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1st Cavalry Division
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Links
1st
Cavalry Division Hompage Links to Support Troopers,
Families and
Provide Information News Sources
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4th BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM The 4th Brigade Combat Team (BCT) of the 1st Cavalry Division will be deploying to Iraq in the next few months. Once they are on the ground we will have points of contact for you to send mail to in each of the following units:
No addresses or points of contact are available at this time. When we do have that information we will announce it on this web page. Contact the Association headquarters via E-mail at firstcav@1cda.org or by telephone at (254) 547-6537. TOUR LENGTH The President announced on 10 April a change in the length of the Army's deployments which returns the deployment time to twelve-month deployments. The Army will reduce "Boots on the Ground" time to no more than twelve months for all active component Soldiers deploying to the Central Command area of operations after 1 August 2008. Soldiers deploying prior to 1 August 2008 will complete their scheduled deployments. PROVIDING SUPPORT There are many ways that you can demonstrate your support for the Troopers of the First Team and their families. Mailing letters and packages is only one of them. Below we have provided a few different ways that you can help. Providing
the service member with a
TELEPHONE CALLING CARD will
assist them in calling their loved ones from their overseas location when the
opportunity permits. Telephone
calling cards can also be ordered from the Army & Air Force Exchange System
via the Internet at https://thor.aafes.com/scs/default.aspx. Individuals and organizations can show their support Troopers and their families with gift certificates. The “Gift of Groceries” program allows anyone to purchase commissary gift certificates at http://www.commissaries.com or by calling toll free (877) 770-GIFT. The Army & Air Force exchange System offers the “Gift From the Homefront” gift certificate for merchandise at their exchange web site: http://www.aafes.com or by calling toll free (877) 770-4438. Gift certificates may be purchased to be mailed to service members and family members. Only authorized commissary and exchange patrons may redeem the gift certificates at military commissaries and exchanges, including those stores supporting deployed personnel around the globe. Those wishing to provide assistance to First Team families at Fort Hood or Fort Bliss may order certificates and have them sent to the 1st Cavalry Division Association, 302 N. Main St., Copperas Cove, TX 76522-1703. Please contact us to coordinate this prior to purchasing your gift and let us know which location or unit that you wish to support. They will be delivered to the Division Sergeant Major's office for distribution to needy families. You may wish to continue your support for the Troopers of the Division by adopting a unit. The Central Texas Fort Hood Chapter of the Association of the United States Army has provided an opportunity for individuals, businesses and civic organizations to adopt units that are assigned to Fort Hood, Texas. Information on this program is available at http://www.forthoodausa.org/adopt_a_unit.shtml. The 1st Cavalry Division Association is a Corporate member of the Association of the United States Army. Donating blood is also a worthwhile project. You may be able to specify it be used for our military personnel. Start a blood donation drive in your area, school, church, business, or community. Check with your local blood bank or the American Red Cross. The Army has established a Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline to offer wounded, injured, and ill Soldiers and family members a way to share concerns on the quality of patient care and to provide senior Army leaders with visibility on medically-related issues. Call (800) 984-8523 or e-mail wsfsupport@conus.army.mil. E-mail is the preferred mode of communication for our military personnel and each Trooper has their own E-mail address provided by the Army. The amount of time that each Trooper has at a computer varies on their individiual location and position but all will have access to computers and will be able to communicate with family and friends using the Army Knowledge Online (AKO) account. You may also be able to get an AKO account. Visit the AKO web sit at https://www.us.army.mil/portal/portal_home.jhtml for additional information. Anyone serving in the active Army, retired Army personnel, Department of the Army Civilians, National Guard and Army Reserve members may get a full AKO account. The following people may be eligible for a Guest account: Army volunteers, family members of full AKO members, members of other services and some others. You can send e-mail to an AKO account without being an AKO account holder. SENDING REGULAR MAIL The Department of Defense asks that all unsolicited mail to U.S. troops overseas stop! Government officials say well-meaning groups and organizations usually set up such programs, but they can provide an avenue for dangerous substances and materials to enter into the military mail system. If you wish to provide support to our troops follow the guidelines that are below or select a web site from those listed that provides details, information and guidance for sending packages. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will no longer accept packages and mail addressed to "Any Soldier". Mailed items must be addressed to a specific person by name, unit and APO AE mail address. If
you are sending packages, remember to keep them small. We
recommend that they be "shoebox size" and that you send
several small packages rather than sending one large box. All
boxes mailed to Troopers will require postage and a customs declaration
label. It is best to check with your local Post Office™ or visit
the USPS web page at http://www.usps.com/supportingourtroops/
for specifics on mailing package before packaging your items and heading
to the post office to mail them. Getting familiar with the rules
and getting the required forms beforehand helps to reduce your stress
level. There is a long list of items that are prohibited and we
ask that you follow the rules. For specific restrictions and
mailing rates to an APO/FPO address, visit the Rate
Calculator. You can also call 1-800-ASK-USPS, consult your
local Post Office™, or phone the Military Postal Service Agency at
1-800-810-6098. Thanks for supporting our Troopers!
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