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and If I don't buy a subscription, I don't support the troops?

Ron

Getting Maxim in the mail when I was in the Meditteranean (and blowing up Kosovo) made for a good day, even though I bought the subscription myself. I'm sure the soldiers over there would rather read something other that the manual for their M-16s.

How is military.com involved? They are listed as a partner but I don't see how they contribute. Are they involved by buying subscribers information like they buy everything else they can't generate on their own (which is 10% of their content the other 90% being adds)

Unfair post I know, I just dislike that website :)

Seriously though, there are much cheaper places to buy a subscription, and if you like you could then donate even more to your favorite charity. Just a two second browse of Google brought up 595mags.com selling one year subscriptions for $5.95 with no sales tax ($4.05 less then Primedia wants) for much the same magazines and many bigger name magazines to boot. I am not endorsing that site as I have not used it but it is just an example of what is out there. None of them should have any trouble sending the subscription to an APO or FPO address as they are considered domestic but it would be best to contact them to make sure before making a purchase.

"Who do we mail them to?" and "Where does one get names and addresses of deployed troops?" It is no longer allowed to mail packages addressed "To Any Serviceman." You must have a real name of a real person, and their real APO or FPO address. But it's easier than you think. If you don't personally know any deployed service personnel, ask your pastor or priest to make an announcement during church, asking for addresses of deployed servicemen and women who are related to the congregation. If the serviceman has an email address, you can correspond with him and ask if he will accept packages for others in his unit as well as himself. Go to your local community centers, senior centers, bowling alleys, even libraries and post notices asking people to contact you if they have a deployed loved one who would like to receive a package from patriotic Americans. If there is an Armed Forces base or National Guard Reserve facility in your vicinity, contact their Public Relations officer and he may be able to give you names of officers who would be willing to receive and distribute your packages to their men. There are also members of this site with family deployed overseas and their deployed service members may be willing to take packages for themselves and others in their unit.

The bottom line is be careful of so called "charitable organizations" and organizations claiming to support the troops who are actually using the troops to support themselves. It is clear from the example above that the organization in question is making a healthy profit from these sales and could be a lot more "charitable" if they chose to be ;)

That is why our "Support Our Troops" money is spent at the local military exchange or aafes.com online.

Any "profit" goes to Morale, Welfare & Recreation funds for them too. :D

My latest purchase was a sterling silver "support our troops" bracelet.

Love you Gunner,
Mom

Ron & David, I was just trying to help.

Thanks, Mom. Love you, too.

Gunner Carvo I know you were and it is appreciated. I have seen these sites pop up by the thousands since 9/11 and they all usually boil down to the same thing, personal profit masked as troop support. I always check them out and feel a need to say something if they look to be less then charitable. No offense intended.

That's cool. Makes sense to me. None taken. I probably should have looked into it.