Did you know that Day of the Deployed was founded by Soldiers’ Angels? Each year on October 26th, we honor the brave men and women who are deployed through this National holiday. Day of the Deployed was started by Soldiers’ Angel volunteer Shelle Michaels Aberle. In 2006, Shelle approached the governor in her home state of North Dakota (Governor John Hoeven) with a request for a proclamation and special day to honor Active Duty men and women serving outside the U.S. October 26 was chosen because it was the birthday of her cousin, U.S. Army Lt. Col. David Hosna, who was actively serving in Iraq. Governor Hoeven was the first to recognize the Day of the Deployed, and the first units honored by this proclamation were NDARNG 1-188th ADA SECFOR and JLENS deployed to Afghanistan.

The effort spread, and by 2010, 40 states had proclaimed a Day of the Deployed. In 2011, when Hoeven became a State Senator, he proposed a bill to make the day a National Day of Honor. It passed with 100% yes votes!

Here’s a look at the proclamation in Texas and from the Senate.

How to Participate

On the Day of the Deployed (October 26), we honor the brave men and women who have been deployed and are sacrificing or have sacrificed their lives to fight for our country. It’s also a day that acknowledges the families they are separated from. While there may be a celebration or initiative in your city or town, we invite anyone interested in honoring and supporting Deployed Service Members and their families to become an Angel volunteer.

Soldiers’ Angels Deployed Support

Our very first initiative as a Military organization was to support Deployed Service Members by sending care packages. We have since grown that effort to support Deployed Service Members in a number of ways and have also expanded our support to Active Duty Service Members, Military families, and Veterans of all eras. If you’re interested in supporting Deployed Service Members, we have a number of virtual volunteer opportunities to choose from!

Once you’ve signed up as an Angel volunteer and gone through our verification, you can support these heroes in the following ways. 

Bake for the Deployed

Do you love to bake? Our Service Members love to receive baked items! Support Service Members with one-time care packages of baked goods. Our Angels love to bake and create all sorts of delicious treats for the troops. They send everything from brownies to lemon bars to specially decorated cookies for the holidays. They also love to share recipes and photos in our forum.  

Send Cards

Sometimes Service Members (and also Veterans) need a little encouragement or are celebrating something special like a birthday. One way we show our support is by sending cards to them. Whether they’re homemade or store-bought, it’s really the thought that counts. Our Angel volunteers come together to flood that Service Member with cards from all over!

Chaplain Support

Our founder, Patti Patton-Bader realized that Chaplains were an excellent way to provide support to units. Our team works with Chaplains overseas to send support when needed. Chaplains who are registered through Soldiers’ Angels can request items related to their mission, like letters, gifts, recreational activities, baked goods, and supplies. These things go a long way towards boosting morale for Service Members who need extra support in war zones. Many times, Chaplains ask for supplies to throw special events for units who could use a lift in spirits. Halloween parties, ugly sweater parties, you name it!

Adopting a Service Member

If you’re interested in supporting a Service Member throughout the duration of their deployment, you can do that by adopting one! As Angels get to know the Service Members they support, they’ll send care packages of supplies unique to that Service Member. They often send themed care packages based on the season, holiday, or Service Member’s favorite sports team. It’s not all about what goes in the box either. Our Angels take great care to decorate the inside of the box so that there’s a fun surprise when they open it. 

Letter Writing

Mail call is something every Service Member looks forward to. Receiving a letter – from anyone – can lift spirits. Unfortunately, many of our Service Members don’t get any mail from home. That’s where our Angels come in. Our Letter Writing opportunities support Service Members with a one-time letter to ensure that “no soldier goes unloved” (our motto here at Soldiers’ Angels). Angels can write as little as one letter per month, but some write as many as 50 per month! It’s a small and easy way to show your support.

These are just a few of the many volunteer opportunities we offer to show your support to Deployed heroes through Soldiers’ Angels! Celebrate the Day of the Deployed by getting started today.

---