About Us:
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For general communications, press information and orders:
Any Soldier Inc.
P.O. Box 29
Hoagland, IN 46745
~ Please DO NOT send stuff for the troops to this address!! ~
For all donations and billing:
Any Soldier Inc.
P.O. Box 715
Waldorf, MD 20604
~ Please DO NOT send stuff for the troops to this address!! ~
For questions or comments about the Marines on this web site:
Any Soldier, Inc.
Support Team
P.O. Box 29
Hoagland, IN 46745
~ Please DO NOT send stuff for the troops to this address!! ~
Support@AnySoldier.com
Email questions about:
Note: Due to the huge volume of email, please read the "FAQ" page and "How to Send" pages at a minimum before asking questions already answered on this web site.
Sorry, but we can't answer questions such as "Did they get my package?" or "Can you send me the names of Soldiers?" or "Can I email the Soldiers?" or "How do I send stuff?"... Thanks!
TEACHERS: Please read the
"How this Works" on our home page,
"For Teachers" in our FAQ page and
"Need more addresses?" before you send us email. Thanks!
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It was March 26th, 2003. Army Sergeant Brian Horn, one of 1,000 soldiers, parachuted into enemy territory in Northern Iraq.
Five months later, Brian Horn was able to call his parents. Marty and Sue Horn had been sending their son an average of six care packages per week. So when Brian asked his parents to send more, "my wife and I thought he was kidding!" Marty Horn told me. "But Brian said, 'no -- its for the soldiers that don't get any.'"
Brian Horn's regiment spent nearly a year finding places to sleep on the ground or on their vehicles while behind enemy lines in Northern Iraq. From Life in Iraq, Stars and Stripes special report on morale. October, 2003, Jon R. Anderson, Stars and Stripes. |
Both Marty and Sue Horn had spent their careers in the Military, so they immediately understood what Brian was saying. Millions of men and women serving overseas never receive any mail. Besides often lacking basic necessities, these men and women have to cope with the harsh conditions of serving overseas without signs of support from friends and family back home.
The Horns developed the idea for AnySoldier.com during that phone call. Marty created a website that explained the project and offered Brian's address -- including the words "Attn: Any Soldier". Brian would give these packages to the soldiers not receiving any mail. After his service in the Military, Marty had gotten involved in the still-young Internet. He knew how much opportunity the Internet offered, but even he was amazed at the results. "Within two weeks, we were getting flooded with email from all over the world. It was like an avalanche."
The project's growth kept up its tremendous pace. In January 2004, in response to many requests, the Horns opened up the project to the other Military branches. Within one year, they went from seven Military contacts distributing "Any Soldier" packages to 3,500.
"It just exploded. It literally took on a life of its own... Honestly, we started this as a way to help my son and his troops. Imagine camping -- it's hard enough to get stuff, imagine being one in a thousand guys who parachuted behind enemy lines," Marty said.
The growth has continued. To date, AnySoldier.com -- and its related websites, AnyMarine, AnyAirman, AnySailor, and AnyCoastGuardsman -- have served over 1.4 million troops stationed in 22 locations. The men and women in service come from 51 states and countries -- the vast majority from the USA, but also from such places as England, Italy, Germany, and Japan. Visitors to AnySoldier.com can search for contacts by service location, where the unit comes from, the number of males or females in the group (some supporters prefer to write to "Attn: Any Female Soldier"), and the number of times their address has been requested -- among other options.
The response has overwhelmed the recipients, as well. AnySoldier updates from the men and women in service express gratitude, joy and awe at the support they receive. Unit leaders, in particular, write about the contribution AnySoldier makes to their troops:
Minnesota Unit poses with received AnySoldier packages October 2009, Afghanistan.
Photo used courtesy AnySoldier.com. |
"Thank you so much for your support...seeing the faces of my troops when they get to open a package is what keeps us going around here."
"I have never seen anything like the love, appreciation and support that comes from the people who visit this site...I just want to thank you all once again from the bottom of my heart. So far I have been able to spread your love to 4 different soldiers of my platoon/battery and see the joyous looks on the soldiers' faces..."
"Thank you so much for all the packages and letters...morale is up high. I can't tell you enough how grateful we are. In my eyes you guys are the real heroes."
AnySoldier has also offered support to wounded Marines recuperating from injuries; assisted in
procuring and importing wheelchairs for crippled Afghani children; helped bring attention to and arrange shipments of much-needed medical supplies and textbooks for distribution throughout the Iraqi medical system; and many other projects. AnySoldier packages from supporters have also contributed to the distribution of toys, books, and necessary supplies to civilians living in war zones.
The first donated wheelchair. Afghanistan, March 3, 2004.
Photo used courtesy AnySoldier.com |
Unfortunately, the economy has impacted everyone. AnySoldier, a registered
501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is almost entirely family-run and depends on donations. The last year has found AnySoldier in debt for the first time in its existence, and the family struggles to maintain all the aspects of the AnySoldier organization on their own. Not only are all the website updates done personally (all update emails by AnySoldier recipients are reviewed for security before being posted to the site), but the Horns try to stay on top of the ever-changing, often-confusing mail regulations for packages to Military personnel, offering guidance and recommendations on the website. Sue Horn also manages TreatAnySoldier.com, which prepares and ships packages for supporters who don't have the time to create their own.
Support for the AnySoldier organization comes in many forms. A group at MIT created a Yahoo! toolbar that donates a few cents to AnySoldier for every search. The Combined Federal Campaign
(catalog number 11993) has approved AnySoldier for their 2009 campaign, and a number of online businesses such as Amazon.com contribute a percentage of sales if you click through the link on the AnySoldier site, found on this page. Similarly, GoodSearch has teamed up with a large number of popular stores to donate a percentage of sales to AnySoldier. More details on these programs and other ways to
support AnySoldier can be found here: http://anysoldier.com/OtherWaysToHelp.cfm.
Soldier in Afghanistan offers a Beanie Baby to an Afghani child. This Beanie Baby was donated by AnySoldier supporters.
Photo used courtesy AnySoldier.com |
Despite the difficulties, the Horns stay focused on the importance of what AnySoldier does. "It is a letter, maybe even in a box, addressed to a particular Soldier, Marine, Sailor, Airman, or Coastguardsman, that will change the day of that Warrior. I can tell you for a fact, that a simple act like that may not only save the life of that Warrior, but affects the morale of the entire unit." said Marty Horn.
Brian Horn affirmed:
"I couldn't be any more proud to have been a part of such an honorable organization as AnySoldier.com... To have been able to distribute the mail personally as a contact to soldiers who get next to no mail at all and for that brief moment see the look of hope in their faces of good things to come. The hope that somebody out there does care. That somebody does in fact love them as they deservingly should be loved. The hope that some day their involvement in the fight on terror was to preserve those that believed in them so much through and through, until their fight was done. We fight so that maybe, just maybe your grandchildren won't have to..."
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| Press Release and other Media: |
Any Soldier® Press Release available HERE in MS Word format.
Special and grateful thanks goes to Carolyn Moncel, Mondavé Communications, Chicago & Paris, PR and Media Training for providing the above documents.
Any Marine
® "Facts at a Glance" HERE. (Real-time information).
Any Soldier® 2008 Annual Report HERE in PDF format.
 "Tango. Tango Mike!"
produced by Paul French & Partners, Inc. for Any Soldier Inc.
This is a truly wonderful 16 minute video done completely voluntarily by Mr. French and a number of professional actors and producers to help folks understand and use AnySoldier.com. Note: This is streaming video which uses Windows Media Player.
A DVD version (for your TV or computer) of this is available HERE.
Promotional sound clip. Listen HERE. Download (MP3)(Right-click and pick "Save Target As"):HERE. and
Promotional sound clip. Listen HERE. Download (MP3)(Right-click and pick "Save Target As"):HERE.
Courtesy of Kirk R. W. Douthit of The Kroger Company.
Permission granted (Please Do!) to anyone wanting to use these.
Information about linking to AnySoldier.com and Any Soldier® logos is HERE.
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| Board of Directors, Any Soldier Inc. |
Marty Horn
President
| Born in Philadelphia, raised in the Chicago suburb of Deerfield, Marty Horn spent 20 years in the Army as a Military Policeman. After retiring in 1993, he got into Internet technologies. Together with his wife, Sue, they worked the concept of Any Soldier with their son, Sergeant Brian Horn when he was in Iraq. Marty built this web site and maintains it.
Member:
Patriot Guard Riders,
Blue Knights,
HOG,
VFW,
American Legion,
"Rat Pack" PSG |
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Robert Novak
Secretary
| CAPT Bob Novak (Ret.) graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1978 and has been a Naval Aviator for the past 30 years. He originally started his career as a P-3 pilot, hunting Soviet submarines when the cold war was at its peak. He has made eight six-month deployments during his career, flying from aircraft carriers, surface combatants and land based sites; primarily in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Caribbean and Red Sea AOR's. For the past 18 years, he has been involved as an operational test pilot, engineer and program manager in the research, development, test and evaluation of the Navy's newest aircraft and weapons systems, including the F-18, V-22, T-45, Joint Strike Fighter and Tomahawk missile. He is married to the greatest Navy wife ever (Mary) and is firm believer in the mission of AnySoldier -- there is nothing more important than taking care of our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. |
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Tom DeCaro
Treasurer
| Tom DeCaro's bio and web site is HERE.. |
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| Gary Bourland
| Gary Bourland, as an infantryman, has spent the last 14 years serving as both enlisted and as an officer. Completing tours in Afghanistan and Iraq he was the first Marine on AnySoldier.com (and thus the inspiration to start AnyMarine.com) during the beginning of his Afghanistan tour. Knowing first hand what the difference AnyMarine.com can make, he continued the support structure through his Iraq deployment and helped units get support that were in the states about to deploy. Originally from Colorado his career has taken him many places to call home. |
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| Steve Jost
| Steve Jost has worked in Washington, D.C. for almost 30 years in a variety of public policy and private sector roles. He currently works for Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger and assisted in the start up of "Operation Hero Miles". He was raised in an Army family. His father was a career artillery officer wounded in action in the Korean Conflict, and two brothers also served overseas in the Army. He is a fourth-generation Californian but now resides in Maryland with his wife Tracy and three children. |
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| Dutch Ruppersberger
| (Honorary Member):
Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger is in the United States House of Representatives representing the citizens of Maryland's 2nd District. Congressman Ruppersberger serves on the House Intelligence Committee and represents the home of the National Security Agency at Ft. Meade, Maryland.
He is the originator of Operation Hero Miles. |
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| Support Team, Any Soldier Inc. |
Brian Horn
Support Team
| Brian Horn joined the Any Soldier® team as a Support Team Member. Brian recently completed 8 years of active duty with the Army.
He first served with the 82nd Airborne Division, then with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Brian had been deployed numerous times to conflicts such as Operation Nobel Anvil (Kosovo), parachuted into Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) as a Sniper Team Leader, and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) as a Sniper Team Leader, as well as a peace keeping mission in Sinai, Egypt with the Multi-National Force and Observers. Brian is currently pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Business.
His web site is HERE. |
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Any Soldier Inc. started as a simple family effort to help our son, Army Sergeant Brian Horn, who was one of the 1,000 Soldiers who parachuted into Northern Iraq on March 26th, 2003. We knew his unit, the 173rd Airborne Brigade was living under very rough conditions, so we were sending Brian care packages as often as we could.
26 August 2003: We wanted to help the Soldiers who were with Brian, so his father, himself a 20-year Army veteran, started this web site, and asked friends and neighbors to help send their support. HERE is the original web page posted that day. The idea caught on, fast. By Christmas Eve 2003 the site looked like THIS.
The support was massive during the holidays, and many requests came to us to support other military units. On January 1st, 2004, we did just that and opened support to ALL the Military Branches. At the time, we projected that we would have 50 volunteer "contacts" by Christmas. We were wrong, by June 2nd, 2004, we had our first 100, and 3 days short of a year we had 1,000! Right now we have 1,827!!
4 June 2004: Any Soldier Inc. became a non-profit corporation registered in the state of Maryland.
3 August, 2004: Our application for non-profit charitable, 501(c)(3) status was approved.
August 2005: we acquired AnyAirman.com, AnyMarine.com, AnySailor.com, and AnyCoastGuardsman.com domain names and started work on offering 5 service-specific versions of the web site.
24 October 2006: "Any Soldier®", "Any Marine®", "Any Airman®", "Any Sailor®", "Any Coast Guardsman®" and our heart logo were approved by the USPTO as registered trademarks of Any Soldier Inc.
14 February 2008: In just over 4 years, with the help of over 35,000 volunteer contacts and countless supporters world-wide, we have served over ONE MILLION TROOPS!!!
10 March 2010: We have served 1,552,054 Troops so far!
Thank you, very much, for your support!
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Awards:
Please click HERE. |
Where DOES the money go?
Please click HERE. |
Other Ways you can help:
Please click HERE. |
We appreciate everyone who supports this effort and are grateful for those who link to our web site. If you wish to provide a link to this site, then here are some logos for you to chose from. Please link as "http://AnySoldier.com".
We are asked everyday if it is OK if someone tells (fill-in-the-blank) person, radio station, TV, newspaper, etc. about this web site. Simple answer: YES! PLEASE DO!! Getting the word out about this effort is greatly appreciated.
Our Heart Logo, "Any Soldier" and "AnySoldier.com", "Any Marine", "Any Airman", "Any Sailor", "Any Coast Guardsman" and other Company graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts and service names are registered trademarks, trademarks or trade dress of Company in the U.S. and/or other countries. Company's trademarks and trade dress may not be used, including as part of trademarks and/or as part of domain names, in connection with any product or service in any manner that is likely to cause confusion and may not be copied, imitated, or used, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the Company.
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 for our web site hosting.
Mella Tapang (MellaDrama) did the art work on our logos.
Kahlil Dajany, Debbie White and Carol B. for amazing and untiring expert editing work.
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