Calendar Offers Ways to Support Troops

By Kim SearsJanuary 15, 2008

America Supports You Calendar
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Jan. 15, 2008) - Your new gym membership has yet to be used and that clutter you resolved to organize still needs tackling, but your resolution to help others this year still has hope. Thanks to America Supports You's 12-month calendar of ways to show appreciation for the nation's troops and their Families, there is a fresh idea for keeping your resolution on track every month.

The America Supports You program, a Department of Defense initiative that helps showcase America's support for U.S. troops and their Families, is providing the year-long calendar online at <a href="http://www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil"target=_blank>

www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil</a>. People can visit the Web site for ideas on ways to support the troops and to learn about America Supports You homefront groups in their area.

"There are so many ways to show the military men and women we appreciate them and the work they do," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of Defense and architect of America Supports You. "With over 340 homefront groups working on behalf of our troops, it is easy to find a meaningful, interesting way to reach this goal every month."

The calendar, a helpful reminder that can be downloaded into Outlook or iCal calendars, offers suggestions for troop support activities, such as sending Valentine's cards to troops serving overseas during February, or by lending a helping hand to military Families during April, the Month of the Military Child.

Calendar suggestions also include information on how to donate frequent flier miles in June to servicemembers and their Families who are often separated, or how to organize a local America Supports You Freedom Walk in September to commemorate victims of Sept. 11, 2001, and honor veterans, past and present.

America Supports You is an ongoing, nationwide program organized by the Department of Defense to showcase Americans' support for the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families. Since its launch in November of 2004, America Supports You has welcomed more than 300 homefront organizations and more than 35 corporations to the program. To learn more about how you can support military personnel please visit <a href="http://www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil"target=_blank>

www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil</a>.

(Kims Sears works for America Supports You.)