1. Call and write letters to elected officials

Contacting elected officials is easier and more effective than most people realize. The first step is locating their contact information. For federal elected officials, Congresspersons and Senators, you can go to the following links:

US House of Representatives
Enter the ten-digit zip code from your driver's license.

US Senate
Click the menu that says "Choose a State."

Elected officials say that a regular paper letter written by hand is highly effective in getting their attention, but the envelope and letter need to prominently include your ten-digit zip code so they can immediately identify you as a voting constituent. Federal elected officials have been slower and more reluctant to open regular mail in Washington DC since the anthrax scares. Sending letters to their local offices is better. Phone calls to their offices are also very effective. Aides are trained to record the content of messages, and it is effective to leave your message on voicemail. Email is the least effective, but is still important. Be sure to include your ten-digit zip code in the email message. Keep phone and email messages clear and concise, and make sure to identify yourself as a military family or veteran. For example:

"Senator, I am the spouse of a solider deployed to Iraq. I do not believe we can any longer justify having troops there. The reasons for this occupation are suspect, and the costing lives and money is too high. I urge you to support bringing our troops home immediately."

Letters can be a bit longer, explaining the actual hardships you have undergone, or how you feel, but keep them to under one page, and make sure the demand is what stands out.

Do not limit your appeals to federal elected officials. Counties, towns and cities can be compelled by voters to pass resolutions calling for an end to the occupation. This strategy is VERY effective in getting the attention of federal elected officials. It tells them there are people who (1) care deeply, and (2) are organized. This is the one-two punch to gain the attention of politicians. For contact information about state and local officials, contact your State Board of Elections and your County Board of Elections. Many of these local bodies have web sites.
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Put together a delegation of military family members and veterans and ask for a face-to-face meeting with your federal elected representative. Call their local office and explain that your delegation wants to meet with him/her. Prepare your group for the meeting by refining the message, rehearsing for questions the politician might ask, and determining a primary spokesperson to take questions. One way to start the meeting is to have everyone that attends say something very personal and brief. Then the selected spokesperson can make a statement for the group. Questions or comments can be answered by the person to whom they are addressed. Having supporting letters, articles, and commentary to give the elected official is always a good idea, especially articles or commentary that show eroding voter support for the war.

If the official is refusing to meet with you, write up a news release that tells the local press "Senator Widget ducks meeting with local military families." Information on how to write news releases and contact the media can be found here. You can even hold a press conference outside the official's office.

Always have a meeting of your group immediately after your meeting with the official to discuss how it went, and how to do it better the next time, and how to follow up (maybe with a news release).
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Politicians appear at local festivals, fundraisers, parades and holiday events. You can get information about their schedules from the news and on their web sites. Show up where you can in numbers, and be prepared to ask questions and make comments. These appearances can also provide opportunities for demonstrations (especially at fundraisers). Always be prepared for the media. That means notifying the media, refining your central message to a pithy sound byte of around 5-15 seconds, and (for TV) having something eye-catching such as pictures of your loved ones in the military. (And a prominent banner or t-shirts with your web site or phone number doesn't hurt).
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For advice and assistance on any of these actions, contact BRING THEM HOME NOW!