Best Of-Military Care Packages

Yesterday’s question from Sharon made me realize this would be a good time to repost my article on Military Care Packages. Enjoy.

Well, Mom2Fur’s comment yesterday made me think about the care packages that I send out to my sister Bick, a US Army Reserve Sergeant deployed to Iraq (and now at her 6 mo. mark). This post really wont have anything to do with saving money. Sending Bick care packages is one of those expenses that are “worth it” to me.

Having been deployed myself, I like to think I have a little extra insight into what a soldier (especially a female solider) might appreciate while deployed. And Bick frequently comments that I always seem to know what to send-I don’t know if that is because I know soldiers, or because I know my baby sister 🙂

First things first, if you go to the US Postal Service Webpage (click on Send Military Care Packages Early This Holiday Season) their recommendation for sending parcels to Iraq and Afghanistan for Christmas by regular cheap old parcel post was by November 13th, so that is totally out of the water anyway. The recommendation for Priority Mail is based on the zipcode (the chart is towards the bottom), for Bick, they list Dec 11th.

If you haven’t mailed overseas before, make sure you keep a general list of what is inside the box, you will need it for the PS Form 2976-A (Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note). You can be somewhat vague-I usually list “snack foods” or “canned goods” rather than listing out the exact items. If you want it to be a surprise, there is a way to do a gift customs declaration, but that involves bringing the box unsealed (and the contents inside unwrapped) to the post office and letting the postal workers see what is inside before it is sealed. That is way to much of a pain for me, I’d rather just be vague!

Another tip for mailing overseas-you really should make sure that all seams of the boxes are taped shut-that ensures that no one can slip anything else inside.

Now, down to the actual contents:

First off, what not to send. Military packages go through a lot of hands before they get to their destination (and for your info, they stay in US hands the whole way-we even deploy military post office soldiers to handle the mail on the ground there). Even though these professionals are careful with packages, there is still a lot of moving and shaking etc. Delicate cookies usually wind up as cookie crumbs at their destination. Homemade cakes etc can wind up either stale or moldy, depending on how long it takes to get there.

Now, I am not saying not to bake and send items to soldiers, I’m just asking you to consider if it is an item that you would feel comfortable leaving out on your counter (inside of whatever you packed it in) in 100 degree weather for a couple of days. (yes, most of the time the packages are in AC, but then again, they could be in the back of a truck or on a train, or stuck outside on a pallet covered with a tarp for a few hours or even days)

Ditto for anything that is delicate and breakable. This is not the time to send glass stemware, unless it is in the original packaging.

That brings up another point. I like to have companies send the items straight to the APO when possible. That way if there is any damage to the item, the company is responsible. For example, if you order a DVD player online from Walmart.com, and have them ship it to the soldier, and it arrives broken somehow-lets say water leaked into the package and somehow fried it. Well, then Walmart will probably replace it free of charge. If you buy it at your local Wally World and send it yourself, and the same damage occurs, you are responsible.

And for goodness sake, don’t send them alcohol. They are not allowed to have it, and if it breaks and soaks through the packaging (like happened to a soldier of ours in Bosnia-her husband had drained and cleaned a shampoo bottle then filled it full of rum. The entire package reeked of rum when it got to the headquarters. My commander made the soldier sit down in front of her and write a letter to her husband telling him that wasn’t allowed and not to do it again.. . . . )

So what are some items that are good to send? Well, anything that reminds a person of home and can’t be found in Iraq. For the most part soldiers have some sort of access to a PX which will sell your garden variety junk food. So they probably can get a basic assortment of chips, cookies, candy and ramen noodles (I swear, the Army would come to a screeching halt if they lost their supply of coffee, cigarettes, and ramen noodles. Wet wipes are probably a close 4th). If they are on a larger base they probably even have a Burger King and Anthony’s Pizza.

My family tends to like ethnic food, and I’m pretty sure that isn’t available over there. So I do a lot of shopping for Bick in the international food aisle of the grocery store. She has access to a microwave (and the very first care package I sent her had measuring cups, a plastic bowl and a serving spoon for microwave cooking) If they don’t have a microwave, they may have a hotpot (or you could send one). I buy a lot of “Lipton Sides” in various Asian and Cajun flavors (chow hall food and MRE’s are pretty bland), and also the various premade reheatable meals, sides and soups that you can find in the Asian, Indian and Mexican sections. (She actually gave up one of the Cajun rice side dishes because her senior NCO was standing over her desk drooling and looking longingly at it-as I said, chow hall food can be bland. That’s why most soldiers are addicted to Tabasco sauce.)

In her last box I even picked up curry mix cubes, then sent canned chicken, canned veggies, and boil in a bag rice so she could have an Indian feast. Her Christmas box is going to contain 2 graham cracker crusts, 2 cheesecake mixes, a box of self stable Parmalait milk, and a can of cherry pie filling. (I used to do this all the time when we went to the field or deployed-obviously we had access to a small fridge. There is nothing that says decadence like cheesecake in the field!)

I also try to think of the types of food that the soldier might like if they miss a meal for some reason. Chow halls have specific hours, and if you are somehow off cycle (working night shift, pulling gate guard, out on a convoy etc) you might miss a meal. The Army does provide MRE’s that you could eat, but there are only 13 meals available, and each meal (if you eat all the parts) is 1300 calories. So you can see where a soldier might like another option. Breakfast/meal replacement bars and those little tuna and cracker lunch packs (they come in some cool flavors now) are a few things that are easy to ship and usually appreciated.

Soldier in Iraq have to drink a lot of water. Trust me, you get so sick of drinking water. Those little individual water flavoring packs are great for soldiers. They come in all sorts of flavors now, kool aid, tea, even Gatorade (there are off brands that are cheaper. I know, the individual pkts are not as cheap as a big bucket of mix, but for a soldier they are infinitely easier. Sometimes I’m willing to pay a lot more for the convenience, and my sister being deployed is one of those reasons).

My sister happens to like flavored coffees, so I send lots of flavored powdered creamers, or flavored syrups to spice up her coffee drinking routine (as I said, lots of coffee when you are deployed!). I remember that in Bosnia my commander used to get “Irish Creme” powdered creamer from her family, and also sometimes flavored coffee grounds. The Battalion Commander would tease her and call it her “alternative lifestyle” coffee–but then he’d always drink a cup. . .

Now on to other items. Most soldiers on any kind of base of size probably have access to quite a few DVD movies. What they don’t have access to is regular TV episodes, or the sports games (if that is there thing). Trust me, if you have a DVD recorder, and send a copy of that big game, or a weeks worth of CSI episodes I can guarantee that puppy will be passed all around post for everyone and their uncle to watch, and then be re watched again by the original owner. (and don’t cut out the commercials, when you are far away from home and can’t watch them at all people love to see the commercials. Don’t ask me why, it is just true. When I lived in Germany we’d beg folks not to cut the commercials out of VHS tapes they’d send-oh, wait, am I dating myself?).

The PX usually carries a basic assortment of magazines, maybe a little heavy on the truck, gun and naked girly stuff. What you can’t find are specialty magazines. If you know your soldier has a particular hobby, buy a couple of magazines and send them out.

Anything to pamper, especially for the women. Guys don’t really get this-but I sent my sister a pedicure kit and about 3 jars of the loudest nail polish I could find: hot pink, fire engine red and blue! Women don’t get to feel feminine at all for the entire time they are deployed, and the entire time you are surrounded by various shade of sand or olive drab (depending on where you are). You start to crave color and femininity. My sister loved this one, it was a few minutes of girly fun and relaxation to do it, and she said it was such a kick to know that under her combat boots she had pretty toes. (see, guys just don’t get that). For the same reason scented body scrubs, lotion etc are nice for a woman.

I wouldn’t send perfume though, it would be too much. Guy’s noses become super sensitive when they aren’t around that stuff all day, and perfume would likely overload them. (case in point-I used to always use strawberry shampoo. When we were in the field we probably only showered every 3rd day or so, and I didn’t wear any perfume. Actually the only thing with scent was my deodorant. Anyway, I had an infantry soldier who was in my shop to get some parts for a vehicle stop about 3 feet away from me, about 2 days after I had taken a shower, and ask me if I used strawberry shampoo. I guess it really stood out after him being with smelly guys for a couple of weeks.)

Good intensive lotion or moisturizer is necessary for both women and men who are deployed to a desert area. Ditto on chapstick.

Another idea that sounds weird, but is really nice: if they are in a situation where they have a real bed, send them some nice, colorful sheets. Again, even guys subconsciously get tired of seeing the same bland colors all day. When DH was deployed to Bosnia, he bought a set of red and black mickey mouse sheets for his air matress! I think it was the only cheerful spot of color he saw some days.

And lastly, just write your soldier. As often as possible. Go on and on about the drivel and minutia of your life. It may seem boring to you, but when you are so far away from home you just crave that stuff. Hearing that junior tore the couch apart and built a fort, and that you burned the dinner and set the fire alarm off, or that the dog had to go to the vet and that you took the kids out for dinner at McDonalds last night will make them smile. Really. Trust me on this one.