Adopt a Troop
*This program will be suspended until January 5, 2021 due to a high volume of requests. If you have submitted your request before 12-4-2020, you will still receive your troop to adopt. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.*
Individual volunteers, classes, or groups can meet the needs of a hero directly by adopting a troop*; when you sign up, you are able to ship care packages and letters directly to an individual member of the armed forces.
Troops* available for “adoption” have given Operation Shoebox permission to release their mailing address to a supporter. When the troops sign up to receive a package, we do not ask them to tell us where they are from, what branch they are in or where exactly they are stationed overseas, we do not know this information unless they tell us.
If you are interested in sending letters and packages directly to our troops* please fill out the form below and our adoption coordinator will contact you with a troop within 3-4 days.
Thank you for supporting our troops deployed outside the USA and letting them know they are still thought of and cared about.
*A troop is one person from any one of the service branches
All information you provide will be kept confidential.
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ADOPT A TROOP – FAQ
How many are in a troop?
A “troop” is one individual person and “troops” is multiple. For example, 5 troops would be 5 service members.
What information do we receive on the troops we are adopting?
We only ask the troops that sign up for their name, address, return date and how many care packages they would like. We do not know their age, what branch they are in or where they are from.
Will we know the specific needs or wants of the troop we are adopting?
Yes, if the troop shares anything they would like specifically, we will share that with you. However, they do not always ask for anything specific.
If we are adopting more than one troop, will we know the names of the other troop?
No, the troops do not usually include the names of all of the troops that are stationed with them. However, if they do share that information, we will share it with you when you receive your troop.
Do we have to send care packages monthly?
No, you do not have to send monthly. You can send as often as you would like.
Will we know where the troops that we are sending to are stationed?
No, we do not ask them where exactly they are stationed. If they do include that information, we will share it with you when you receive your troop.
What if we sent a letter or care package and haven’t received a response from the troop?
We would suggest not to ship anymore until you have received a response. Sometimes the troops are in desolate locations where it is hard to send mail, they have been moved or they may have already returned home. Not receiving a response does not mean that your care packages aren’t appreciated, the troops may in areas where they don’t have access to some services.