Hooah Mail, Holiday Mail for Heros, and my new reading

First, I am eager to tell you about a specific mail program they are starting for soldiers called "Hooah Mail." Please note this program starts December 1st! It is a program that was created for family members and friends of deployed soldiers which allows you to go to a website (www.hooahmail.us) and submit letters to troops overseas. Oh, and it's FREE. Gotta love that, right?? Here's how it works:

1. Visit the website (listed above) and register. 
2. Add the recipient to the address book (please don't forget if you need rank, by December 1st Jesse will be a 1LT!). 
3. Compose a letter. 
4. Add photo if desired. It will print in black and white. I HIGHLY recommend this! 
5. Send the letter. 

This is how it works in country:

1. The letter is sent to a secure server. 
2. The designated Army Post Office downloads the letter to a special machine which prints, folds, and seals it. 
3. The letter is delivered to the soldier through the unit's mail call. 

For more information you can visit:
http://www.myarmyonesource.com/cmsresources/Army%20OneSource/Media/PDFs/About/Hooahmail_Trifold_ScreenRes100.pdf

Please let me know if this link doesn't work or you have any questions regarding Jesse's unit.

Also, I know many of you are itching to send care packages! Chances are if you want to send a package to Jesse for Christmas it's not going to be possible. I highly recommend sending something to a much lonelier GI if you have this itch! One reason why Jesse became an officer was because he wants to be able to teach, share, and help fellow soldiers. I know how that he believes that you always need to take care of your soldiers, and a great way to do that is to visit the Red Cross:

http://www.redcross.org/holidaymail

This site makes sure that our troops get much needed encouragement. This is a time of war and polls show morale is down among our troops. I'm sure many of you say to yourself that I need to put my money where my mouth is.... And I want to let everyone know I have a personal list that I received from the Brigade HHC (Headquarters company) FRG (Family Readiness Group) of injured soldiers from 5th Brigade which I have sent Thanksgiving and Christmas cards to at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. If there was a way for me to make every one of our troops happy -- especially over the holidays -- I would do it!

Next I wanted to talk about the new book I received today from Military One Source. The book is "I'm Already Home...Again." It's a guide to "keeping your family close while on assignment or deployment." I think that every so often I'm going to post a blog about something in this book. I know many of you that read this blog have or will have a family member or spouse deployed, and this book gives some cute ideas to keep things fresh. I absolutely know for a fact if you send letters, care packages, e-mails, etc to your deployed family member they will absolutely brag about you to everyone possible!! This goes over especially well if you're a girlfriend/spouse/fiance. So keep it fresh!!

Okay that was a little more me than the book, but I will share excerpts from the book every so often... Especially if there's nothing else going on!

Oh and FIVE more days until we get those keys!!!