By Kayleen Holder and Catherine Richard
Did you know that the US has more than 200,000 air, ground, and naval personnel deployed overseas? Key areas of deployment include approximately 5,000 in Africa, approximately 100,000 in Europe, approximately 10-15,000 in Southwest Asia, and more than 80,000 in East Asia (2024), according to the CIA’s World Fact Book which can be accessed online.
The World Factbook defines “deployed” as a permanently stationed force or a temporary deployment of greater than six months. Paramilitaries, police, contractors, mercenaries, proxy forces, and deployments smaller than 100 personnel are not included in these figures. The numbers provided are estimates.
With the 23rd anniversary of 9/11 and the beginning of the War on Terror having just passed and with the approach of Veteran’s Day, Americans can take this time of remembrance and support the service members that are currently serving their country.
There are a few programs in place designed to bring encouragement to deployed service members. Some organizations offer letter-writing programs, where personal letters can be sent in care packages to service members. Other organizations take donations and send out packages to either specific individuals or to an unspecified unit that requests them. Listed below are a few of these organizations.
For the Troops offers a letter program along, where donated handwritten letters…
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