Our military service members defend our liberties and freedoms every minute of every day. I would like to encourage all of our educators and administrators to become strong advocates of America Supports You. America Supports You is a nationwide program to recognize support for our military, and to communicate that support to members of our Armed Forces at home and abroad.  By spotlighting what Americans are doing all across the United States and in countries throughout the world, we’re reminded of the importance of community and of building a better understanding and appreciation for the sacrifices by our service members.   Here are just a few action ideas you can implement at your school.

• Organize an America Supports You Freedom Walk at your school on September 11, 2006.
• Create a handmade thank you card or letter with a personal message to a service member and mail it through A Million Thanks at www.amillionthanks.org
• Organize a drive at school to send supply kits to Iraqi children through www.operationiraqichildren.org
• Provide paperback books for the troops through Operation Paperback at www.operationpaperback.org
• Send CD’s and videos to recovering troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Walter Reed Army Medical Center by contacting Angels of Mercy at www.supportourwounded.org
• Invite a member of the U.S. Armed Services to speak to your class about the situation in Iraq and the impact it has on the children and families living in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Adopt a deployed U.S. service member by signing up to be a pen pal at  www.mysoldier.com
• Organize a collection drive of morale boosting care package items for active duty and wounded service members by logging onto www.operationfirstresponse.org

America Supports You is an ongoing nationwide program that helps showcase America’s support for the men and women of the Armed Forces. Since its launch in November of 2004 by the Department of Defense, America Supports You has welcomed more than 200 grassroots organizations and more than 20 corporate sponsors to its team. Throughout the world, children, parents, educators, professionals, senior military leaders and chief operating officers from Fortune 500 companies support our troops by writing letters, sending care packages, helping the wounded when they return home, assisting military families, sending e-mails, or simply extending kind gestures to the troops.

This represents a great opportunity to show our support to the parents of our children who may be deployed or work to support the mission for our military commands in the Pacific.  It also provides a wonderful opportunity for our students to realize that they can be active citizens and support our country.

Those of us who teach know how important a program like this can be. I hope that you will all take the opportunity to get involved and lead the way.

Nancy C. Bresell
Director, DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam