Frequently Asked Questions: Participation

Is my child allowed to participate?
Who participates in the My Soldier program?
Can I select a specific soldier?
Where are the letters and packages sent?
What's the difference between an individual contact and a point of contact?
How can I increase the chances of hearing back from my soldier?
I signed up, but have yet to receive a soldier contact.
I received a soldier contact, but have yet to receive a Starter Kit.
Can I request a new soldier contact?
Can I share my soldier's name/address with other civilians who are not registered with My Soldier?
Can I get my soldier's e-mail address?
What if my contact doesn't reply?

Is my child allowed to participate?
Yes, but we do ask that parents/guardians make a commitment to help their child correspond with the soldier. Participation may raise questions about war, politics, and other difficult subjects. We urge all participants to be aware of the reality of war, which may result in a soldier being killed or wounded. We cannot be held responsible for any emotional trauma.

Who participates in the My Soldier program?
My Soldier is a program that was designed to give civilians a non-politically affiliated way to support American troops serving overseas.

Over 350,000 civilians from all 50 states and Washington DC correspond through My Soldier with over 175,000 service-people stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, North Africa, and other military zones.

Can I select a specific soldier?
No. Soldier contacts are randomly selected. However, we can honor requests for a specific sex. Otherwise, any requests for a specific locations, religion, race, interests, age, etc. will not be granted.

Where are the letters and packages sent?
Letters and packages are sent to soldiers serving on "hardship tours." Serving in conflict regions such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Kosovo, and Africa, these troops typically spend three months or more away from home.

What’s the difference between an individual contact and a point of contact?
An individual contact is an single soldier who has either registered or given permission to be registered to receive packages.

A point of contact is a single soldier who distributes packages to other soldiers in his or her unit. Points of contact usually volunteer to supervise between 50 and 200 soldiers. If you are given a point of contact, you may receive a response from a different soldier within the unit.

How can I increase the chances of hearing back from my soldier?
We can’t guarantee you will receive a response. However, here are some tips to increase your chance of receiving a reply:

1. Request a response.
2. Enclose a self-addressed envelope, pen, and paper.
3. Remain Patient; remember that soldiers sometimes get mail once a week, and sometimes as little as once a month. We ask that you wait five weeks after sending your letter to request a new soldier from My Soldier.
4. Ask them questions about themselves: about their hobbies, their families, favorites, etc. Making an effort to get to know them envokes a higher rate of response.

I signed up, but have yet to receive a soldier contact.
It takes about 10 business days after registering on our Web site to receive a soldier contact. If you have waited longer than 10 days without receiving a soldier name, make sure it's not in your e-mail’s junk and bulk mail folders. If you still can't find it, e-mail mscontact@mville.edu with “Request Contact” in the subject line.

I received a soldier contact, but have yet to receive a Starter Kit.
The Starter Kit is now available for download after registration. If you have already registered with the My Soldier program but have not yet received your Starter Kit, click here.

Can I request a new soldier contact?
Our supply of troop contacts is limited. If you have not received a response from your soldier contact, it may be because your soldier has ended his or her tour of duty and has returned home, or your package has not been received or responded to.

It takes about 3-5 weeks for a soldier to receive mail and for the participant to receive a response. Please allow ample time before requesting a new soldier contact. If you still feel you need a new contact, please e-mail us at mscontact@mville.edu with “REPEAT PATRON” in the subject.

Can I share my soldier’s name/address with other civilians who are not registered with My Soldier?
No. Those who want to register with the My Soldier program must do so individually online. Those who want to register as a group have new guidelines.

Can I get my soldier's e-mail address?
Unfortunately, we have no way of retrieving your soldier's e-mail address for you. If your soldier supplied us with an e-mail address, you should have received it in the e-mail message giving you his/her contact information directly below the mailing address.

If your soldier's e-mail address was not given to you, we recommend that you write to your soldier to ask for his/her e-mail address and to verify that he or she would like (or is able) to correspond via e-mail.

What if my contact doesn't reply?
Not all soldiers are able to respond to the letters and packages they receive for security reasons, military considerations, and scheduling. On average, there is a 60% response rate, but all packages and letters are appreciated by the men and women serving our country.

If you still haven't received a response after 5 weeks, e-mail us at mscontact@mville.edu with "No Response" as the subject, and we will send you a new contact.