The credit union will provide the lock box for those wishing to send checks to assist with the assembly of the care packages. Schenck said donations ranging from $25 to $5,000 have been coming in from around the nation on a steady basis. Because of heightened security, individuals can no longer send letters and packages to just any service member. While these programs were popular with the public during Desert Storm and other operations, officials said security concerns and transportation constraints with military mail led to their cancellation.

To counter, the USO has launched Operation USO Care Package, which has been approved by the Department of Defense, as a safe and easy way for individuals to connect with troops. For a $25 donation, the USO will provide a package of useful items to a service member and transcribe a personal greeting from the donor onto a USO postcard. The care packages contain an assortment of items the military have specifically requested, such as prepaid international calling cards, disposable cameras, toiletries, and sunscreen. They also include greetings from the American public, transcribed onto official Operation USO Care Package post cards by volunteers and USO staff members.

"Operation USO Care Package will continue for as long as our country is at war," said Elaine Rogers, USO-Metro president. "This program is possible because of the support from individuals, corporations and organizations that donate funds to sponsor these care packages."

Rogers said since last year, 10,000 care packages have been assembled each month. AT&T is providing prepaid calling cards for overseas servicemen and women in $15, $25 or $50 increments. An attached voice mailbox is provided where family and friends can leave voice messages for loved ones by using a toll-free number

"Our men and women in uniform give so much to the country, we wanted to give something in return as a token of our appreciation that would allow their separation from their loved ones to be a little easier," said Paul McQuillan, defense sales vice president, AT&T Government Solutions. Family members who send regular mail need to use the soldier's full name (without rank), unit and APO address.

Letters to Kuwait will normally take seven to 10 days, according to the Military Postal Service Agency. Priority parcels will normally take 10 to 15 days and Surface Air Mail, or SAM packages, will normally take about 24 days, according to MPSA officials. Officials say each country has customs regulations that apply to all incoming mail including prohibitions on certain kinds of food or entertainment products. Particularly, some host countries prohibit the entry of alcoholic beverages of any kind, narcotics, munitions, pork and pork by-products, pornography, and material contrary to the Islamic religion.