AWM Operation Spouseformation :: Resource Row :: How to Surprise Your Deployed Soldier

While the home front is dealing with the separation of their deployed soldier, the deployed soldier is battling the enemy on the frontline, whilst battling his or her emotions inside of his head and the heart. Being deployed is one thing, but being separated from your loved ones is another. A touch of home will be a welcoming surprise to deployed soldiers, something that will cheer up their spirit. Something that can make their home away from home, feel a little bit more like ‘home.’

What do you send a deployed soldier, what are you allowed to send and how often do you send your soldier something? Letters of course, are always allowed, but explicit materials of yourself and anyone else, are advised not to be sent. When sending care packages, you have to adhere to a certain amount of rules of what you can and cannot send. Think about what your soldier needs, according to where he lives.

What Not to Send

* Pressurized items that can explode when in an airplane

* Pornography (it’s illegal in certain countries) and prohibited by General Order #1

* Liquor (it’s also prohibited by General Order #1, if your soldier gets caught with or under the influence of alcohol he or she can get in big trouble)

* Chocolate (with most countries having hot weather, it has the possibility of melting all over the package)

What You can Send

* Instant Soup

* Instant Coffee

* Instant lemonade or tea

* Packaged sugar

* Tea

* Crackers

* Easy Cheese

* Bubble Gum

* Rice Crispy Treats

* Dry cereal

* (Homemade) Cookies

* Beef Jerky

* Microwave popcorn

* Granola bars

* Dried fruit

* Power bars

* Candy

* Chex mix

* Canned Tuna

* Canned Soup

* Cup a Soup

* Ramen Noodles

* Fast food condiments

* Chips

* Slim Jims

* Wipes (Cleaning or baby wipes)

* Toothpaste

* Toothbrushes

* Razors

* Non pressurized shaving cream

* Non pressurized deodorant

* Aftershave

* Soap or body wash

* Shampoo or conditioner

* Lotion

* Sunscreen

* Chap stick

* Eye drops (really needed with the dry air)

* Foot powder

* Foot cream (a favorite of my husband was Miracle Therapeutic Foot cream, to help prevent dry cracking feet)

* Ear plugs

* Nail file

* Breath mints

* Hand sanitizer

* Combs or brushes

* Little mirror

* Baby powder

* Dental floss

* Q-tips

* T Shirts, socks and underwear

* Stress ball

* Phone cards (preferable AT&T)

* Books and magazines

* MP3 player/ MP3 charge cards

* Disposable camera’s

* Movies

* Comics

* Puzzles

* An item with your favorite perfume that makes it smell like you

* CD with a compilation of music from you to him that reminds him of you

* Mini Scrapbook

* Drawings from the kids

* Letters/ card

* Journal

* Foam balls

* Mini board games

* (Non explicit) pictures of you

* Pictures of the kids/ pets/ family

* Letters collected from the rest of the family

* For females any female hygiene items, brushes, perfume, hairspray (bottles, non pressurized), body spray

How to Send It

Through the United States Postal Service (USPS), you can order a package of flat rate boxes-if it fits it ships, regardless of the weight. The USPS has more tips and regulations for sending a package overseas to your soldier on http://www.usps.com/supportingourtroops/. The Postal Service continues to show its support by offering free Military Care Kits, designed specifically for military families sending packages overseas. The mailing kits can be ordered by calling 1-800-610-8734 and ask for the “Care Kit.” Each kit includes two “America Supports You” Priority Mail Large Boxes, four Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Boxes, six Priority Mailing labels, one roll of Priority Mail tape and six customs forms with envelopes.

Make sure you cushion anything that is breakable. Any rattling when the package is shook is not allowed.

Anything that can leak or melt, wrap it in a zip lock bag to prevent it going over the rest of the items in the box.

Include a list of all items the box contains. This way your soldier knows what is in it, and if nothing got lost.

Tape ALL sides of the box. These boxes will endure quite some travelling, and taping the corners next to the openings makes the box a bit stronger and prevents it from ripping open if the box gets a bit of moisture.

Make sure you fill in the customs form correctly. Your local postal office should have the instructions for you. The one on my post even has it posted on the wall, due to care packages being the most common item shipped.

Fun Tip

If there is an upcoming holiday, like Valentine’s Day, the 4th of July, Easter, Halloween, Christmas or the like, send your troop a themed package. Line the inside with wrapping paper in the theme of the holiday or pictures of the family. This makes it a welcome surprise for your troop and I can bet that it will make your troop smile. Isn’t that what we are going for when sending our troops a care package?

If you want to send more troops a care package, many sites offer help with that and have long waiting lists of troops that do not have the luxury of receiving a packages from home. Soldier’s Angels (www.SoldiersAngels.org), Any Soldier (www.anysoldier.com), Operation Shoebox (www.operationshoebox.com), Operation Proud Hearts (www.proudhearts.org) and Adopt a US Soldier (www.adoptaussoldier.org) are among many non-profit organizations who volunteer their time to support our troops, and where you can adopt a deployed soldier to send letters and care packages from home.