Having served in the Military, almost all of it overseas, I know firsthand the absolute JOY a soldier gets when they receive a care package from home. It not only provides them with items to make their life a bit more tolerable while in the “suck”, but it also let’s them know somebody back home is thinking of them and appreciating what they are doing. That is huge folks!
Another thing too is you do not have to have an enlisted family member in the military to send care packages; their are several organizations that collect and ship care packages to our troops and sailors who may not have anybody back home to send them things.
Listed below are a few charities of this type:
Please visit the sites above and do what you can; believe me when I say this that a small gesture like this goes a LONG way in helping out troops keep their morale up, which in turn, keeps their fighting spirit up, which in turn, can ultimately save all our asses one day!! Gotta think big picture here!
For those of you that have a family member deployed, or maybe you just want to get together a small or large “Thank You” package to our troops and sailors, I ran across this post that list some of the top items soldiers and sailors deployed overseas are asking for. Of course, families of deployed military members know better than any website what their soldier needs and likes, but this is just a general guideline.
- Their Children’s Artwork
- Current Pictures of Loved Ones
- Flavor Enhancers (Seasoning Packets, Hot Sauce, etc. For those bland MRE’s!)
- Batteries
- Moleskin (for their sore feet, Soldiers live on their feet and taking care of them has to be a #1 Priority!)
- Foot Powder
- Medicated Foot Cream
- Powdered Drink Mixes (Gatorade is very popular)
- Disposable Hand Warmers
- Crossword Puzzles and Mind Sharpening Games
- Reading Material (Comic Books, Magazine Subscriptions, Newspapers)
- E-Readers (Some folks prefer this to conventional books; you can send one E-Reader with thousands of books uploaded. Of course the only drawback is having power to keep it charged, which can be sketchy when you are in a forward area)
- Baby Wipes
- Letter Writing Materials (when email or Skype is not an option)
- Eye Drops (This is a big one; send a few boxes at a time)
- Static-Free Lens Cleaning Cloths (To care for electronics, scopes, etc.)
- Disposable Razors
- Lip Balm
- Sunscreen
- Oral Care Products (Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Mouthwash, Floss, etc.)
- Advil or Aspirin
- Cotton Underwear and Socks
- Candy & Chewing Gum
- Hardy Snacks (Granola, Nuts, Crackers, etc.)
- Long Underwear
The big thing when you are packing up a care package like this is consider WHERE they are going to be stationed. Is it Hot, Cold, Dry, Wet? Having been stationed in the “sand box” (Middle and Far East) for most of my time, I can tell you things like lip balm, cooling packs, good sunscreen and extra cotton socks are HUGE!
So get to packing and in the meantime,
Stay Alert, Stay Armed and Stay Dangerous!
Reblogged this on Brittius.