What is it that deployed soldiers want the most? (Update:Need shipping advice) - Page 1

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What is it that deployed soldiers want the most? (Update:Need shipping advice)

Posted: 5/22/2019 7:59:20 PM EDT

Other than to come home.

We are putting together boxes to send to soldiers stationed overseas. I've seen the commercials about sending foot powder and beef jerky. Not too sure about that. I have not served so I don't know what is REALLY wanted or needed. Pmags? Flashlights? Phone card? I don't know exactly what part of the world they will be going to other than "overseas". So what are the top things on a deployed soldier's wish list.

Posted: 5/22/2019 8:08:03 PM EDT

[#1]

Baby wipes is high on the list

Posted: 5/22/2019 8:11:44 PM EDT

[#2]

Good socks.

Posted: 5/22/2019 8:24:25 PM EDT

[#3]

A lot of the troops over there were already rocking Pmags, plus if you want to get technical those are an ITAR item so you run the risk of getting in a lot of trouble mailing those. Socks are always popular, however most of the ones we found in care packages were cheap Walmart style. I'd recommend snack type stuff, jerky, granola bars, and electrolyte mixes for water. You can never have enough hand sanitizer over there dealing with the locals. Batteries are always in demand along with duck tape and 550 cord. Not all units are well enough equipped to get decent supplies of that kinda thing.

Posted: 5/22/2019 8:39:47 PM EDT

[#4]

Flavorful snacks that won’t melt, dip, magazines (publications), cash, baby wipes, dryer sheets, socks, t-shirts...those are the big ones i wanted.

Posted: 5/22/2019 8:53:44 PM EDT

[#5]

fleshlight and lube

Posted: 5/22/2019 8:59:00 PM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:
fleshlight and lube

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Actually knew a guy that had one of those over there, he seemed happy enough with it. However when we were rotating out, he left in on a communal book case and that shit was gone within 10 minutes

Posted: 5/22/2019 11:30:06 PM EDT

[#7]

Honest answer. To either come home or be beyond knee deep in shit so you don’t think about anything else.

Posted: 5/23/2019 1:44:27 AM EDT

[#8]

Typically the food answer had the biggest impact IMHO.

Posted: 5/23/2019 6:02:36 PM EDT

[#9]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Went shopping today with this list. We're getting everybody's contributions together tomorrow and packaging it all to get shipped. Hope these packages help to brighten the day for some soldiers.

BTW.

Thanks for your service

Posted: 5/23/2019 6:28:16 PM EDT

[#10]

Cigarettes, cigars, chew, dip, beef jerky.

Basically, if it'll give you cancer, we'd have wanted it!

Posted: 5/23/2019 6:33:20 PM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:
Actually knew a guy that had one of those over there, he seemed happy enough with it. However when we were rotating out, he left in on a communal book case and that shit was gone within 10 minutes

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
fleshlight and lube

Actually knew a guy that had one of those over there, he seemed happy enough with it. However when we were rotating out, he left in on a communal book case and that shit was gone within 10 minutes

Yeah.... some guy at the MCAGCS had a penis pump.

That was weird.

Posted: 5/23/2019 6:36:22 PM EDT

[#12]

starbucks vias. cigars. copies of Taliban Safari.

Posted: 5/24/2019 9:49:47 PM EDT

[#13]

Find out where they actually are, first. If they're on a major FOB that they never leave, they probably have access to just about any amenity you can imagine.
If they're on a COP in the middle of nowhere, they need every amenity they have no access to, and that's where care packages are truly needed.

Posted: 5/25/2019 3:37:49 AM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
Find out where they actually are, first. If they're on a major FOB that they never leave, they probably have access to just about any amenity you can imagine.
If they're on a COP in the middle of nowhere, they need every amenity they have no access to, and that's where care packages are truly needed.

View Quote

We have 10 care packages prepared each containing socks, baby wipes, jerky, candy, granola bars, electrolyte mix packets, cookies, and cigars. They are in 1 gallon freezer bags. Our idea was to package all of them together and send it to someone who is deployed who could then distribute the individual packages to his / her buddies. The immediate problem is that we don't know anyone deployed to send it to. Anyone here know someone "in the middle of nowhere" we could send this to? Is this plan of ours even feasible? Any suggestions would be helpful.

Posted: 5/26/2019 8:00:04 AM EDT

[#15]

I am late to the party but I will add a couple of things.

I had a friend recently stationed in Afghanistan and he was in a reasonably populated area. There were two things that he wanted in a big way. They were cigars and coffee. Both were hard to come by and they really appreciated it. Most people appreciated the coffee.

Another bit of advice that you want to be careful how you package things. Sometimes I have sent laundry detergent at the serviceman's request. I learned the hard way that something like that REALLY needs to be packaged by itself or everything in the package will taste and smell like laundry detergent.

Let me reach out to some friends to see if I can get some contact information. I have a contact for a forward surgical team but I don't know if they are still there. In theory, who would need a care package more than a wounded, injured service person?

Thanks for doing this.

2Hut8

Posted: 5/26/2019 11:15:35 AM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
I am late to the party but I will add a couple of things.

I had a friend recently stationed in Afghanistan and he was in a reasonably populated area. There were two things that he wanted in a big way. They were cigars and coffee. Both were hard to come by and they really appreciated it. Most people appreciated the coffee.

Another bit of advice that you want to be careful how you package things. Sometimes I have sent laundry detergent at the serviceman's request. I learned the hard way that something like that REALLY needs to be packaged by itself or everything in the package will taste and smell like laundry detergent.

Let me reach out to some friends to see if I can get some contact information. I have a contact for a forward surgical team but I don't know if they are still there. In theory, who would need a care package more than a wounded, injured service person?

Thanks for doing this.

2Hut8

View Quote

Thanks. I've found out about the customs forms needed, using flat rate USPS boxes, requirements for contents, addressing, etc. All the sources I come across assume you know who you're sending to. The only place I've come across to find soldiers to send to is anysoldier.com but I don't know whether to trust the site or how current their info is. All we need now is an address or addresses and we can get these packages on their way.

Posted: 5/26/2019 1:06:42 PM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:

Thanks. I've found out about the customs forms needed, using flat rate USPS boxes, requirements for contents, addressing, etc. All the sources I come across assume you know who you're sending to. The only place I've come across to find soldiers to send to is anysoldier.com but I don't know whether to trust the site or how current their info is. All we need now is an address or addresses and we can get these packages on their way.

View Quote

Unless you have no other option, don't send to AnySoldier.com-type places.
Maybe my experience was unique in this regard, but in 2008 I was in Helmand.
I extended for a second year, and they sent me to Kandahar for 2009. I was around the White House on KAF when the NY guys went home, and as part of their hand-off they cleared out these conexes that were packed with care packages that had never been delivered to anyone. Rat and mouse infested boxes that were hauled out storage, emptied of any useable contents and the people on KAF were able to paw through the contents for anything they wanted to take.
I guess that you could argue that ultimately the care packages went to deployed military personnel, but people on KAF had access to just about creature comfort a deployed service member could hope for.
Those boxes should have been pushed forward to guys on COPs or other forward areas who didn't have access to a PX or other Fobbit comforts.

Posted: 5/28/2019 8:36:46 AM EDT

[#18]

some ideas for you...

Posted: 5/28/2019 11:48:55 AM EDT

[#19]

Another tip, hopefully you know an individual to send to, so they can share to goodies.

Packages sent a general unit usually get rat fucked by the supply/HQ guys, so only the leftover crap makes it to guys in the field. This gets even worse when it's your wife/gf sending a package, so you know what was in there whilst the admin guys tell you the only thing in there was ramen and toothpaste.

Posted: 5/28/2019 12:36:29 PM EDT

[#20]

OST

Posted: 5/28/2019 7:33:34 PM EDT

[#21]

Thanks to all who have helped with suggestions.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What is it that deployed soldiers want the most? (Update:Need shipping advice)

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