“I’m currently deployed to the Middle East and I’ve received so many packages Soldiers’ Angels! I’m appreciative of all those who remember the deployed. The times are endless, the days all merge into one day! But we keep our heads up and we remember the passion and love we have for our country. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for remembering us!” 

Shelly (Deployed Service Member)

For most people, daily life is pretty mundane. We get up, we go to work, we come home to our families and have dinner together or settle in to watch some TV. It’s easy to go through life only thinking about your work and family responsibilities and looking forward to time off on the weekend. But for our service members who are deployed, daily life is anything but mundane. They face the unknown almost daily serving their mission, missing holidays and family and friends, risking their lives, and going without the simple pleasures of a night on the couch or that favorite dessert from that place down the street. There are no luxuries overseas. No fun things to do to “get away from it all.” It’s heat and sand and serving the mission.

“Good evening. I just want to thank you all for what you do. I have received a few care packages from you guys and man have they been extremely helpful. I am currently deployed in a remote island doing some humanitarian missions and when I get this package with deodorant, shampoo, body wash, snacks, toothpaste, socks, etc… you would be surprised as how much that means to me (us). See people may think, oh it’s just some small items that we put in a box, or it’s something I can maybe buy myself in the store. Well for a lot of us, it’s not that easy to get these items. These packages are blessing to me and my troops here (I share of course). Just wanted to give thanks to this organization and the people who take the time away from their families to put these packages together. God bless you all.” – Mike

That’s why we support deployed service members. It’s why every Friday is “R.E.D. Friday” to “Remember Everyone Deployed” and why we started what is now a national holiday called The Day of the Deployed. The Day of the Deployed is celebrated every year on October 26. It’s a call to all citizens to thank and honor those who are serving overseas.

How Day of the Deployed Got Started

The holiday 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 more states caught on after that. In 2011, when Hoeven became a State Senator, he made it a national proclamation.

“Day of the Deployed is a day to honor the many selfless actions demanded of military members and their loved ones across the globe serves as a tangible reminder of the sacrifice being made in homes across America every day. Every deployment reflects the deep commitment of not only the deploying member, but of the many friends and loved ones who are left behind to aid in answering our nations call. Selfless men, women and children who are called upon to set aside their personal comfort and convenience to support the heroes they call mom, dad, father, mother, brother, sister or friend.”

– Patti Patton Bader, Soldiers’ Angels Founder

Celebrating Day of the Deployed

Each year Soldiers’ Angels celebrates the Day of the Deployed a little differently. On our 15 Year Anniversary, we had a huge blow-out and packed 15,000 care items in 15 hours. No matter what we do, the focus is always on showing our deepest gratitude to deployed service members. Whether you live in San Antonio where we’re holding an event or not, there are easy ways to celebrate. On any given day, we have hundreds of service members waiting for support so the best way to celebrate Day of the Deployed is to become a Soldiers’ Angels Angel Volunteer and commit to supporting deployed service members on a regular basis OR supporting one of our Special Campaigns. Know a service member deployed overseas? Send them a care package or letter as a thank you!

Care packages and letters seem like such a small thing but they mean the world to deployed men and women in our Armed Forces. It’s the least we can do.

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