# Penpals in the Military

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penpals-in-the-military/162413>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 19, 2003, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penpals-in-the-military/162413 "2003-03-19T00:49:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hyperjes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df705f/32.png) [@hyperjes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyperjes)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penpals-in-the-military/162413/1 "2003-03-19T00:49:46Z")

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Does anyone know of an organization that matches US Military personnel who have no one to write to/write to them with penpals back home? I have Googled, but all the sites that I have found seem to be out-of-date. I remember doing this in school during the Gulf War and would like to do it again.

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**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penpals-in-the-military/162413/2 "2003-03-19T01:43:16Z")

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Was it perhaps through the American Red Cross?

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**Author:** ![Never\_to\_be\_Queen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Never\_to\_be\_Queen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Never_to_be_Queen)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penpals-in-the-military/162413/3 "2003-03-19T02:05:46Z")

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The Adopt a Platoon group matches soldiers with people who send them “care packs.” They also match single soldiers with pen pals. I’ve not been to their site in awhile, though you could probably find it on Goggle.

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**Author:** ![hyperjes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df705f/32.png) [@hyperjes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyperjes)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penpals-in-the-military/162413/4 "2003-03-19T02:11:08Z")

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Thank you. It might’ve been through the Red Cross. I don’t remember, honestly. I will check out the Adopt A Platoon, too.

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**Author:** ![siberia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/siberia/32/9129_2.png) [@siberia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/siberia)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penpals-in-the-military/162413/5 "2003-03-19T15:07:15Z")

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Here you go:

[Operation Military Support](http://www.operationmilitarysupport.com/)

Siberia

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**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penpals-in-the-military/162413/6 "2003-03-19T15:33:47Z")

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**hyperjes** , check out my post [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=170931). I’ve linked to many organizations that will match you with a pen pal, or can arrange to have a care package sent for you. There’s also a place to e-mail soldiers.

Hope that helps.