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Around my sophomore year in college, it hit me that many of the people fighting in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were around my age. I am from a military family—my dad went to West Point—but this realization got me even more concerned about what was going on. I didn’t want to sit back and feel like I had no part. I wanted to lend the troops the support of someone who was like them.

Ever since I was little, I have enjoyed writing notes and letters to my friends and family. I decided to find an organization that would help me handwrite letters to the men and women in our armed services. After some online research, I found Soldiers’ Angels, a nonprofit based in California that works to support the troops by connecting them with people back home. After confirming my identity and login info as a “verified angel,” I became a bona-fide member of the letter-writing team. Every Monday, I login to the website, where I receive the names and addresses of three soldiers who have been registered with the organization by themselves or by a friend or family member. Sometimes there are comments written by someone they know who has said they need extra support.

Since I have been involved in Soldiers’ Angels, I have written to over 300 soldiers. In each of my letters, I start out by saying I am a proud member of Soldiers’ Angels and I want to thank them for their hard work and dedication. I ask that whenever they are feeling sad or lonely, to please remember all of the people back home who love and care about them. I recognize the sacrifices they have had to make by being apart from their friends and family in order to serve our country. In the second half of my letter, I tell them about myself and that I am a senior in college. I usually tell them something that is happening in my life, whether it’s training for a mini-marathon or attending a conference for the White House Project or preparing for the Southwest Conservation Corps in Durango, Colorado this summer. I want them to have a sense of who I am—that I am a regular person who genuinely cares about their well-being. I always decorate the letters and envelopes with cheerful colors to add a little bit of brightness to their day.

I have heard back from many of the men and women who have received my letters, ranging in rank from enlisted soldier to sergeant to major. Their responses show me far my simple message can go. They’ve all said how much it means to them that I took the time to introduce myself and say thanks. One 21-year-old soldier said she carried my letter with her the whole day while she was out on a mission because she was so excited to receive mail. Another soldier told me, “Honestly, I was pretty floored when I got an envelope with hearts all over it from somebody I didn’t know.” I can tell that my decorated letters mean a lot to these people who do so much for our country but do not receive the recognition they deserve.

It does not matter if you agree with the wars; these men and women joined the army to serve us all. The least I can do is say “thank you” and let them know I care.

Annie Tierney is a senior at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. She is majoring in communications with a focus on the media. This summer she will be a member of the Southwest Conservation Corps in Colorado, an AmeriCorps program. Afterwards, she plans on pursuing a career in the Office of Public Affairs for the Army. She wants to represent soldiers and be their advocate while telling their stories to people back home through the media.

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