Make it stand out.
DHL’s Operation Trees for the Troops 2025
For more than 22 years, DHL and Dee’s Nursery have been sending Live Xmas Trees to our Troops. Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon is proud to participate and provide Adopted units in the Theater of delivery for DHL’s use. It’s an amazing project and one that improves the morale of our Troops getting Live Xmas Trees while being so far away from home. This year, AaSP was able to provide key contacts in Djibouti in East Africa. Thanks to DHL and Dee’s Nursery for this fabulous opportunity!!
Subaru of America Share the Love at Liberty Subaru, Emerson, NJ
If you’re looking for a new car, you can get a great new Subaru and contribute to a great charity as well! Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon is one of Liberty Subaru’s Hometown Charities and if you buy or lease a new Subaru at Liberty you can also contribute to a charity of your choice, including Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon. It’s a Win/Win. The folks at Liberty make you feel like friends and there is no pressure at all to buy a car there. Fact!
Christmas Pack 2025
On December 3rd, Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon held its Christmas Pack. So many companies, organizations and volunteers it's hard to keep it short. 185 cartons. Thanks SANTA (Tom Metzler); Unilever; Goya Foods; Nature's Bakery; Inserra Shop Rite Supermarkets; Just Born, Inc.; Menasha Packaging; Lara's Crew; American Legion Post 21 (Cresskill)sent three great volunteers; Diane C. and Tom D. running the show; Allan V. on the postage meter with Oleg helping; Jose, Roman and Tiffany on taping; Jane and Kevin; Mary Ann; Tina; Meghan; Lara; Karl, our Ambassador; Mary-Edna; and a couple of other folks. Great Job Guys!!!!
(See below for pictures of the event!)
Christmas Pack 2025 Video by Barry and Liz Hirschberg. Enjoy.
Salute 12 was a great event!
Filled with Pageantry, Patriotism and Entertainment!
Just In: Watch the video from Salute!
Click on the video above!
We unfurled a 20’x30’ Flag that had been in Afghanistan where wounded and KIA were brought into a hospital at Bagram Air Base.
Andrew Espinoza sang the National Anthem with the Flag fully open.
Karl Nelson, our Emcee & Auctioneer is to the Left.
Keynote Speaker
US Army COL David J. Haskell of the 3rd Special Forces Group (A), spoke about deploying to dangerous places, defending our Nation’s interests and how Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon had improved morale on deployments.
Special Guest
AaSP President Alan Krutchkoff introduced USAF Chaplain, LtCol Keith Manry, who had been at Bagram Air Base in 2014 when the Flag (donated by AaSP) had flown at Warrior’s Way. Chaplain Manry provided the Invocation as well as the Pledge of Allegiance.
Table of the “Missing”
Mary-Edna Krutchkoff, R.N., VP Wounded Care, described the Table of the “Missing,” set for one, for all those who had passed – putting America first, who could never be at the Gala.
Esteemed Honorees
Best Way Trucking Service of Fairfield, NJ
Scot Maclay, L, Dispatcher; and Mark Trewhella, R, (CEO); were presented with a signed Field from the USS Gladiator (MCM-11). a Mine Corrective Action Warship that had been in the Red Sea, for being one of our Esteemed Honorees.
Best Way trucks are a lifesaver! They’ve been our pro bono trucker for years and make possible pickups and deliveries we’d otherwise either not be able to do or would be prohibitively expensive, especially over the long haul.
JMattingly 1845 Craft Distillery of Frankfort, KY
Unfortunately, Jeff Mattingly (L), CEO; and Todd Matonich, Director Military Outreach; shown here at our Spring Pack, were unable to attend. We will present them their gift by mail.
JMattingly created a new Bourbon called the Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon Bourbon.
Several bottles of the Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon Bourbon were donated by the J. Mattingly 1845 Craft Distillery and served at our Gala.
It is DELICIOUS and is now on sale at: JMattingly1845.com.
Live and Silent Auctions
The Salute Gala is known for its Live and Silent Auctions, with fine Sports Memorabilia and Militaria you won’t find just anywhere …
Scott LoBaido print
Signed Buzz Aldrin NASA print
Charcuterie board and Military knives. Note Dog Tags!
Locally designed throw blankets
NASCAR books signed by Hall of Famer, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
More Info Contact: saluteinfo@aasp.vet or info@aasp.vet
Great effort by our volunteers! All boxes are in the mail!
Summer Pack 2025
Operation Cookie
Girl Scout cookies from OP COOKIE being delivered to the MCM-11 for distro to four MCMs.
MCM-3 showing the smiles the GS cookies delivered from OP COOKIE.
Soldiers at a USO in the Middle East enjoy Girl Scout cookies shipped in by DHL Express and the Girl Scouts of Nassau County (NY). There’s nothing like putting smiles on our Military faces.
DHL Express has been shipping Girl Scout cookies in its Operation Cookie for 20 years now! Partnering with the Girl Scouts of Nassau County (NY), DHL ships these cookies around the world, especially to the Middle East. In addition, DHL provides Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon with cookies it can send to its units overseas. This is a picture of two skids AaSP recently received and will start packing next week and they will also be part of its July 4th pack next month. Thank you DHL and NCGS!! WATCH the video (below) from the event!!!
Memorial Day Weekend NASCAR Event
Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon was honored to be on the trunk of Car 7 for the Xfinity race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon of Memorial Day Weekend. AaSP’s group consisted of 12 people, three wounded/recovering Vets (Mark, Val and Norabeth) and their family care givers/mates; and a new volunteer officer (Amie) and a member of the Wounded committee (Lauren) and their mates; and president Alan K and Mary-Edna K, vice president of Wounded Care. It was an amazing weekend event and everyone had a great time. Our driver, Justin Allgaier, drove a great race but got shoved while in the lead in overtime after several cautions and finished fourth. A great time was had by all.
For more than 10 years, Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon has been a Hometown Charity of Liberty Subaru in Emerson, NJ, as part of Subaru of America’s Share the Love campaign.
Where Does the Money Go?
Proceeds from Share the Love go to pay for postage and packing supplies; exercise gear for our Adoptees; and grants to make our Wounded/Recovering Veterans more comfortable and heal better.
Special Thanks go to:
The DeSilva family who own and run local Subaru, Hyundai and KIA stores; and Subaru of America, Inc. of Camden, NJ. These two entities are compassionate, generous and patriotic and we are honored to work with them and be part of their amazing program.
Share the Love is a Great Benefactor
Spring Pack sends 180 cartons all over the world.
On our 22nd Anniversary, we held another Spring Pack. This year a team from Menasha Packaging came to help, along with our regular krew. In addition, new Benefactor JMattingly1845 Craft Distillery, came to help pack! Jeff Mattingly (L) and Todd Matonich had fun taping boxes. Thanks Guys! JMattingly will be creating a bourbon in AaSP’s name this year
Boxes going all over the world
Warships in the Red Sea, special operators in East Africa and Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coasties all over the world!
More Info
If you know a deployed unit in harm’s way that could use a little American love, please contact: info@aasp.vet
2024 Events
Annual Christmas Tree Send Off
We partner with our friends at DHL to transport, pack, and ship live Christmas trees oversees. We enjoy giving soldiers a sense of normalcy for the holidays, and sometimes something as simple as a tree can make all the difference.
11th Annual Salute Gala
Every year since 2013 (except for 2020-COVID), AaSP has held its Salute to American Heroes Gala to raise money for our Wounded/Recovering Vets and to bring camaraderie to the AaSP Adoptee family.
Last year, we raised about $120,000.
Save the date
★
Save the date ★
Thursday night, October 16, 2025
We will be hosting our 12th Annual Salute to American Heroes!
More info: saluteinfo@aasp.vet