How to Send a Letter to Troops in Iraq

Let the troops in Iraq know you care with a letter.

Sometimes receiving a letter is the highlight of the day when you're a soldier deployed to a country like Iraq. In a different country, troops can feel alone and like a stranger in a land that is nothing like home. Writing a letter to a service member deployed to Iraq can update him on what is happening back home, let him know that what he is doing matters and provide a change of pace in his daily routine.

Instructions

1. Find an organization that will securely deliver letters on your behalf. Such organizations include Any Soldier Inc. or Adopt a U.S. Soldier (see Resources).

2. Find the name of a troop you would like to support through the organization. Depending on the organization you choose, the person whose name you select will personally receive the letter or has volunteered to give the letter to a troop member who does not get much mail.

3. Review the organization's letter-writing tips and find out what you cannot mail. Items you cannot mail in a letter include illegal copies of documents, obscene or pornographic media, literature against the Islamic faith and political propaganda. Letters that appear bulky, according to Adopt a U.S. Soldier, may be opened and inspected.

4. Address the envelope correctly. The slightest mistake in a troop's address may send your letter to the wrong person or get lost. Adopt a U.S. Solider outlines the correct manner to address a letter to a troop in Iraq: Write the soldier's full name on the first line (it is not necessary to include her grade, rank, rating or a specific title). Write the unit designation on the second line, followed by the APO/FPO address on the third line. If the nine-digit ZIP code fits on the third line, write it after the address. If not, write it on the fourth line. However, keep in mind that a troop may not have a ZIP code. Do not write the name of the country the troop is stationed in (Iraq), or the letter could get routed through Iraq's national mail system instead of the troop's mail system.

5. Affix postage to the envelope. When your letter is ready to mail, affix the same amount of postage to it you would for domestic mail. It does not cost any extra money to send letters via U.S. mail. However, it could take up to 14 days for troops in Iraq to receive it.

Tips & Warnings

• Any Soldier Inc. provides a tip to those interested in sending a letter to troops in Iraq: If you would not send it to your mother, do not send it to the troops.

References

• Any Soldier Inc.
• Adopt a U.S. Soldier