How to Shop for a Deployed Soldier
If you know a deployed soldier, or are just a patriotic citizen with a desire to help out from home, sending "care" packages is one of the things that you can do. Our men and women in the military are out fighting for our safety and liberty, often in conditions that are certainly not the most pleasant, and they are facing danger that we could never comprehend here in our comfortable homes. The following are some of the items that you can shop for to include in a package for a deployed soldier.
- Thank You Cards
Our soldiers deserve a note of gratitude in every package that they receive. Whether this is someone you know or a complete stranger, it is you that they are there for. Be sure and add a word of your appreciation into your package.
- Homemade Goodies
If you are going to make homemade items, be sure and check with the shipping time and think about how the items will taste after that amount of time. You can send some things frozen, such as homemade muffins, by packing them in a container with dry ice, and they will defrost and be just fine. When you send the treats, send along Ziploc baggies for them to be stored in so that they don't end up covered in that desert sand. You can pack them in plastic containers with lids and the soldiers can re-use these for other things when they've emptied them out.
- Handheld Games
A soldier's life is one of action, and then boredom. During their down time, many soldiers enjoy using handheld games that they can just relax with and have a bit of light-hearted fun.
- Phone Cards
Beiing away from home is difficult and communication with the people that the soldiers care about is very important to their state of mind and emotional strength. Phone calls get very expensive when calling from one country to another, so send some prepaid phone cards that the soldiers can use to talk to their loved ones without worries about huge phone bills.
- Batteries
Soldiers enjoy the things like handheld games and other electronic devices, but they require batteries, which seem to go very quickly. Send high quality batteries with long lives, or even rechargable batteries with a charger.
- Snack Foods
Snack foods that are non-perishable are great to send to our soldiers. There are many things that they do not have access to where they are and that they really miss from home. Twinkies, Oreos, popcorn, and other things such as these have amazingly long shelf lives and will be just fine when they arrive at their destination. Again, provide the Ziploc bags for them to place the left-overs in once the packaging is opened to prevent sand getting in them.
- Socks
Soldiers spend a lot of their time in their boots and don't always have access to proper cleaning of their garments. Having a large supply of fresh, clean socks that are sand-free thus far are excellent gifts that the soldiers will love.
- Pencils, Pens, Paper
The simple things like pencils, pens, and paper can be used for so many things. The soldiers may want to journal their time away from home, write letters, play word games, or just doodle for a while at the end of a long day.
- Photos of Home
If you know the soldier, of course they are going to want to have pictures of you and the family. If you don't know the soldier personally, there are still beautiful photos that you can send. Remember, these men and women are looking at a desert day after day right now and photos of the fall foliage or the winter snow will remind them of their homeland that they will be returning to.
- Puzzle Books, Playing Cards, etc.
In the soldiers' free time, they will have fun being able to play a game of cards or sit and do a crossword puzzle. Anything that provides a bit of entertainment is great.
- Books
Paperback books of various genres are nice to send. Maybe pick a couple off the best seller list and then a couple that you personally enjoyed reading. Both fiction and non-fiction can be sent, so that the soldiers can pick what they want to read.
- Reading Lights
Reading lights are nice because the soldiers are often in very close quarters and if someone can't sleep and wants to read or write, they can do so with a small reading light that won't bother their comrades.
- Toiletries
When sending toiletries, remember that we have both men and women serving. Things like toothbrushes and toothpaste, baby wipes, deodarants, Q-tips, shavers, and other things are appreciated.
Sending a "care" package to a deployed soldier is a great way to support our men and women who are fighting for us as we stay in the comfort of home. You can send them a piece of home from right where you are and give them items that they will use and enjoy while they are working for you and I. The above suggestions are just a few of the things that you can put into a package, so if you think of others, be sure and add them in. The soldiers will appreciate it.
