[Britton J Wingfield]

Any additions to the list?

[Britton J Wingfield]

PING

[Non-Sequitur]

Just that if the game you send takes batteries then send lots of batteries with it.

[2banana]

Ummm - Any kind of magazine with naked female units in it?

[Cyber Liberty]

"Any additions to the list?"

Sure. For soldiers deployed in a desert, throw in a whole slew of doggie flea collars. They work well during Desert Storm at keeping sand fleas off when worn around the ankles.

[Mrs.Liberty]

Ping!

[strela]

Phone cards are a nice gift as well. They save having to reverse the charges on those calls from BFE.

[JRandomFreeper]

AA and AAA batteries.

/john

[strela]

Oh, and if you've got more than a couple of nickels to rub together, sending one of those personal DVD players and a few recent movies will make you a new best friend.

[another cricket]

Kool-aid, unsweetened usually. It will make the water bearable.

a.cricket

[Salgak]

Assuming they allow anonymous CARE packages this year: they didn't allow them last Christmas. . . which was a bummer: I've been sending them since DESERT STORM. . .

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

For packages to the troops... DO NOT SEND HOMEMADE FOOD!!! It will all be destroyed.

The troops have asked us for

Hard candy, hot sauce ,playing cards, video tapes, CDs, lotion, soap, shampoo, chapstick, pens, paper, batteries, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deoderant, Kool-Aid, socks, underwear, hats and gloves in the winter, books, magazines, and games that they can play onboard.

We just recently sent over 100s of foam ' Splat Balls'. You soak them in water and throw them at each other. They are like everlasting waterballoons. The troops on the USS Kennedy loved them.

[SolitaryMan]

During my second deployment to the Mediterranean Sea in a submarine, my (then still new) wife, sent me a care package containing some winter clothes, a new razor, a 12 pack of Pepsi and a very large tin of flavored popcorn. We received the mail during a small boat transfer from a Frigate in the middle of the Adriatic Sea. The box was too big to get through the hatch, we had to open it and send the contents down into the submarine individually. Great fun.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Active duty FReeper Britton J Wingfield posted this thread
to answer questions on what items to send to our military.

Some snail mail addresses for active duty military are located here:

[JustAmy]

This is a great thread and I will bookmark it for future reference.

[JustAmy]

After debating with myself, I decided on sending white athletic type socks. Which should we send? Athletic type socks or dress socks? So far, I have sent 21 pair in 3 packages and have another 3 pair to go. I will be making another Costco run in a week or two.

[AF_Blue]

Get the local business community involved. You'd be surprised at what (and how much) these will contribute.

Personal hygiene items: put together kits of travel- or sample-sized items for each sex. They will be used and appreciated because someone will forget to pack something, or they will run out before they have the chance to buy more. Nothing fancy: tube of toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, comb, brush, disposable razors, shaving cream, deodorant/anti-perspirant, foot powder, baby powder, aspirin/Tylenol, Band-Aids. Feminine hygiene products. Keep it simple (KIS).

Hit local Goodwill stores (or equivalent) for used paperbacks, puzzles, games, etc. I learned to play Magic: The Gathering on a deployment. These will probably be used in a common area or community tent. Someone, somewhere, will read that 25-cent book. Trust me. Remember that your GIs are intelligent, and they need to relax the brain as well as the body. Again, KIS.

NON-PERISHABLE commercial food items: As was previously posted, unfortunately home-made goodies sent to a generic Any Soldier/Sailor/Airman/Marine address are destroyed. Save those for the welcome home parties. Send containers of crackers, cookies, snack mixes, dry cereal (think Captain Crunch, not Total) that can be enjoyed straight from the box. Again, KIS

Send items that can be traded for other stuff. If you are in a military unit, or a family memeber, unit coins are worth their weight in gold at deployed locations. Buy a few, send them with/to your deployed military member. Again, KIS

Contact your local USO, or the Public Affairs office of the nearest military installation, especially if you know the units on base go to interesting places and meet interesting people. Ask their advice.

[hedgetrimmer]

Good Post! The USS McCampbell will be commissioned in August. The guys there could probably use some stuff to help send them on their way.

USS McCampbell (DDG 85)
FPO AP 96672-1275

[piasa]

give this a bump once in a wjile, will you?

[Jennifer in Florida]

BTTT! :)

[Ladysmith]

Toothbrushes because it's hard to clean out the sand that gets in them. And babywipes for cleaning - not many showers out there.