I need advice since my deployment to Afghanistan was 2011/2012.  

I recall that our squadron had more cookies, candy, toothbrushes, shampoo, etc... than we could shake a stick at.  I also recall the military telling people that airlift and sealift was at a premium and their stuff was on a space available basis.  

My questions: 

- with the reduced presence now, are Care Packages still desired?  Or are they still the unneeded/unnecessary pain in the ass that they were when I was there?

- what do you advise people to send in a Care Package?

I ask because people at church are going to send Care Packages.  And if they are, I at least want to guide them with some suggestions from those of you that are/were downrange and that can help me advise what stuff to send that won't be a waste of space.  Save the porn and lube jokes.  Help me to help these folks that want to help you.  

Thanks.  

Edited November 12, 20196 yr by HuggyU2

Depends totally on who and where you're sending them.  The more austere locations will take anything you send.  Candy, wet wipes, toiletries, magazines, and etc.  I've deployed to the more built up bases and if it was an enduring location for our mission set there would be a giant closet filled with years worth of toiletries.  I've also deployed to bases with nothing but 10 tents and a TOC and the bi-weekly mail delivery was a godsend with whatever bullshit showed up.

Did a herc deployment last year. All the austere locations asked us for was pizza and energy drinks.

if you can arrange payment, the tac airlift squadrons would be happy to order, pick up, and deliver.

Homemade cookies are always good and the church types make good ones. Ensure that a piece of bread is included in the bag. Works great to keep them moist.

Depending on the unit, board games can be a big hit. I never knew Settlers of Catan could get so competitive/aggressive, but that game made a deployment way better when it caught on in the squadron.

ing Catan ruined more friendships for than it built. Definitely send that. 

Coffee...whole bean if able.  Coffee grinder is on my list of essential packing items.  Just because we're in a war zone doesn't mean we have to be barbaric on coffee drinking. 

As far as games, all you need is a deck of cards and 3 other midwesterners who play Euchre.  

Edited November 13, 20196 yr by SocialD

Shack on coffee! Of course the assumption is someone has a grinder. I don’t leave home without mine...bullshit coffee is for ISIS.

I’d also avoid Halloween candy. I think in general dudes will really appreciate home baked goods and more substantial/healthy food like bars, decent trail mix, etc. I don’t know anyone who was pumped to find 2 yr old airheads or a dental office free toothbrush. 

Edited November 12, 20196 yr by brabus

You can Prime a case of monster or other energy drinks to any APO with free shipping. They were very well received.

Home baked goods are the best, but they generally don't travel well or last long.

Varieties of packaged snacks.  Something to break up the monotony of items 1-20 you eat on a regular basis.  Quality isn't as big of a deal as variety...for example when dudes from Japan send a box full of 100 yen store junk food, it's a pretty big hit because of all the weird shit they have.  Also it helps to have a few things that have a longer shelf life to throw in the helmet bag for missed meals.

One time someone sent a huge box of unshelled peanuts.  It was a pretty big hit and the ops floor forever looked like it was a texas roadhouse.  You could go to a bulk grocery store and fill up a box with mixes and misc things like that.

Sauces or salsa are good too.  You can spice up a lot of shitty DFAC food with some sriracha or BW3 sauces.  Gum.  Mints.  Water flavoring packets, if they have caffeine it's a bonus.  Think crystal light, or something like the true lime packets.

Air freshener things like candles or something you can ship.  Everyone stinks, they just don't know it until a female walks within 100m and you regain your superhuman olfactory senses.

One time someone sent a box full of silly string canisters and 30 minutes later all the string was gone and we had to break up a fist fight.  Board games would generally do well...check your local thrift store or garage sales for cheap ones.

Holiday items work as well.  Santa hats and beards, discount halloween costume items...there's always a squadron clown that will put them to good use at the most inappropriate time.  Rubber snakes, spiders, etc. would keep things lively for a bit.  After-season discount christmas lights.

Coffee is always a hit, and so are a variety of teas.  Tylenol/Advil PM is the poor man's ambien when you've got a stingy flight doc.

Also Amazon has kind of revolutionized deployments with free shipping.  If you have a unit's direct address you could easily just amazon random stuff to them cheaper than any USPS box.  Keeping an eye out on slickdeals.net you will always see wipes, food, coffee, etc. that can be sent via Prime for a fraction of the price you could do it yourself.  If it can be eaten, it will.

Also there is space-a mail for cheaper rates if whatever you are shipping can last a few months in transit.

Good input. Thanks. 
 

Sounds cheesy, but I always liked the blank home-made cards.  Made mailing a note to family, friends so much easier and the recipient always treasured it more, became a keepsake.  My girls still have a few that I sent over the years... Those and the USO books that you'd read to the video camera always made me feel a little more loved by the folks donating.

Quality multi-ply toilet paper. Lowest bidder wiping seemed like it was some sort of concession being made with the Taliban during all of the negotiation talk last year. One of our Guard guys had his unit send us a case of good TP and it made the experience a slightly more tolerable.