Quoted:
-drink mix (particularly stuff like Gatorade that contains electrolytes)
-foil packages of tuna, chicken and salmon
-Ramen
-hard candy (chocolate bars will melt in the Iraq heat during the warmer months)
-Lipton side packets
-trail mix
-beef jerky
-hot sauce
-cups of pudding or fruit
-moist wipes
-Q Tips
-Ivory soap (doesn't have a strong fragrance)
-Unscented deodorant (such as Mitchum)
-socks
-disposable razors
-tooth brush and tooth paste
-lip balm
-foot powder
-vitamin tablets
-board and card games
-MP3 players
-flashlights (can never have too many of these....can be the small 2D cell types like you get at Wal-Mart, don't have to be fancy)
-gun and car related magazines, along with some "discrete" skin mags (these are some young studs after all)
-local, regional and national newspapers
Before sending a whole bunch of stuff, I advise you ask him what he needs. Maybe send a few generic boxes of stuff like the above while waiting for commo to settle down as he deploys. I realize everyone's situation is different in Iraq; some people have access to the PX, some don't , some have money to spend, some don't, some have preferences, some don't.
Strictly speaking from just my opinion is that most toiletries should not be sent. Most people are picky about what toiletries they use, guys not as much as girls, but still I like MY razors and my shampoo. If I had nothing else, of course I would use the ones sent to me. Ask the Soldiers which ones they want, then send them those. The PX often has a limited selection.
One thing we do is set up a Canteen for Soldiers to go pick up toiletries and snacks. People back home buy some value pack stuff from Sams or Costco and mail them to our Chaplain. His assistant stocks it all on shelves and those plastic drawer thingies and all the Soldiers just go in and take what they want.
Drink mixes. Where I am at, I can't swing a dead cat at all the drink mixes we have, every dining facility I have been in has tables full of them and premixed gatorade to boot. Only thing I would recommend here is to ask if they want something specific that the DFAC doesn't have for them to take.
The snacky stuff is usually a good idea as is the candy. We eat what we want and give the rest to the Iraqi kids. Again though, ask your Soldier what he and his buddies like. Write a letter to the company and often they will ship cases of the stuff over. Be very careful with what skin mags you send. Maxim and such is fine, true porn will get your Soldier in trouble, even if he didn't request it, if they search his mail on the way in, he will get a hard time over it. Again, ask him what is allowed where he is and buy them a subscription is a great idea.
Get some friends to pool together and buy them an Xbox or two or find out what games they want and buy those. My Soldiers play the shit out of HALO 3 on Xbox. Do not send DVDs. We can get them sooner and cheaper here than you can at home. Books are also good, but again do it on a request basis. We have tons of books over here, but most of them are trash that no one would read anyway or they are all romances. Your typical Army girl doesn't read romances (some do, but not most) and girls are about 1 of 9 people here. So again, get a request list from your young Joes and Joeys over here and then do an Amazon order and have it shipped right to their APO address.
Speaking of Amazon, your guys and girls can set up an Amazon wishlist and make it visible to the public. Then your support group can go right on there and buy what they want.
Other stuff. I like pictures, real printed out pictures of family and friends. Stuff to decorate my hooch a bit. Send him some bits of home he might not think to ask for. A video of his dog or something, who knows. I am not a stuffed animal kinda guy, but my wife found a stuffed jack russel terrier that looks just about like mine... He has been on 4 deployments now. I keep leaving the little bastard at home and sooner or later he shows up in the mail again..:) I love her, it's almost a game now.
Buying clothing... The Army has a system now called ADO or KYLOC that allows you to order stuff each month at the Army's dime. I have found it to be slow and often out of stock. With that being said, I have been able to get plenty of socks, shirts and stuff through it. So clothing might work and might not, probably wouldn't hurt to send the Joes some socks and stuff. Be careful with sending them Under Armor and stuff like that. That stuff melts in high heat and makes burns a lot worse. I have a couple of them, but I wear them only around the FOB or what not. Outside I wear either the cotton GI issue stuff or some of the XGO fire-resistant stuff.
Don't buy them anything from Oakley full price if you can help it. Find someone with an Oakley USStandardIssue account and they can buy it for about half price and mail it to them.
Flashlights....meh. I have given away about 4 flashlights already. We got issued like 3 or 4 nice ones and I got more in the mail. Rechargeable battery kits would be nice, as would Surefire batteries, I swear I can never find enough of those.
Don't send alcohol, this has been beaten to death as to why it's not a good idea. I disagree with the ban on alcohol and porn myself, shit the Iraqis have both so that cultural respect shit doesn't fly with me, so do the other coalition guys (Brits etc). But still, keep your Soldier out of trouble and don't send it is my advice.
HeartsandMinds