FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q.  What is Tell Them Thanks?

A.  Tell Them Thanks is an internet-based organization that brings adopters together with soldiers who are deployed overseas.  Our goal is that each of our deployed soldiers has his/her name called at mail call.  Neither our staff nor our members receive pay or compensation of any kind.

Q.  How often are we required to write to our soldiers?

A.  We ask that you send a letter to your soldier at least monthly.  More often would be great!!

Q.  How much does it cost to mail a letter to my soldier?

A.  It only costs the price of a first-class stamp.  If you have many pages, you may need an extra stamp.  Use the same amount of postage as you would to mail a letter in the U.S.

Q.  Where does Tell Them Thanks get the soldier information?

A.  We have unit contacts in each unit we are adopting.  They give us the names of the soldiers wishing to be adopted.  Another way is for the soldier to sign himself/herself up using the application on our Web site.

Q.  How long after we join does it take before we receive our soldier’s information?

A.  It will not take more than a couple of business days to hear from Tell Them Thanks.

Q.  What should I write about to my soldier?

A.  You can write anything you would like to let your soldier become acquainted with you and your family.  Some suggestions are to tell him/her about a movie/tv show/book you have just seen/read or a family vacation you recently took.  Also, you can say thanks for serving our country.

Q.  Should I send stamps for my soldier to write me back?

A.  No, your soldier has access to free mail.  Stamps are useless to them while they are deployed.

Q.  How long does it take for my soldier to get my letter/card/package?

A.  Mail can take up to two weeks to get overseas.  Sometimes packages take a bit longer than letters.

Q.  What if my soldier does not write me back

A.  We cannot guarantee that you will hear from your soldier.  Please remember that they are very busy and very often in combat situations or off on missions and are not able to write back.  Please remember that every letter or package means the world to your deployed service member even if you do not hear back from him/her.  Tell Them Thanks was founded so that our soldiers are remembered at mail call, not so that we receive mail.  We commit to writing at least monthly even if we are not hearing from them.

Q.  What items cannot be sent to my soldier?

A.  The following items cannot be sent to your soldier:

*No pork products (including canned meat or other pork snacks, no ham)

*No pornography (including magazines, movies, photographs of others or of yourself)

*No weapons

*No bulk religious items

*No money unless your soldier is buying something to send back to you and you are paying for it

*No alcohol or illegal drugs

*No prescription drugs or over-the-counter drugs that may contain alcohol (Nyquil)

Q.  How can I let other people know about Tell Them Thanks?

A.  Please give your family/friends/co-workers/etc. the following link:  http://www.TellThemThanks.com.  Let them know they must fill out the application found on our Web site, after which they will receive their soldier’s information.

Q.  I still need help with a question about Tell Them Thanks.  To whom do I write?

A.  Send your question to TellThemThanks@yahoo.com.