Care Pkgs to Afghanistan - Suggestions?

[antsi]

My brother and BIL are both deployed and will be over Christmas. Wanting to put together care packages for them. Wondering what others have put in theirs... what is useful or appreciated there?

BIL is a Ranger. Don't know exactly where his unit is.

Brother is an Air Force pilot (Ospreys). Don't know where his squadron is, either.

Neither one of these guys would never say any such thing, but I get the idea that morale may not be at its absolute highest peak over there. Would like them to know they are not being forgotten about.

 

[tenring]

If you were over there, what would you want to see if you opened a big care package? Send it then!

 

[sepe]

When my buddy was deployed (came back in March), we sent him some hygiene type items and some random small things that would remind him of inside jokes along with some snack foods we knew he liked. He appreciated the small stuff that made it more personal than anything else. He told us how the guys would sit around telling stories when they had a little down time and made it sound like everyone appreciated the thought that went into some of it that reminded him of our stupid antics. I'd be willing to bet that anything they get, especially something that makes it a little personal along with even a short note or card, will be greatly appreciated.

He said that they would pass around books and magazines when someone would get them.

Here is something that I found that we used to make up a couple care packages WITH our buddy when he got back, when he was home on leave back in May-ish.

http://armychaplaincy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/suggested-care-package-items.pdf

 

[redryder]

Hand warmers

 

[junglerogue]

Imagine the surprise and appreciation you will receive when they open a care package full of these
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10xvuoJU7Ac

 

[IndyGunworks]

beef jerky, and firearm related magazines. i would pull those two things out and let the rest of my guys fight over anything else that was in there.

i swear, 10 pounds of beef jerky and 5 or 6 gun magazines was akin to being given a new car over there

 

[mcolford]

Another thought... Is those little flavored packs for bottled water? Even if they dont have bottles, im sure they can improvise with a canteen. This would just be something small that would give them something outside the normal.

Magazines, hygiene supplies, snacks that wont go to crap fast, Phone cards (Are they charged to call home? If not then scrap that idea)...

Im just trying to think of things my boss sent her son when he was in Iraq and Afghanistan...

 

[actaeon277]

Popcorn
M&Ms
Wool (black or green) or PolyPro socks
Bore Snake
Hot Chocolate mix
Marshmellows
Handwipes/Wetwipes
Maxim magazines
Chigg-away
Leatherman or Gerber multi-tool

This list was made up by my brother in army, but may apply.

 

[gungirl65]

Candy and anything else that's not readily available there.

 

[PistolBob]

According to the USPS and APO guidelines, you can't send pork or pork products, no porn, no nude images, and no large quantities of religious materials. Beefy Jerky, drink flavor mixes, and magazines seem to be very popular as are baby wipes, and small bottles of hand lotions and skin treatments. It's dry.

 

[Benny]

Hand sanitizer
Wet wipes
Candy
Beef jerky (bold for emphasis)
Magazines (non-nudy, unfortunately...But I recommend getting some Bizarre magazines and ripping the cover off. I sent several of those to my best friend and his entire unit enjoyed them; they are just about weird **** going on around the world and they are addicting)
Yoohoo
Boresnakes (bold for emphasis)
Earplugs/safety glasses
Hand warmers
Packets of flavor for water
Carmex
A bottle of non-flavored Listerine that you empty out and fill with whiskey or rum and replace the safety seal...Wait, I did NOT just say that.

 

[Bunnykid68]

playing cards
books
snacks of any kind
letters from friends and family of course.

 

[dice dealer]

I had a buddy over there , (this is no joke )

his platoon actually asked people to send them Tampons in the care pakages ...Somehow someone in his platoon ended up with one when they first arrived (dont know the full story of how )..

One of the guys was laid open pretty good and they could get the blood to stop . one of them had the idea to put the tampon in the wound .

it swelled up as it absorbed the blood , witch in turn stopped the blood ...Probably saving the soldiers life .

After that everyone in his platoon tried to carry a tampon with them on patrol .

 

[jetmechG550]

We just sent a nice care package to a friend of mine that's been there from one month after his son was born, missed his 1st birthday and won't be home until after Christmas. His second child but as I've told him, we're too old for this *****. He likes pop tarts, and they travel well. Chips Ahoy, while not the best chocolate chip cookie, if you're stuck in the ****, it's pretty damn good. Snack size candy bars like you give on halloween, those can be shared and the other guys always appreciate their buddies sharing that stuff. My buddy loves Mt Dew, so we sent two 6 packs of bottles. Sunflower seeds and beef jerky and I don't mean some crap like Jack Links. If you live around here and run across something like Mingua Beef Jerky out of KY, it's some of the best I've had. I wiped out a thorton's gas station of it (it's about the only place I can find it) and threw the packs in box. Most disheartening though when I went to the PO to send it, they told me I could bring in a picture of my friend or loved one because they want to honor local soldiers, I said you can honor them by cutting the shipping in half. It cost probably twice as much to ship the box what we spent on putting things in there. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem buying all the goodies and spending the money on shipping for my buddy or anyone else but I really feel that the post office could do this one little thing. it's not hard to look at an APO and figure out where it's going and say hey this is going to the **** and not Ft Harrison is too totally different things. Regardless it was sent. One more thing, we have younger children too, and I just asked that they put some sort of picture they colored or something that just said thanks.

 

[jetmechG550]

I had a buddy over there , (this is no joke )

his platoon actually asked people to send them Tampons in the care pakages ...Somehow someone in his platoon ended up with one when they first arrived (dont know the full story of how )..

One of the guys was laid open pretty good and they could get the blood to stop . one of them had the idea to put the tampon in the wound .

it swelled up as it absorbed the blood , witch in turn stopped the blood ...Probably saving the soldiers life .

After that everyone in his platoon tried to carry a tampon with them on patrol .

We used to keep several tampons or maxi pads in our first aid kits when I hunted some remote areas or when we traveled out west for this very reason

 

[SWAMPMASTER]

what does it cost to ship a full package over there on a average

 

[Benny]

what does it cost to ship a full package over there on a average

Get a flat-rate box and it isn't much at all.

 

[Sylvain]

What about a fleshlight?

Do you know if the packages are opened before they get them? I mean opened by the military staff, not just the customs.

 

[jetmechG550]

The package we just shipped was $35. It wouldn't have come close to fitting into flat rate box or even two. Sadly, it's the military that does all the handling and shipping, the USPS only gets it to a certain point.

 

[jetmechG550]

What about a fleshlight?

Do you know if the packages are opened before they get them? I mean opened by the military staff, not just the customs.

Too my knowledge it's random. I shipped items overseas to friends in the military and to our own crews for supplies plus items I have sold on eBay and rarely has anything ever been opened.