I was disheartened with the bad reviews that I read about the Adopt-A-Platoon Organization and felt compelled to give you a good news story. I have served the military for 32 years and will retire this year. I spent the last 2 years deployed to Saudi Arabia as a Senior Enlisted Advisor. The Adopt-A- Platoon has sent care packages and boxes to our three organizations here for that entire time. Our Service members from all branches of the military have shed tears at times when boxes from home have arrived with everything from American goodies with a taste of home, to notes and letters from children telling us how we are their heroes, thanking us for protecting our country. It is priceless when you see the faces of our Service members receiving the goodie boxes. I have personally written letters to dozens of school children, teachers and personally thanking them for their efforts. I will tell you from experience it costs a little over $15 to send one small flat rate box to the troops and the contents rarely adds up to that price. However, the impact on the moral of the Service members that receive them is PRICELESS! A lovely lady in Florida sends us her old magazines and has even made cupcakes...which melted in the 100 degree plus temperatures but the troops ate them anyway and you would have thought their mom had just made them for them. I tell you from personal experience that they have impacted the moral of our troops here immensely and they have been a GOD send to our moral. the folks at Adopt-A-Platoon have gone out of their way to fill special requests and communicate with our needs here in Saudi. I have many more stories, pictures, and communications with donors of goodwill that I can share with you if you have any doubt. Please feel free to contact me here in Saudi on my personal email. jdunk002@yahoo.com

I have been deployed 4 times and supported by Adopt A Platoon twice. I cannot thank those involved enough for the support I received through the organization or the support my Soldiers have received. They also supported our redeployment party with our families on return to the United States. We also received assistance with getting decent bedding, pillows, sheets, towels, hygiene items, laundry soap and snacks for my Soldiers in the barracks first night back in the US. I have personally seen the assistance provided through the walking wounded program. A great group of people and volunteers.

My last experience was about a year ago in Afghanistan. I got stuck somewhere for a night and it was cold. I went looking for a blanket. I found a stack of Adopt a Platoon fleece blankets. It was great.

On Soldiers not writing back. They suck. Some of the younger generations don't understand thank you notes. Many do and many write back. I try but over the years I have missed a few.

When massive numbers of packages come in we would type up a thank you letter a month and send it out to try and get a thank you out per box. Again we missed a few. In 2009 my company sent out a few hundred thank you notes.

If the Soldier isn't there when the package arrives it goes to the Chaplian. In that case you are less likely to get a note back. But the stuff gets to the Soldiers even in that case. That's where my blanket came from.

I have also developed life long friendships with the volunteers. One had me over for dinner last week while I was on travel with the Army.

Soldiers are still deployed and they still need the support. This is a great organization.

Derek B.

My husband of 21yrs in the United States Army was injured in Iraq. Through out 18 surgeries within 4 years our family of 3 fell on some really hard times. Living in hospitals and hotels for most of that time. We were referred to Adopt A Platoon in 2010. From the first phone call in the middle of a crisis this organization basically adopted our family! Helped with expense the Army couldn't fund! Example the army would pay for me to be a caregiver but not for our 4yr old at the time. For the past 4 yrs not only has this organization helped us financial but has provided pure love and genuine support!
Because of this organization I did not feel alone and I now have another family to turn too!
I can never say thank you enough!