Gifts For Deployed Soldiers - Check out this post for your one-stop shop for military care package ideas. Whether you're looking for ideas on what to include, ideas for fun themes for your care package, or ideas for how to send a care package on the cheap, we've got you covered. It's a simple question: after all, most of us have never been deployed, so it's hard to come up with military care package ideas and even harder to know what to put in a care package. We've seen a bunch of caregiving ideas out there, but unfortunately, we've found that most of them don't match what military personnel really want. We are coming to the end of it. I give you: the only care package guide you'll ever need, written by the founder of a company specializing in military care packages.

My experience shows how important it is to think about the buyer. The hardest part of sending a care package is knowing what to send. But if I've learned one thing from service, it's to listen to the service member! When I was in the Navy, I used to fish on our flight deck on Sunday afternoons. (Yes, that's a real photo of me at sea.) Turns out, we lose a basketball as the boat backs up. I made a promise to my family: send an old basketball in the next care package. Since then, every military care package I've received has included a few battered basketballs. My dad also sent a box with just a basketball and a simple note: "Hope this helps." Well, it did and I remember that care package all these years later. This is a treasure for the young sailor who wants some routine on a long deployment.

Gifts For Deployed Soldiers

Gifts For Deployed Soldiers

But for every baseball I bought, I also liked the stuff that came with it. Honestly, if all they sent me was a basketball, I'd be blank! That's why diversity is important.

The 2021 Ultimate Military Gift Guide

We think it's important to give yourself the tools to create a great care package. However, you can use our service to send a care package or choose from the list of packages below. But if you're visiting the store yourself, you'll notice some similarities between the products we use in our care packages and our offerings below:

We only ship small items at first. Military members don't have much room, so sending XXL candy doesn't make sense. It is better to send smaller, more premium items. I remember my father planting when I was a child, and I would receive a large sunflower seed as a gift; Bigger than a suitcase. I remember my father making a tearful offering as he left - the only thing a little boy can give to his father. Dad smiled and said, "Sorry son, but I don't think there's room for these in the barracks. You enjoy them and we'll get some when we get back." This lesson has been proven time and time again during my time in the service: smaller is always better.

Second, each meal is packaged in single-use containers. Fresh items are harder to store, unopened foods are easier to store and they are more compact. Gatorade powder, for example (see Section 7), is best served in single-use packets. Of course, it costs more per serving, but we all agreed: we'd rather eat 10 servings per bottle than 50 servings. The bottle is hard to hold, goes fast and doesn't fit in your pocket. Always send what you can spend in one sitting.

Finally, the most important thing we can't help you with here: the more connected the home, the better. If you own a local coffee shop, shipping that coffee is a game changer. If you have a baseball team, post the game plan. Bringing your hero to a slightly ordinary home will move mountains. That's why we allow you to include photos and an actual card in addition to a gift receipt with every care package. We know how important personal communication is to service members, and we want to make that connection as strong as possible.

Christmas Gift Ideas For Your Military Family Member

We put our heads together, came up with a list of 100 items and wrote down the top 20 items to include in your military care kit. We have listed them all with easy links to buy them on Amazon. We guarantee that if you add these to your care package, it will turn out to be a great military care package. If you choose to purchase one of these products for your hero, you'll pay the same price as if you used our link, but we'll make a small commission for bringing you great content! However, there is no fee to list any of these. We made this list ourselves!

Our serving members work hard, and a quick, high-quality protein source to keep them going is always great. Add some "quick protein" to your next care package. "I ate a lot of beef when I was deployed, but it helped when I was hungry between meals," one sailor told us. Beef and turkey are great, but mixed grains can also get the job done. Every military care package should have one.

The setup often finds many characters sharing a small space, so the effort to update a room is often appreciated! While not the most exciting gift, it is definitely one of the most popular. We love these charcoal bags because they're discreet, durable, and absorb odors even in unpleasant places.

Gifts For Deployed Soldiers

Of course, these only work for half the year, but they are so great during those times that we include them in this list. Nights in the desert, nights at sea, and duty stations in cold weather expose many soldiers to cold weather. Hand warmers are air activated and help keep feet and hands warm and last throughout the shift.

Father's Day Gifts For Military Dads

Body wipers are a popular request for military care packages, especially for our heroes who serve in desert environments. Usually people send baby wipes, but these friendly wipes are even better. This is true in all services, especially the soldiers and marines. Perfect for wiping sweat and face. We love these dude brand body wipes because they're thick and colorless, and they're a far cry from regular baby wipes. They are especially useful for Marines and soldiers operating in hot desert climates that require military care packages.

There is a tradition of cards in the military. Military members have been working for decades, and for good reason. There are literally endless games to play, a great way to pass the time, and a great group activity. "Every Tuesday night we have cards," one soldier said of his comrades. Service members can never have too many cards because individual cards often have a habit of running away, requiring replacement. Throw a package into multiple care packages.

For a while, look at puzzle books like crosswords or Sudoku. It is great for taking one's mind off a stressful day. Enigma books are also cheap, so throw some away! We love this jumbo book because it has a wide variety of puzzles and never gets old.

Another option for work time: travel-sized games. Although Game of Thrones comes in an orderly format, it's easy to keep track of all the pieces. There's often a place for community board games where service members share or post what they've brought with them, so the gift keeps on giving to the entire unit. Our favorite game of thrones is Cranium. If it expands to any player, it can quickly get out of hand. Two of our team members named Cranium as their top game in deployment, so it earns our #1 spot. But Monopoly Deal, the 15-minute version of Monopoly, delivers the most fun game we've ever played. Fits your phone!

Unique Military Gifts For The Service Member In Your Life

Many of our service members serve in hot, sunny conditions, so make sure their skin is protected. Although the military provides sunscreen, some service members dislike its thick, tinted texture and pass it on. Send them a bottle of sunscreen they hate wearing—we love the Neutrogena brand (for men and women!) because it's clear, non-greasy, and absorbs quickly. It feels like you're splashing water on your skin, but it works the same way

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