Sponsor Letters

Congratulations! You've been assigned as a sponsor. Although sometimes viewed as a chore, being chosen as a sponsor is an indication of the trust and confidence your leadership places in you. The unit does most of the work in preparing a sponsor package but it's up to you to write the sponsor letter. If you've never done it before, writing a letter to a stranger may feel a little strange but luckily, most units have a standard letter that they use over and over. You just remove the last person's details from the letter and replace them with your own. If you can't find that letter, the examples here may serve as a starting point. If you're assigned to write a sponsor letter, you should make sure it provides as much detail as possible about life and work at your duty station. You are the new arrival's only link to his or her new assignment and they will be depending entirely on you.

Sponsor Letter Checklist

Tailor the letter to the receiver. If the new person is married with kids, include information about schools and medical facilities. If there are medical care limitations, make sure the new person is aware of them.
Ask them if they have pets or special medical or educational requirements and adjust accordingly.
Describe local conditions so the new person can adequately prepare. If there's very little parking off-base, maybe the Hummer should be left stateside.
Describe the unit and the base in a positive way! Don't spoil the new arrival's trip before they even arrive.
Provide information about the unit and their duties and what shift they will be working.
Tell them how long in-processing will take and what they can expect.
Remind them to apply for base housing in advance at their current duty station
Offer to make reservations at base lodging or off-base for them. Ask for a copy of their orders if needed.
Offer to pick them up at the airport.
Give them your contact information so they can ask questions

Sponsor Letter Examples

Dear Soldier,
Congratulations on your assignment to the Assassin Battery. You and your Family will find a dynamic, four season environment that is both professionally and personally rewarding. We look forward to your arrival and becoming a member of the Assassin Family.

Fort Drum has a population of over 10,000 Soldiers. The post provides all the services you will find on any Army installation. Watertown NY, has all of the amenities that you would expect to find in and around a military post. Outdoor living which is to say hunting, fishing, boating, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, and other physically challenging outdoor activities are available in the local area and through MWR. So, whether you like the city or the outdoors, Fort Drum is the place for you. As the commander, I will do my best to ensure predictability and balance in all training to optimize each Soldier's quality time with Family members.

Fort Drum can be a challenging place to live, work and train . Every Soldier in Fort Drum will get to experience extreme temperatures and terrain. We train hard with three simple goals- deploy, fight, and win anywhere around the world. Rigorous and realistic training is what we do, and Fort Drum provides an outstanding training environment to do just that. The upcoming months will be busy as the unit resets from the last deployment and builds up for the next.

If you plan on driving your car to Fort Drum, you will want to make sure you are prepared for the trip especially during the winter months. As an additional note, New York has strict laws on handguns, and they are not permitted in the state unless you have a handgun permit issued by the State of New York (this takes roughly a year to attain if you don't have one) so please plan on leaving any handguns you may own at a storage location and not bringing them with you. Possession without a NY permit is a Felony in this state, even if they are simply stored in your home or vehicle. Please don't take a chance on this issue. Please do take time to respond to this letter and ask your sponsor any other questions you may have. If you encounter any issues communicating with your sponsor, please call 315-772-7361 and speak with 1SG Sollenberger.

Again, welcome to the Assassin Battery, 2-15 (Allons Battalion) Field Artillery Regiment!

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
BATTALION
COMPANY
UNIT #10000
APO AP 96205-5333

Company

Sergeant X,

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your new assignment and welcome you to the best unit and section in Korea. Our main office is located in Yongsan Garrison in Seoul, building 2254, room 200. Your duty position will be as Squad Leader for 2nd Decontamination Platoon.

To assist you during your in-processing, I will be your sponsor. My e-mail address is john.smith@korea.army.mil. I will be glad to answer any questions you may have about your assignment. Our Operations Sergeant is SFC Theodore Jones (theodore.jones@korea.army.mil). If for some reason you can't reach me, he will serve as a second point of contact and will be glad to assist you.

We are located in Seoul, South Korea which houses the headquarters and staffs of the CFC, USFK, and Eighth United States Army. You’ll find that Yongsan Garrison and Area II have several first-class facilities to meet your personal and professional needs such as the Education Center, CIF, Credit Unions, AAFES, Family Support Center, and libraries. In addition, Yongsan offers many recreational activities such as swimming, youth and teen centers, bowling, golf, gyms, a travel center, and many other opportunities. And right outside the installation are a dozens of the finest restaurants in Asia and many top shopping destinations. I'm sure you will enjoy your stay here in the Land of the Morning Calm.

Upon arrival to Korea, at the Incheon Airport in Seoul, you’ll be required to process through immigration. After that, when you're ready to head to billeting, you can find personnel from 1RC in a small booth next to the rental car section that will show you how to take the bus to the in-processing center on Yongsan. I would like to meet you when you get off the bus to ensure you get settled in after your briefing with the 1RC so keep me updated with your arrival information. The replacement center will probably have you stay in the Dragon Hill Lodge while you complete in-processing. After you complete in-processing you’ll begin to in-process the unit and community. That will take about a week and there's no rush. After your arrival, I will contact you daily and do my best to ensure you get settled and fully integrated into our Directorate.

I encourage you to contact us so we can address any questions or concerns you might have. Please let me know if you’re bringing family members (please list their ages) or pets and if they have any special medical or educational needs. If you do plan on bringing family members we need to start the Command Sponsorship Packet (CSP) request ASAP as it can be a long process.

USFK offers a great stabilization tool called the Assignment Incentive Pay (AIP). Extending your tour one year pays an additional $300.00 a month starting on the date that you accept AIP. Extending your tour an additional two years pays an additional $400.00 a month which also starts the date you accept AIP. You may want to consider the AIP as you plan your move to Korea. In addition, please keep us updated with your anticipated arrival date.

I can be reached at DSN 011-822-7913-0988 which is our main work number. We are a 24-hour workcenter but I will only be at work during regular day shift hours. When calling, please keep the time difference in mind. Our main office can be reached at DSN 011-822-7913-5190. You can also reach our Operations Sergeant at theodore.jones@korea.army.mil or @us.army.mil. You are encouraged to check out the USFK website at http://www.usfk.mil for some helpful information about the Yongsan community. For all Soldiers assigned to the _____ Company, the following is our section’s mailing address:

YOUR NAME
Your Company
CMR 555 BOX 666
APO AP 96205

Again, we look forward to your arrival here into the Blank Company.

Sincerely,

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