How to Support the Troops

The elections, both here and in Iraq, are over, but our soldiers are still in Iraq. They need our support, and whether you are for or against the war, the best way to be supportive is to know the facts and actively convey your opinions to our elected officials. This guide is intended to get you started, and also lists a number of ways you can help. Feel free to copy and distribute this information!

Updated June 21, 2005 by Katherine Falk (kjfalk@gmail.com)

Also, check out the organizations and newspapers listed fu rther on.

Army Times: www.armytimes.org
DefenseTech.org: www.defensetech.org
Part of a group of newspapers aimed at all the branches of the military; these sites are a good source for news which particularly impacts military personnel.

Resource Guide For Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom: www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ files/vcs/guide.cfm
Published by Veterans for Common Sense (see below), this guide lists everything from financial and legal assistance to social and support groups for military members.

Operation Comfort: www.operationcomfort.com

A national referral service of mental health professionals who will treat military personnel serving in the Middle East, and their families, for free. Toll-free number: 1.866.NEAR TO U (1.866.632.7868)

Marineparents.com: www.marineparents.com
Founded in January, 2003 to help military parents find information and support during their children’s deployments.

Operation Truth: www.optruth.org
A nonpartisan advocacy group which aims to help troops “share stories of life on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan”

Veterans for Common Sense: www.veteransforcommonsense.org
Another nonpartisan group which “was formed in 2002 by war veterans who believe that we, the people of the United States of America, are most secure when our country is strong and responsibly engaged with the world.”

Ways to Help Soldiers

This is a partial list; Visit the organization websites listed above for more.

AnySoldier.com: www.anysoldier.com
Send mail and packages to a random soldier “serving in harm’s way.”

Books For Soldiers: www.booksforsoldiers.com
Donate books and DVDs.

Operation Uplink: www.operationuplink.org
Provides free phone cards to soldiers.

Gifts From the Homefront: www.aafes.com/docs/homefront.htm
Buy gift certificates that can be used at military exchange stores.

Give the Gift of Groceries: www.commissaries.com/certificheck/

Fisher House: www.fisherhouse.org
Provides a “home away from home” for families with loved ones in military hospitals.

Operation Hero Miles: www.heromiles.com
Donate your extra frequent-flyer miles to help a military member visit his or her family.

Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund: www.intrepidmuseum.org/foundation_heroesfund.html
Provides unrestricted grants to the families of military personnel who have died during military service.

Helping Civilians

This is only a small selection of the many organizations out there. Visit www.charitynavigator.org for a more complete directory of nonprofits.

Operation Iraqi Children/Operation Give: www.operationgive.org
Started by soldiers, this group is collecting toys and other items for children in Iraq.

USAID Assistance for Iraq: www.usaid.gov/iraq
“Carries out programs in education, health care, food security, infrastructurereconstruction, airport and seaport management, economic growth, community development, local governance, and transition initiatives.”

UNHCR: www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/iraq
The United Nations refugees agency.

CIVIC: www.civicworldwide.org
A small organization working to obtain U.S. government assistance for communities and families in need, while helping to shine a spotlight on the human costs of war.

International Medical Corps: www.imcworldwide.org
“In the aftermath of violent conflicts and natural disasters, IMC provides emergency interventions for vulnerable populations and makes lasting improvemnts to devastated health care systems.”

Refugee Relief International: www.refugeerelief.org
“Refugee Relief International provides humanitarian medical assistance to victims of armed conflict around the world.”

VOTE! There’s another election coming up next year. If you have friends or family who aren’t registered to vote, encourage them to register now. In California, you can pick up registration forms at DMV offices and public libraries, call 1-800-345-VOTE, or visit www.ss.ca.gov/elections/.

Rumors, inaccuracies, and downright fabrications circulate on the Internet (as in life) at the best of times — and at times like the ones we’ve been living in recently. While it’s easy to hit that Send button, it’s a good idea to take a few minutes to do a little research.What’s the harm in forwarding unsubstantiated messages? Plenty. Luckily, good information is out there, if you take a little time to track it down. Here are some places to start.

Urban Legends: urbanlegends.about.com
Snopes: www.snopes.com
Truth or Fiction: www.truthorfiction.com
Hoaxbusters: hoaxbusters.ciac.org

When you receive a rumor, or petition, don’t trust it just because it was sent to you by someone you know.That person may have forwarded it without taking the time to look into it carefully. Check it out on one of the sites mentioned previously. Ask yourself:

• Who wrote this? What are their motives? (Authority and accountability are very important)
• Is there a date on it? (Undated messages can, and do, float around the net for years!) Does it have details you can verify elsewhere, or does it make vague claims which are impossible to prove or disprove?
• Does it urge you to forward it to everyone you know? (Not necessarily a good idea... unless you’ve checked it out first!)
• Is there a reputable organization behind this message? Do they give their address and phone numbers so you can contact them for more information? (If not, why not?)
• If you can’t answer these questions to your satisfaction, then don’t forward it. For more tips on spotting a hoax, see
  www.lava.net/~higak/chain/how-to-spot.htm .

It may feel like an exercise in futility, but believe it or not, politicians do pay attention. Phone calls and letters get the most attention, then faxes, and then email.You’ll get more attention from senators and congresspeople whose district you live in, since you can actually vote them in or out. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has an excellent guide on how to effectively contact/lobby your elected representatives at www.eff.org/congress.

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Tel: 202.456.1414
Fax: 202.456.2461

President George W. Bush
Email: president@whitehouse.gov

Vice President Richard B. Cheney
Email: vice.president@whitehouse.gov

The Honorable Senator Dianne Feinstein
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Tel: 202.224.3841
Fax: 202.228.3954
Email: senator@feinstein.senate.gov (contact form on site is better)
Web: feinstein.senate.gov

The Honorable Senator Barbara Boxer
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Tel: 202.224.3553
Fax: 202.228.1338
Email: senator@boxer.senate.gov (contact form on site is better)
Web: boxer.senate.gov

OTHER OFFICIALS

Look in the blue Government Pages in the phone book, at your local library, or online.

House of Representatives: www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.html or www.house.gov/writerep
Senate: www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Tel: 916.445.2841
Fax: 916.445.4633
Email: governor@governor.ca.gov

Letters should be short (200-250 words) and in your own words — don’t copy letters or editorials from elsewhere.) Always include your name, address, and daytime phone number. The paper will need to be able to contact you to verify authenticity.

San Francisco Chronicle: www.sfgate.com
Letters to the Editor
901 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
letters@sfchronicle.com

San Francisco Examiner: www.examiner.com
Letters to the Editor
450 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
letters@examiner.com

San Jose Mercury News: www.sjmercury.com
Letters to the Editor
750 Ridder Park Drive
San Jose, CA 95190
Fax: 408.271.3792
letters@sjmercury.com

Oakland Tribune: www.oaklandtribune.com
Letters to the Editor
www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/writealetter
riblet@angnewspapers.com

Sacramento Bee: www.sacbee.com
Letters to the Editor
P.O. Box 15779
Sacramento, CA 95852
opinion@sacbee.com

Christian Science Monitor: www.christiansciencemonitor.com
Letters to the Editor
The Christian Science Monitor
One Norway Street
Boston, MA 02115

New York Times: www.nytimes.com
Letters to the Editor
229 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
Fax: 212.556.3622
letters@nytimes.com

Los Angeles Times: www.latimes.com
Letters to the Editor
202 W. 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
letters@latimes.com