Raising a glass of alcohol is something of a ritual to honor colleagues and loved ones in the military service. So it’s fitting that Jack Daniel’s and the United Service Organizations are joining forces to ask Americans to “toast” the men and women of the armed forces this summer and fall with special messages of support.
It’s the third year that the whiskey distiller and USO have run the Toast to the Troops campaign, as part of Operation Care Package, during which tens of thousands of messages have been sent on to military personnel.
Written messages of support to specific overseas service men and women may be e-mailed from a special Web site sponsored by Brown-Forman, Jack Daniel’s parent.
Print-outs of the toasts will be included in care packages the USO will deliver to troops deploying to Afghanistan, Iraq and other overseas locations, as well as troops arriving and departing on rest and recuperation flights. Other items in the packages include prepaid international calling cards, toiletries, sunscreen, playing cards, a disposable camera and snacks.
Special “stuffing parties” will be held on military installations across the country in the coming months where military spouses, USO volunteers and Jack Daniel’s employees will add the “toasts” to care packages along with the other items.
Bases in Fort Campbell, KY, Fort Gillem, GA. Fort Hood, TX, and Naval Air Station North Island, CA, previously hosted such events.
The Jack Daniel’s Web site will also include information for citizens who would like to purchase care packages for the troops.
“There is not a group more deserving of a round of toasts than the brave men and women of the military serving our country,” said Mark Bacon, U.S. brand director for Jack Daniel’s, in a statement.
“Jack Daniel’s support of the Operation USO Care Package program has helped the USO continue its vital work,” added USO president and CEO Edward A. Powell.
Because of heightened security, individuals can no longer send letters and packages addressed to “Any Service Member.” Supported by the Department of Defense, the Operation USO Care Package program is the best way to send a message of encouragement directly to a service member and provide “a touch of home.”
The USO has sent out more than 1 million care packages since the program’s inception in 2001.
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