What to send and How to do it

We encourage participants to include other items to brighten the troops' day -- each contact on AnySoldier.com lists items they would like to receive.

What To Send:

The Operation: Winchester package should contain a "Supernatural" season one DVD set, a note or letter from the sender, and information about Operation: Winchester. A brief, printer-friendly explanation is available here that you may include in your package if you wish. You can also include as many of the items requested by the troops as you like -- in fact, we encourage it.

Keep in mind what the contact person you chose says in his or her request. If they have access to a microwave, they might appreciate microwave popcorn and cup-a-soup. If they ask for things to pass the time, you could send magazines, comic books, crossword puzzle books, a deck of cards, or small board games. You can get creative and send a themed box -- maybe TV night (Supernatural DVDs, microwave popcorn, movie theatre-style candy, nachos and salsa) or party-in-a-box (wrap the DVD set like a birthday present and add filled goody bags, a game of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey and a couple of boxes of Little Debbie snack cakes). Use your imagination, and think about what would make your day if you were a soldier stationed far away from home.

What Not to Send:

Each contact entry has a link to restrictions based on where the troops are located, i.e. "Restrictions to this address: Here (4)" Be sure to check those carefully.

Apart from the specific restrictions your recipients might have, do not send:

• Illegal/ripped copies of anything.
• Flea collars (these are not actually useful for humans, despite what you may have heard)
• Home-cooked anything. For their own safety, soldiers are instructed to throw away anything that is not in a factory package.
• Any pork products
• Anything depicting nudity
• Chocolates, or anything else that will melt (summer months)

How to Send:

There is a wealth of information at http://www.anysoldier.com/HowToSend.cfm regarding packaging. We recommend reading all of it before you mail your Operation: Winchester package. Please note the following in particular:

• Send in easy to handle boxes (say under 10 pounds) and wrap like Godzilla will handle it because he will.


• Anything liquid or gel (i.e. toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo) must be double-packed in plastic zipper bags.


• Be sure to send any food items in a separate package. The AnySoldier.com website is very clear: "Do NOT, for any reason, or in ANY amount, include food items in a care package with ANY hygiene items or chemicals of any type. If you want to send a care package, make it only food items or only non-food items." Apparently even factory sealed foods will absorb the taste of bath soap, bug repellent, dryer sheets, air fresheners, detergents, deodorants or other chemicals after sitting for a month in 120 degree heat. Imagine Oreos that taste like deodorant.


• Priority Mail is the preferred method of mailing packages to the troops. Flat Rate Priority Mail boxes are available for free from US post offices, or go tp http://shop.usps.com/ to the "For Mailing/Shipping" section and then to the "Priority Mail" section and you can order a package of 10 Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes free of charge. The flat rate postage fee for mailing these boxes is $9.


• Address your package exactly as shown in the email you receive when you request contact information. Example:

  SGT Johnny B. Rock
  Attn: Any Soldier
  HHC, 123rd Grenade Repair Bn
  APO AE 09999

  The package must be addressed to the contact person, not just 'Any Soldier.' The contact person has agreed to distribute 'Any Soldier' packages among the troops he or she represents. The Department Of Defense prohibits mail addressed to "Any Soldier", "Any Service Member", etc - it must be addressed to the contact person.


• Remember that you can also specify the box goes to a female soldier (first make sure your contact represents at least one female soldier) by addressing it to the contact name and then "Any Female Soldier".


• You will also need to fill out customs forms (available at post offices) describing the contents of the box. If you have any questions, feel free to email toastytravesty@gmail.com, or ask for help at your local post office.

After Your Package is Mailed: