Parents, children & Spouses page

US Troop Support Foundation

family page

We have added this page for Parents , children and Spouses of combat troops. We hope it helps with questions and answers as well as sharing views and info. If you have something you would like to share please feel free to send it to ustsassistance@aol.com and we will review it for this page.

  When a loved one goes overseas, it effects not only the one going but many of those around them.

We will try to answer as many questions as possible
about what to do and not to do.

Care packages..
Care packages can be sent by flat rate box priority mail through the post office for $13.45
The price of postage on these went up as of Jan 2012.The boxes are free through your local post office or through USPS on line. You can also order other supplies such as , other size boxes, address labels and custom forms and Custom forms envelopes free of charge through USPS. Note: only the lg size flat rate boxes are discounted for APO & FPO addresses.   There are now 2 Large flat rate boxes . One is 12x12x5, the other is only available in some areas and is called a game board box lg flat rate. ( Both are $13.45 to mail since they are both considered lg flat rates) Other sizes you will be charged the regular flat rate fee or per lb and any over 12" on a side in size will add to postage rate.
The larger flat rates (that now costs $13.45 to mail) that became available in Mar 2008   that are ordered through USPS will have an ASY   ( America Supports You )   logo printed on them ! The ones that do not have this label on them are still only $13.45 as long as they are lg flat rates.

What are APO and FPO's
APO and FPO's are American addresses overseas. When you mail something to an APO or FPO, you are actually mailing it to an American address. The package goes from your local post office to an APO or FPO   post office here in the states and then on a military flight , space available , to its destination.

How long does it take to get there?
We send most care packages priority. It has taken an average of 6- 8 days. We have gotten emails from guys and gals that have recieved them in as little as 4 days. DO NOT PLAN ON 6- 8 days. It can take as little as 4 days and as long as forever. DO NOT TRY SENDING A Rotisserie CHICKEN IN A ZIP LOCK! IT WILL NOT WORK !

Homade canned food will ship if sealed and packed properly. Make sure you follow all instructions in a canning manual and pack all jars well to avoid coming unsealed or breaking!
What should I send in a care package?
Every person is different and depending on the Branch of Service they are in and where they are stationed will depend a lot on their needs. Also remember the weather. It is not good to send Chocolate in the summer time . It does get over 140 degrees in some areas , and chocolate does not do well in heat. Chocolate can be mailed and is more likly to survive the mail between winter months. Chocolate items such as cookies normally survive at any time of year. Be careful sending any choclate that can melt in heat.
All of them love something from HOME! So to stay with general items we will suggest the following.
If your son or daughter loved your homemade pie, then can a jar of the pie filling and send them. Almost anything can be canned. Just make sure the jar seals properly and after it cools   wrap it in bubble wrap, place it in a zip lock and box it up. Home is where the heart is !
Cards, letters, ( emails are great but letters can be carried in a pocket and read over and over), Pictures, Phone cards ( please read about phone cards below, not just any will work!!!),   Snacks,   Jerky, Lunch to go, Hickory Farms packs, favorite cookies, favorite candies. Microwave items, snacks, anything that can be eaten without much preparation. They do not have all the emnities of a home Kitchen. However you can can items such as apple pie filling and favorite homeade foods and as long as you can them per canning directions, you can send special food items. Make sure they seal correctly, wrap in bubble wrap and pack well to avoid jars breaking.
ALWAYS Remember Holidays !   Just because they are 6000 plus miles away does not mean they are on a different calendar.
Remember to send a little extra in care packages. They share with their commrades.
They will not be able to celebrate with the family at home, but they will be able to have Christmas and other holidays with their "family " in arms. Not all have the space for Christmas trees and for other holiday items , so please check with them first !
They have "down time" and during that down time, they enjoy relaxing and trying to make it as much HOME oriented as possible! CD's, DVD's, sports items, new magazines and luxury items are wonderful.   Food and snacks are always welcomed! Most ( not all) have microwaves available now.

Remember snacks do not last as long as hygiene!

We have provided a recipe for a homade item.
( scroll to bottom of page for this) We hope to add more recipes later. Ask them what they would like. If they use tobacco, don't tell them about healthy choices when they are in a combat zone.   They are dodging IED's and Bullets. I assure you tobacco may not be healthy, but neither is war!   If they ask for it and it is legal to send them, PLEASE SEND IT !

If you cannot afford to purchase enough to fill a large flat rate, at least send a card or letter, or even a new magazine in an envelope. Every piece of mail is a way to show they are not forgotten! You are welcome to sign them up with us for care packages! It is free to you and them and we will see to it that they are taken good care of. We will not share any address info with anyone outside our Directors.

Calling cards / Phone cards

Many units now have Satellite phones. These do not require a calling card. However AT&T Global cards are still used when troops are in transit.
We suggest purchasing phone cards through Aafes, PX or BX.
The cards are AT & T Global or AT&T ship to Shore cards. ( we have alink to order these on our how to help page. You do not need to have military ID to order these for troops!)
The ones you find at other stores such as Walmart or Sam's Club etc.. are not under government contract and the card is charged 5 to 1 on minutes used and many have an additional charge to activate them. Most phone cards not purchased through aafes do not work! EVEN IF THEY SAY INTERNATIONAL ON THEM, THEY NEED TO BE AT&T GLOBAL OR SHIP TO SHORE !
Cards purchased through the PX, BX or aafes charge only 3 to 1 and have no activation fee. You can also add minutes to the cards by calling AT&T and charging it to your credit card. Before mailing the card to the service member , scratch off the silver strip on back , xerox the front and back of the card and keep the info in a safe place. This prevents having to buy another card and the service member waiting for another card to arrive.

What should I tell them and not tell them?
That is a hard question. They do not want to be left in the dark on things. Tell them what you think they need to know but think it out first! They probably need to know if Mom is in the hospital with a terminal disease. They dont need to know a kid has the flu.   Dont burden them with worry if you dont have to.
They have enough on their plates!
Think things through. They cannot disipline the kids from 6000 miles away. They cannot fix the garbage disposal from 6000 miles away. Somethings you must learn to take care of your self or ask another service member or foundation for help.   Each unit has an FRG. ( Family readiness group) . FRG's are there for a reason. They are there to help!
Foundations are set up for a reason. They are there to help!

If I need help with an answer where do I go ?
Call or email us. If we can't answer it , we will direct you in the right direction, or we will find you the answer.

Remember our Troops are busy and they are adapting and over coming many obstacles.   As Military families we must do the same. Please help each other as military families. Stick together. We may not all be in the same Branch but we are all in this together!

Please take in mind some folks are just mean and some are just ignorant. Ignore those that make stupid comments and be Proud to be a Military family!

Army Knowledge Online (AKO) - All soldiers are eligible for an account on AKO, and they can authorize family members to have a guest account. When you sign up, you will be issued a us.army.mil email account, which under some circumstances may be the only email that can get through to your soldier. The site also has a file sharing area where you can upload pictures and other files. If you need to share financial information with your deployed soldier, this area is secure enough to safely do it.

MyPay - This is the official place on the web, for your soldier to go look at his/her LES (Leave and Earnings Statement).

TriWest - This is the official site of TRICARE, the Army's health insurance, for our midwest region. You can look up local doctors on this site to make sure they are in the system, so you don't get a bigger bill than you have to.

Military.com - A source of military news and opinion that you might not get in your local paper or TV. This might help with those crazy acronyms, and explain why the military does some of things it does.

Military Money - While some of the advice on this site is geared more towards active component forces than to the Guard and Reserves, there are plenty of good articles that most people can benefit from. Families of newly deployed soldiers will want to check out the article entitled Telephone Tips For Military Families to see how they can save money.

lowermybills.com - Helps you shop for the cheapest long distance that tailor services to the military, but trates. Signing up for a good international plan is advised, since calls to and from overseas can be extremely expensive.

USAA - A mutual insurance company for military members and their dependents. Consistently rated one of the top insurers in the nation, and rated one of the best companies to work for. There are other mutual insurance companies his one also has a bank. If you get one of their free checking accounts, not only can you pay bills online, but they will also pay for a certain number of your ATM fees every month.

Now for recipes !!!!!!

Brownies in a jar!    We got this recipe from one of the wives and we tried it and it works well and the troops seem to love it .

You will need:

3-4  "Ball" canning jars pint size

1   13x9 Brownie mix

1   13 x 9 baking pan

wash and prep jars.

Mix brownie mix as directed on box

Pour batter into jars up to right below the "B" in " Ball" ( make sure not to get on trim of jars)

Set jars in 9x13 pan upright.

Bake as directed on box.   Time may vary with oven.

Remove from oven and immediatly place lids on jars. As the jar seals you will hear a "ping " sound.    You will also notice the lids have a caved  point in the center.   Let cool before packing them. These will stay good for up to 6 months.
Many of the troops ask for home baked cookies. These can be sent. They must be packed well.   Small zip locks of pop corn hold them in place and seem to be the best packing. Seal each cookie in a container or a food seal bag to keep them fresh.

Chocolate candy and gummies do not mail well in summer heat.   Check temps on a world weather report for the area they are in before mailing items that may melt.   Send a variety. No one wants to snack on the same thing everyday.

You may donate onine by going to the bottom of any of our web pages and clicking on the donation link!

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information is collected from
USTSF's website.

You may contact US TROOP SUPPORT FOUNDATION by email at
ustsassistance@aol.com
or by phone at 816-224-4729

You may contact US TROOP SUPPORT FOUNDATION by email at
ustsassistance@aol.com

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