A Variety of Ways to Support the Troops

Want to show support for American servicemen and -women in Iraq and Afghanistan? Hundreds of organizations offer myriad ways, from simply sending e-mails or packages to more personal and time-intensive activities, such as agreeing to foster a pet for someone about to be deployed. Two Web sites with similar-sounding names but very different attitudes link to the many organizations that offer support.

* SupportTheTroops.com (http://www.supportthetroops.com) raises money for particular causes related to the troops and links to other groups such as Hugs From Home Inc., which connects troops and supporters by e-mail. The group also has a political agenda: to "encourage Americans to support our troops and their families by demanding better pay, benefits and equipment." Last week the site was featuring a promotion to raise money to send service members blinded in Iraq and Afghanistan to a national convention of the Blinded Veterans Association in Buffalo this summer.

* America Supports You (http://www.americasupportsyou.mil), launched by the Department of Defense, links to more than 100 groups. Some are major, well-known organizations, such as Fisher House, which provides housing near military hospitals so that families can visit wounded troops. Others are small groups such as AnySoldier.org, which was started by Sgt. Brian Horn of La Plata while he was in Iraq in 2003 and noticed that some comrades got almost no mail. He asked his family to let people know that he'd distribute letters or packages addressed to him that said "Attn: Any Soldier." The attempt grew into an organization that will send packages to members of any branch of the military serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

-- Cindy Loose