New App Makes It Easier Than Ever to Support Deployed Troops During Military Appreciation Month

Built by a former U.S. Army soldier who served at Fort Drum, N.Y., and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2016, Support a Troop was founded as a way for anyone to send personalized care packages to troops to show their support. The app works both ways, however, with troops able to send photos and messages back to the givers.

The Support a Troop app has links to buy and send items ranging from clothing to personal care items to snacks and drinks. The easy-to-download app shows what troops are requesting and how to send care packages.

This Means Troops Get Exactly the Products They Need and Want
Sending care packages is an important and long-honored tradition in America. While the basic needs of troops are met while they are abroad, care packages are a welcome piece of home that troops receive while in the field. They can be sent to friends, neighbors, siblings, or even complete strangers. They help troops stay connected to home despite the distance and their current living conditions.

Dutkiewicz said he got the idea for the app while deployed in Afghanistan. Getting a care package, he said, is better than unwrapping presents on Christmas morning. But he said that in Afghanistan, what he saw all too often is that care packages would come in but go unused, with some even thrown away, because the same items were sent in almost every package.

With the help of a developer, Dutkiewicz designed the app as a way for supporters at home to send exactly the items that troops want and need. The app lets shoppers see what items are being requested, put them in their shopping cart, press purchase, and have the packages shipped directly to the troops who are requesting them. Then, those who gave the items to troops can track the items’ progress and get push notifications when the troop has sent in a thank you message and thank you photos.

So far, the app has sent 6,150 personalized gifts to deployed soldiers, with all the gifts coming directly from soldiers’ wish lists. Currently, there are more than 350 deployed troops using the app, with many of them in Europe supporting NATO forces.

“This cuts down on waste and saves time and money,” Dutkiewicz said. “And it helps show support for those who are defending our interests abroad.”

Download the Support A Troop, it is available to for free on Google Play and Apple’s App Store. For those interested in sponsoring a military member or for additional information about Support A Troop’s mission, visit https://supportatroop.com/ and https://supportatroop.com/links.