Care Package Items

This is  a re-publish as I move the highlights over from my website to the new series of blogs.

If you are a military wife and your husband is deployed, then you have probably already gotten a barrage of emails or calls stating, “can you send me xxxxx?”  however, if it is your first deployment you may be looking here because you want to get jump start on the deployment shopping before the requests start pouring in. My first and foremost hint to new deployment spouses (or parents of single soldiers) is that your soldier will most likely need you to send him/her all of the same toiletries that you bought for him/her at home.  It is easiest to try to carve out 15 minutes before your soldier leaves to double check on brand preferences as well as how long certain items last so that you already have an idea of the basic things to send and when. Also ask your soldier if there are any items that his/her unit is specifically suggesting.

You may not be a new deployment spouse, you may be a  spouse that is looking for a list to pass on to others…or a friend or extended family member looking to send a package. Here is a list of the basic necessities to send in a care package. However, the most important item is not on my list…cards, letters, and pictures letting the soldier know they are appreciated.

• Home-made cookies are a great treat that the soldiers like to share.
• Store bought snack foods are a great treat between chow hall meals.
• A lot of soldiers spend a good time out in the field away from their base; so, individually packaged treats or foods like granola or cereal bars, jerky, fruit leather, etc. that they can carry with them are great both to give variety and snacks.
• Individual packets of Gatorade powder to mix with their water for keeping them hydrated. Packages of “crystal light” or similar to help give them a variety to drink as they can’t drink Gatorade all of the time and the water that they have access to is not the greatest quality. (Personally, I send a combination of individual packets for out in the field as well as small canisters of powdered Gatorade or other drink mixes for when they are back at the base as the canisters are cheaper.)
• The shopping facilities are limited especially depending on which base your soldier is stationed at. Even the bases with “decent” shopping have very limited brands and sell out quickly. Some of the toiletry items that soldiers need:
  • toilet paper- When they are out in the field, they only have the tiny sqaures that come in their MRE’s.
  • body wash- most units have a “headquarters” set up for their “extra” stuff when they are in the field and come back to resupply…so, toiletries can work two ways- either regular size which they can refill their travel bottles with. Liquid body soap is easier than bar soap and can double as shampoo for many males. The second way to do it- which either works for individuals sending packages or if you know a group (school, church, girl scouts) that wants to sponsor packages: send the little free hotel soaps, shampoos, body wash, & lotions (if you are like me then you probably have a few laying around the house that you never used and brought home after a trip)…groups can do collections or even ask hotels if they want to donate to the cause. I recommend putting any liquids into plastic baggies.
  • toothbrushes- Many soldiers prefer at least one toothbrush a month due to lack of hygiene conditions over there *hint- sometimes a visit a trip to the dentist results in a free toothbrush- I know many people keep them in case guests forget their toothbrushes as it may not be the brand/style you usually like…this gives another great purpose for them.
  • o Baby wipes- sometimes this is the only “shower” they get.
  • o Feminine hygiene items for female soldiers.
  • o Shaving Cream and razor blades (usually sent by a spouse or parent). **Note for shaving cream- USPS guidelines state no aerosol cans; however, Nuetrogena offers shaving cream in a tube.
• Phone cards- Special prepaid phone cards can be purchased (by anyone) through the online military exchange store at: https://shop.aafes.com/scs/default.aspx (hint- click the link to purchase and it will then show you the options, then you have to search through the type of cards on the page to find the the individual cards as they show options from 1 card to over 100 cards.
• Cards for  their children- a nice touch to add to care packages are cards that the service members can send home to their children to know they are thinking of them.
• Treats for Afghan children- the soldiers like to give treats to the children when they are out on missions to show that they are nice…individually wrapped hard candies work great as they are easy to carry & hand out…they also make a good treat for the soldier too if he/she gets a sweet tooth.
• Cleaning items like Lysol or Green Works multi-purpose wipes and Windex wipes for streak-free things like computer monitors.

Special notes:

**Your soldier may have specific requests depending on their personal needs or job.

**Don’t send chocolate- chocolate chips in cookies is okay, but don’t send any chocolate candies or chocolate covered granola bars at this time as it is so hot it will just be a melted mess. (Chocolate is generally okay to send between November to February…you can track the location at www.weather.com for the location your soldier is located at to track temperatures. Keep in mind locations that the package may go through such as Saudi Arabia that may still be hot when you are checking temperatures for sending chocolate.)

**Seasonal items are a great treat…packets of spiced cider, candy corn, candy canes (some seasonal treats will be covered in other posts).

**This article covers the necessities…don’t forget the fun- maybe a book of brain teasers to get your soldier’s mind off of life there or maybe a comic book or maybe your soldier used to collect baseball cards…little things that help your soldier get his/her mind off of normal life there or remember happy times. Keep in mind that anything you send over there has a great potential to get wrecked and not be brought back home…so, try not to send anything sentimental or too expensive.

**Other posts have shipping information and recommendations.

Please feel free to add comments with items that your soldier enjoyed in care packages or has mentioned were needed.