an interesting new project. Don't worry that the soldier won't find what you write about interesting, your letter will be appreciated.

Your first letter should introduce yourself. Ask your soldier questions to give them something to respond to. If you are going to be sending packages, ask what the soldier needs. It is possible that your soldier will never reply to you, because they are busy, or don't know what to write, or are embarrassed of their writing skills. Instead of pressuring your soldier to reply, simply write that you understand that they may not reply, but you would love it if they did. Include an email address, and a self-addressed envelope with some extra paper to make a reply easier.

Even if the soldier never replies, keep writing! Write about your day, about your children, your friends, your coworkers. This may not seem like something a stranger is interested in, but really, they are. One member of Soldiers' Angels said she wrote to her young, male soldier all about the preparations for her daughter's wedding, and he still expressed his deep appreciation for the letters. Don't worry about what you write, as long as it is positive and encouraging!

As an end-note, there are a few important things to know about writing to soldiers. The first is to use US mail, as if you are mailing a letter to someone in the United States. The letter will make its way to a military mail center in the US, and the military will take care of it from there. The second is that you should never put your soldier's rank in the address on the envelope. Additionally, you should never share your soldier's address with anyone without specific permission from the soldier. If your friend wants to send a letter too, let them write their letter, but then address it yourself.

Good luck, and happy writing!