Many Support Causes That Show Troops They Care

Many Americans have found a new way to show Aemrican troops serving in
Iraq since 2003 that they still care and that these servicemen and
servicewomen haven't gotten lost in the shuffle.

Many Americans have found a new way to show American troops serving in
Iraq since 2003 that they still care and that these servicemen and
servicewomen haven't gotten lost in the shuffle.

"When I toured Iraq in 2005, I realized that even doing something little
to express our gratitude can go a long way," said country music artist
Aaron Tippin, national spokesperson for the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA).

"These people are fighting for our freedom-the least we can do is show
our appreciation," he said.

ASYMCA-the nation's leading nonprofit organization providing support
services to military personnel and families-encourages Americans to show
support for the troops.

Send A CD To A Soldier

Americans can show their support through the Send a CD to a Soldier
program. By visiting www.sendacdtoasoldier.com, you can donate a copy of
Patriotic Country 2, to be included in care packages and distributed to
the troops by ASYMCA.

The compilation CD includes country music hits by famed musicians,
including Hank Williams Jr., Willie Nelson, Lonestar, Aaron Tippin,
Alabama, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.

ASYMCA programs help families of service members cope with the realities
of military life by offering support services such as child care,
vocational training and health and wellness assistance.

"One of the hardest things a service member will ever do is leave his or
her family," explained retired General Norman Schwarzkopf, who commanded
the troops in Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Gen. Schwarzkopf said he held his subordinate commanders personally
responsible for both the service members under their command and those
service members' families.

Helping Soldiers' Families Helps Soldiers

"I found that knowledge of their families' health back home contributed
significantly to the military readiness and preparedness of the
soldiers," Schwarzkopf added. "It was the soldiers who were most
preoccupied with their families' well-being who were least able to focus
on the job at hand."

ASYMCA, he said, provides the kind of support our military personnel and
their families deserve.