How Can I Support the Troops? 5 Ways You Can Help Deployed Soldiers

By Danielle DeSimone

When service members deploy, such as with the current situation in the Middle East, they step into demanding environments far from home, often working long hours under intense pressure. As Americans watch these deployment unfold, many ask the same question: how can we support the troops and families who sacrifice so much?

That’s where the USO comes in. The USO is the only military support nonprofit positioned to provide resources to service members where they are serving right now, on the front lines. Here are five ways the American people can help deployed soldiers alongside the USO.

1. Donate to the USO

With USO Centers on bases and ships throughout the world, including regions of conflict, our organization is uniquely positioned to support service members on the front lines.

When you donate to the USO, you are making that support possible. To strengthen the people who serve during deployments, USO Centers provide deployed troops with resources such as a comfortable space to recharge, a home-cooked meal after weeks of MREs, a free phone call home and more. Essentially, the USO serves as a home away from home for deployed soldiers.

This support can make all the difference in the lives of our nation’s service members, ensuring they can return to their mission recharged and ready – and it is thanks to Americans like you, who believe in supporting our men and women in uniform, for making it possible.

2. Send a Care Package

Sending care packages to troops is a tangible way to let service members know that their friends, family and the American people are thinking of them, even from thousands of miles away. However, the process of sending military care packages to deployed service members can be a complicated one.

One way you can send a care package to deployed soldiers is by making a monetary donation to the USO to support the organization’s operations, which include sending USO Care Packages to deployed service members. Another way to do so is through USO Wishbook, where you can select a symbolic gift – such as a USO Care Package – from a catalog to be sent to service members. These donations are designated to a fund for the specific item you choose, but please note that we are unable to send individual orders to specific military members.

Supporting deployed troops can be as simple as donating to the USO. Through the USO Wishbook, you can symbolically send a USO Care Package to service members around the world. | Photo credit USO Photo

While mail service may be suspended to certain regions during times of conflict, as it currently is in the Middle East, the USO is uniquely positioned to still deliver USO Care Packages where they are needed – and quickly – because we already have these supplies staged throughout the region with staff on the ground, ready to distribute them.

USO Care Packages contain hygiene products that might be hard to come by, as well as familiar snacks from home to keep service members fueled while they carry out their mission. Each canvas bag comes with a MOLLE system on the back of the pouch so that service members can easily attach the care package to most military-issued gear and take it with them as they deploy.

In 2025 alone, the USO delivered more than 435,000 USO Care Packages to troops all around the world.

3. Support Military Spouses During Deployments

Deployments are challenging for both deployed service members and for their military spouses. Aside from being separated from their loved ones and concerned for their safety, military spouses must also shoulder the responsibilities of the household alone. For military families with children, this can be even more difficult, as military spouses must suddenly serve as a solo parent for weeks or months at a time.

A great way to support the troops during deployment is to help military spouses and families back home. Reach out to a military spouse whose service member is deployed and offer to cook their family dinner, or to pick up groceries. You can even simply reach out to see how they are doing – sometimes even the simplest of gestures can make all the difference.

4. Volunteer with the Troops

While there are many ways to volunteer in support of the military community, volunteering with the USO allows you to connect directly with service members and their families and see the impact of that support firsthand.

Many of our 260+ USO locations around the globe need volunteers who can facilitate USO programs and events in support of service members and military families. It can be challenging work, but it is rewarding to be able to connect with the military community and help ensure they have the resources they need to carry out their missions.

5. Say Thank You

One meaningful way to support our troops is to thank them for their service.

According to the Blue Star Families 2024 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, only 21% of active-duty service members believe that American civilians truly appreciate military families’ sacrifices. This can lead many military members to feel isolated, affecting overall morale and operational readiness.

Something as meaningful as thanking a service member for their service or acknowledging the immense challenges of life as a military spouse can have a real, positive impact on your local military community, especially in times of heightened tension. When this kind of support is paired with meaningful programs and human connection, the impact can be even greater. In fact, according to 2025 participant surveys across USO programs, 98% of service members reported feeling welcomed, respected and part of a supportive community through the USO and 89% said the USO helped them feel a greater sense of purpose and direction in their lives.

By bridging that divide between civilians and the military, you can show military members that the work they do and sacrifices they make on behalf of this country are valued and appreciated.

-This story was originally published in 2020. It has been updated in 2026.