Soldier meets penpal for first time

An army penpal has met the person she kept in contact with during time spent in Afghanistan.

Melissa Eslinger from New York has just returned to the city after a month-long tour overseas, myfoxdetroit.com reports.

She wrote to Lynn Breen from Michigan during the period spent in Afghanistan and the pair sent letters and packages to each other.

Upon her return to the US, Ms Eslinger met her correspondent who had kept her connected to the goings on in her home country.

The troop now wants to give something back and act as a penpal for other soldiers while she is back in the US, the news source notes.

Army penpals might also find the act of writing in itself is therapeutic and has a number of benefits, as a recent piece in the San Angelo Standard Times suggested it can allow people to think about what they want to say to their correspondent.

Posted by Mark Wilkins