Whether M&M’s or beef jerky, members of the military who serve far from home love eating foods that remind them of the homeland they are fighting for.

After Sept. 11, 2001, the Defense Department decided to prohibit the American public from sending letters or packages directly to troops due to the threat of anthrax. This is where Operation USO Care Package comes in.
The program was organized to help distribute care packages to troops by the United Service Organization (USO). It has since distributed more than 1.8 million packages since its development in 2003. Their goal is to provide troops with a “touch of home.”

USO is a charitable, non-profit organization that has been in operation for 68 years and currently operates in more than 140 centers around the world. Operation USO Care Package allows the public to make a $25 contribution to a care package that is valued at $50 to $75, along with a personal message to the service member who will receive it.

Inside every care package there is a short questionnaire for the member to fill out that informs USO which food or drink items they would most like to have sent in their packages. Cheryl Hall, the USO’s chief operating officer in the metro Washington, D.C., area , said that beef jerky always tops the list, along with drink mixes like Crystal Light and instant coffee.

Members of the military also love candy, with Twizzlers and M&M’s the most requested. Cookies, gum, sunflower seeds, trail mix, dried fruit and granola bars are also popular.

Hall said that one of the main goals of the program is to give the troops the best quality products possible.

The easiest way to purchase a care package is to go online at USO.org. “That’s the best way for the American public to get involved; we’ll put the care package together for them, and this gives them the ability to focus on the message that they want to include to the service member to really thank them for their service,” Hall said.