My niece's son just arrived in Iraq for 15 months. Any hints to help the mother out on what is the best things to send in the care packages. Is phone cards the best thing to send for calling? Or what is the cheapest way to go? Right now they can't communication by email but hope that changes soon. Any suggestion you can think of is appreciated. Thanks.

Ok, let me try this again.....just typed out a nice long detailed reponse and it dissappeared!


Phone cards are better bought in country...they will be cheaper and are pretty easy to get! Cash is something that is hard to come by....I send DH a little in each letter! Anything that reminds her of home is always good, and funny off the wall things that will make her laugh, laughter is hard to come by! Favorite Snacks, movies or TV shows on DVD if she has way to watch them. Bed Linens if she is just getting there! Nice comfy pillows Batteries, if she took anything that requires batteries, send a monthly supply.....if you want to PM, I can give you more ideas......

__________________
"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes

O-H-I-O

I was just coming on here to post that MaBear74 is the person to talk to you about this!! She gave me so many good tips and ideas for Christmas to send the troops. She'll walk you thru the entire ordeal (and even hold your hand) LOL!!!

The greatest thing is you can use the one price Priority Mail box and just stuff it full !!!

You can go to the AAFES website and buy AT&T International Phone cards even if you are not military (meaning normally authorized to shop there). I am not sure if they have to be sent directly to the soldier, you would need to check it out.

aafes.com

Depending on where she is and what she is doing, small toys can be good, like Happy Meal types. That is what I have been collecting and sending. The soldiers can put them in their pockets and give them to the children. I am careful, though, to not send anything that could be offensive to the culture, like mini bratz dolls or other scanky dressed dolls. Also not weird monster or something like that. I have even stayed away from flashy matchbox cars.

__________________
Raising my baby RIGHT!!!!!!

All the cool babies are wearing cloth!

This is my son's second deployment and I feel like an old hat! LOL He bought a few phone cards at AAFES. That seemed to be the most cost effective.

In the care packages, I sent comic pages from the paper, editorial pages, small paperbooks. They have water so I sent flavoring for the water, you know, the stuff you add to make flavored water. Beef jerky, small toys to entertain them, videos, magazines, toys from childhood, I always send something that will make him smile and something that will make him go "What the heck was my mother thinking?"

__________________
GO NAVY WRESTLING!!BEAT ARMY!!!
RJB 3/18/60 - 5/22/04
We miss you, sweet brother
God Bless the USA!!!!! Praying for my Youngster son at United States Naval Academy, class of 2014!!

http://mylifeundertheabaya.blogspot.com/

Magazines
Hand warmers
shampoo, powder, lotion, q-tips

Thanks everyone. Keep posting the good ideas.

It kind of depends on what their situation is. Some have access to microwaves, some don't, some have access too 24/7 dining facilities so if they go out on a mission they can come back and eat any time, some don't some galleys close at certain times and if you go on a mission and miss the meal time then you need some microwave stuff to eat. Other things that I have been asked for have been items they can take out on missions that they can eat fast like: beef jerky, peanuts, raisins, etc. all in individual packs they can put in their pockets and such. They could possibly be in a remote area and have access to very little. When my son in law was over there, they had no PX, only MRE's to eat, no showers, no laundry (they had to handwash everything) and had to sleep in their vehicles, so with his situation we had to send everything: food, snacks, baby wipes to wash up with, soap, laundry detergent, cigarettes, drink mix & ice tea mix (they have water) cards, dominoes, fresh underwear & socks. After 3 months they were able to get to a PX and showers and phones. One of his friends was an officer and technically they were not supposed to be friends (they were friends outside the army) but the officers did have access to email at certain times and he would email his wife and let him know anything my son in law needed and she would call my daughter and we would send out weekly packages. So depending on what their individual situation is depends on what you send.

I forgot to add: I have had my son in law, over there, 5 different adopt a soldiers at differnet times and one young adult that used to be in my youth group at church when he was a teenager. All their situations were different.

Where in Iraq is the soldier located and what is his MOS? I agree with Penny. Iraq is not a one-size-fits-all situation - conditions and needs vary widely within the country. My suggestion would be to send favorite, but relatively small, items from home - snacks, local newspapers, magazines he likes, suduko or other puzzle books if he's into that kidn of thing, new release CDs or DVDs of favorite bands/genres, drink mix sleeves (they drink a lot of water), etc - and letters (these are the most important) until you learn what his particular situation is. I would also like to add that 15 months is a long time and folks tend to start up with a bang and then support falls off after 6 months or so. The soldiers often feel like they've been forgotten a little later on. That's a good time to pick up the slack!

cj/ - who has longed many 1000s of care packages to 1000s of different soldiers and Marines in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Dijbouti, etc...

P.S. also suggest adding a little something fun to each package. smiles are precious.
P.S.S. fyi - your days for sending chocolate to Iraq are numbered. In a month or so, it will be too late to send anything that will melt.

__________________
I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

CJ is so right.....letters are one of the most important things people can send.....they have an underestimated worth! You can write about absolutely anything, and they will enjoy reading it! Avoid anything with controversy, keep the letters upbeat and fun.....I will get back to you with research on the FOB that he is located on, but I urge you not to post detailed info on the board, if you want to give it to others please PM or email it......while it would be unlikely someone would do something ridiculous with his info, it's just never worth the chance!

__________________
"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes

O-H-I-O

Both mabear and cj have given you great ideas. I would also send pictures....wh DH was deployed I would send a few pictures of DS and myself in every package/letter. Sometimes they were just goofy faces or DS holding up signs/messages....but when DH returned each time he had over a shoe box full of pictures and they were very worn. He said he went thru them 3 to 4 times a week, sometimes more. I also sent DH t-shirts, but that was for me.....after he showered he would sleep in it one night and then mail it home to me....stupid, I know, but I just love the smell of my DH.

I also suggest sending something nostalgic from their childhood......DVD of their favorite TV show, Lego's, comic books....what ever they were really into as a kid. Make the packages as personal, nothing like getting a package with all your favorites, where you feel the person that sent it took time and thought to send it.

Knowing where they are going to be stationed would help to let you know what to pack.

__________________
Chicago Bears!!!!
We are the Bears Shufflin' Crew
Shufflin' on down, doin' it for you.
We're so bad we know we're good.
Blowin' your mind like we knew we would.
You know we're just struttin' for fun
Struttin' our stuff for everyone.
We're not here to start no trouble.
We're just here to do the Super Bowl Shuffle.

oh my gosh Polve....who have made me feel so much better! Before DH left I made him wear like 20 different shirts, and put them in a big ziploc bag, and that's what I sleep in! As I run out of shirts I mail them to him, and he sends 'em back! My mom thinks I'm absolutely crazy for doing this!

__________________
"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes

O-H-I-O

You are far from CRAZY!!!! There is something comforting about the smell. Tell your mom this is a way you can feel close to him even with him thousands of miles away. DH would always put a little post note on the shirt, A HUG from Iraq!

__________________
Chicago Bears!!!!
We are the Bears Shufflin' Crew
Shufflin' on down, doin' it for you.
We're so bad we know we're good.
Blowin' your mind like we knew we would.
You know we're just struttin' for fun
Struttin' our stuff for everyone.
We're not here to start no trouble.
We're just here to do the Super Bowl Shuffle.

I have read somewhere that you should not send snacks and bath products in the same box. They said even when the bath products (soap, deoderant, etc) were wrapped in a couple plastic bags the snacks would smell like soap. Does anyone know if this is correct?

During the hot months, mailing these items together is not suggested.....if you wrap them well during the cooler months it isn't a problem.....

nancyso, I just checked and he will be on the same FOB as my DH, and I will email some info on what is available there....

__________________
"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes

O-H-I-O

Mabear and everyone, thanks.

In the interest of OPSEC, while you might not want to post the location of the soldier, you can definitely do an internet search on the camp, LSA, FOB, etc. You'll find that many locations will have fairly detailed descriptions on globalsecruity.org There you can learn whetehr you're dealing with a major base/airfield with good Px, food service, and other facilities....or an outpost with limited amenties...

FWIW,

cj/

__________________
I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

I'm not sure how to link to other sites (or if I can) but here is a website I used while DH was deployed.
Care Package Ideas

One of his favorite boxes were the "sloppy kisses." I mailed him a box of chocolate kisses during one of the hottest months with a little note about waiting at home to give him more sloppy kisses. Perhaps your niece could come up with a note about embarrassing mom kisses or something.

I would send him a box at least once a month with things that I knew he would need/like and could not get. Power bars, tuna in the fresh sealed packs, his favorite soap, shampoo, etc. These were the necessary things. In each box there would be something fun, weird or off the wall. Something to make him smile and go "what was she thinking?"

And then there were boxes that were just silly. Things to make him smile and that could easily be tossed or given away. The boxes included, the sloppy kisses, Thanksgiving in a box, Christmas in a box, movie in a box and so on.

One final note. I want to agree with everyone else on the letters. The mail that my DH really, really appreciated were the simply letters, postcard and notes. He had fun with the boxes but said there was nothing like getting a hand written note from friends and family. He saved every letter, note and postcard.