The Fun Times Guide

does anyone know what the restrictions are for sending items to iraq i just found out my cousin is over there so i need to know what we can and can't send....if you could just email me any information i would greatly appreciate it my email address is kcloves86@yahoo.com thank you

Hey! I would like some direction please! I want to put 2 packages together and send one to a male soldier and the other to a female soldier. What I would like to do is get these packages to two soldiers that otherwise would not get one from family or friends. I want to get them out by the first part of December. How can I find these type of soldiers? How would I find out how & where to ship them.
Thank You All...
God Bless You and Yours!

Jeff Stone
jeff_stone1@hotmail.com
760-595-8911

Okay girlfriends, fiances and wives. I had professional boudoir photos taken and sent them to my fiance while he was deployed in Iraq. He loved them! I sent a couple for his room and pocket and my photographer actually set up a link on his website so my honey could access online all the photos from the shoot. These photos were very tastefully done and just a little suggestive and fun. (You are in control of how much you show) Just enough to get his mind someplace nice other than the warzone. He was so surprised and thrilled to get them. He still talks about when he opened the box and I can tell it was the best thing I had ever sent him.

In another box I included a satin pillow case which I had slept on overnight with freshly washed hair and vacuum sealed to retain the scent. Remember that not only your scent, but the ability to touch something silky or soft is great for their sensories too.

And don't forget to write. Even if you don't send boxes, writing wonderful letters are so much appreciated. Try to keep negativity out of your letters. Cut a funny comic strip from the newspaper and send it to him. Let them know everytime somebody tells you to tell them thank you for serving. It is so important that they know and hear this as often as possible.

My prayers and thoughts go out to all of you with deployed loved ones. I hope they all return safe and sound.

Our pastors son in in Iraq w/ the 92 engineering unit. There are 20 in his unit and this will be my first attempt at Xmas for all of them. I am so excited and want it to be special. All suggestions and prayers greatly appreciated. Ellen Brooks w/ Life Church of F armington, Mo.l buzz-ellen@sbcglobal.net

My boyfriend is leaving for afghanistan in a few months and I know they really can't bring many personal things with them. I would like to get him something small that he might be able to wear or keep on him the while he is there. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions pls let me know. This is his second time he's been deployed but the first time he's had to leave since we've actually been together so i'm having a difficult time with everything. I just want to give him something to remind him of me while he is there.

Hey guys! i woud like to introduce this operation to my local church as i think it is a fantastic idea. do you have any idea how and where i could get hold of who, how and where to send these for christmas?

My husband is deploying in 3 weeks for his 2nd tour of Iraq, he will be serving with his fellow 10th mtn division soldiers of Fort Drum, NY. He will be deployed for our 1 year anniversary, his and my bday, and all major holidays until late 10'. I've asked him what I should send in the care packages, but he hasn't really offered much help on ideas. If anyone can help me with this, it would be greatly appreciated... as this will be my first deployment with him, im clueless. Please contact me at shelle.korbel@gmail.com with ideas, it would be greatly appreciated.

My brother is leaving for his second deployment to Iraq tomorrow :( and his favorite thing to get was Cliff bars energy goo. He said it gave him a ton of energy, were easy and compact to carry along, and tasted the best out of all of the goos. He also demanded me to send him pictures and updates on what's happing in my life and in the US. Peace

Hey guys just lookin for a little help my husband will soon be home from his tour in Iraq i can send one last box problem is im out of ideas and he says he doesnt need anything other than fase wash and deo!!! I feel like the box is empty and should put some other things in it. I dont want to send alot because i know he wont have much room to bring it home! PLease help!

I too just found this site. Great and fantastic gift ideas for our soldiers. I enjoyed reading all the adds and the best is all the extra little things to give them something fun to do...

Lynda

my sons in iraq and this is a great website. thanks...

Hi All, My husband is on his second deployment, first to Afghanistan. The things he likes the most are newpaper and articles of things going on, especially his sports teams! Sunflower seeds and trail mix are good. Remember the ziplock bags for them so they can keep them sand free! Those 6 hour energy shots really help on those long days, beef jerky, and powdered gatorate for his waterbottle. Tabasco for all those MRE's they'll be eating, as well as pictures from home. Powerbars are good and jellybelly's.I found those icepack's that you break.. the first aid ones, but i'm going to try those out this package. He's complaining about how hot it is, so maybe these will work! For his birthday/our one year anniversary, I'm going to send him one of those 120 gig ipods, fill it with all the new songs and songs he likes and all the movies coming out that he wanted to see. He has a solar charger, so this will keep him entertained if you have a larger budget. He wanted to get one before he left, but didn't have time. Hope this helps!

Hi everyone. This is my first time here in this website. I have googled " Care packages for soldiers " to get some good ideas of what to send out. My fiance has been deployed to Iraq for one year and he's already been there for almost one month. I still haven't gotten his address because it takes some time. So in the mean time I'm trying to put together the very best care package for him so that way he will feel somewhat closer to home and know that he can be taken care of by me even though we are so far apart. I have read some ideas in here from some of the people that wrote about care packages and have gotten a few good ones! Thank you to whoever created this very helpful site! And to all the loved one's of many soldiers out there, I give you all my blessings! ~~~~~ Sincerely, Renee ~~

please please please please please do NOT POST PERSONAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR SOLDIER OR ANOTHER SOLDIER ON ANY WEBSITE! IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO POST YOUR EMAIL TO HAVE A PERSONAL DISCUSSION WITH SOMEONE THAT WOULD BE FINE, BUT YOU ARE VIOLATING QUITE A HANDFUL OF OPSEC RULES BY POSTING YOUR SOLDIERS APO ADDRESSES OR LOCATIONS, SERIOUSLY. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO WILL LOOK AT THESE SITES, AND U JUST TOLD EVERYONE EXACTLY WHERE YOUR LOVED ONE IS. COME ON.

This is my boyfriends first deployment, recently got deployed to Italy.
He'e having to do a little traveling in between, like right now he's in Germany. This will be his first care package. He just wanted some books, but I wanted to do something special for him. He's a little picky, and he's a true southern gentleman. I've started out with the basics; books, beef jecky, sunflower seeds, tons of pictures, newpapers from home, cards, and plenty of hard candies. Since this is my first time, I wasnt sure what I couldn't send him. I wanted to send him some things to remind him of home, he sometimes gets homesick. We've not been apart the last year and a half and we don't get to talk much, he hates it. I want him to live it to the fullest and make the most of it. I don't want him to be miserable there. He loves coco butter, brownies, and hot sauce. any ideas?

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone on here. You have amazing ideas. My boyfriends birthday is coming up in 3 weeks and i've sent him so many gifts in the past year he's been deployed I'm out of ideas. Thanks to all of you, I've come up with some really fun and new gifts. I really love the idea of confetti too. He's always saying I send the most random stuff, he'll have a good laugh when he opens a box drenched in confetti! Thanks everyone!! Erin

The most secure way to access money overseas is through the Eagle Card. However, I'm not sure if that can be set up while he is on tour or needed to be arranged before. It's something worth looking into. It's like a debit card because it is linked to a bank account but it is run through the US Treasury. There are "Eagle Kiosks" on the FOB, usually at the PX, where he can either take out cash,have an amount transfered onto his card to use for purchases, check balances, etc. If it's not an option for his current deployment, I would suggest setting it up for future tours.

Thank you so much for the list of items to send in a care package!!! My boyfriend is deployed for a year and I haven' t done this before, so I wasn't quite sure what to send! So, thanks again, this was very helpful!

this is an awesome website
www.thesoldiersfamily.com
Thanks for posting it :)

Thanks so much for this list! I was with my husband through two deployments and we just adopted to soldiers through AdoptaUSSoldier.org. My sons preschool class is getting involved and taking donations fromt he parents for us to send care packages to our soldiers but I feel like I completely forgot everything we used to send my husband and the list he gave me of needs were kind of sparse. This helped SO much!

I just wanted to say that this site was really helpful with ideas for care packages. My boyfriend is in Iraq right now and it's been tough.

One thing I did was got a scrapbook (the ones that hold just regular size paper) and I took all the pages out and just decorated one page, then put that in the book, along with a letter, and shipped it to him. Then every pkg I send, I send another page to him to add to his book.

Thanks again for all the ideas and helpful tips!! Can't wait to try some.

Hi Fred,

My family owns a florist. I would suggest going to your local flower shop. There are small water tubes the florist will put on the end of the stem of each flower. You can ask them for the tubes and do it yourself, or ask them to do it. Its a small amount of water and it has a suction top. The water leaks a little but it will be fine for shipping. I may also suggest a flower that lasts long. You would be lucky having Roses last a week, I would send either carnations, daisies or ask the florist. Good Luck!!

CAKE IN A JAR ERICKA! Google the recipe! I sent a few with plastic knives and cans of frosting!! Stays great and moist and safe!!

Hi! I have found that when you are puttng together "fun" boxes think as if you were shopping for a 10 year old!! The theme boxes are a great idea. I've done "Movie Night," "Hawaiin Lua" and since we live in Alaska, I did a "Sending Eskimo Kisses from 50 below!" that was a hit! I even sent a "Kill the Mullet" box and in it was a flippin' Mullet wig and all the hair care products to go with it with gag gifts! I guess they fight to wear it. Whatever you send him, he will love it! And so will the guys in his fire team, because you can bet on it....there are lots of guys that get nothing day after day after day! When I dd his Valentine's box, I did a bunch of little things for them ALL! It's good to know there are sooo many out there that are taking care of their soldier! WE are their "Lock and Load!" Shalom, Sandy
Mail me anytime if you need help. I make it my weekly mission to put together fun, rediculous, but still useful boxes! itsanoxer@hotmail.com

My boyfriend is in Afghanistan and I am a poor college student so I looked into the cheapest way to ship him care packeages, and the only one that I came up with is to send large flat rate boxes that you can pick up from your post office. They will give you the shipping form to fill out and you take it back to them when you have filled the box up. The only problem is that they arent huge boxes, but all of the ones that I have sent have gotten there.

My boyfriend is oveseas right now and his birthday is coming up. I am in culinary school and asked my pastry chef if sending cake was possible and she said that it may not be the safest thing to send. So, I came up with the idea to make a giant sugar cookie to decorate like a birthday cake. Cookies have a longer shelf life than cake does and its a creative way to send a cake with out it being a cake. Im going to cut it into the shape of a three teired cake and use colored icing to decorate it like a birthday cake would be decorated.

I made my husband a scrapbook just for deployment it's a small one not the 12X12 so it doesn't take up a lot of room. I put old and new pictures of family and friends and then in the back i put i letter for him to read when he gets there. He said it helped since it was his first deployment and he got homesick after a week or so.

My husband is getting ready to leave for his second tour in Iraq. We were not together for his first tour, but from what he has told me it was not a good experience at all. He didn't receive care packages at all. I plan to make this tour 110% better for him! I have been doing some research online for care package ideas and have had some great ideas. Lint rollers to get the sand off their beds was a really neat idea i found. I have also promised to send my husband his Impact every week (local paper to keep up with whats going on at home). I am also going to make him a pillow case with family photos on it and a home made calendar with a count down until the day he comes back home to us! He will be overseas on his birthday so I am going to send him a birthday in a box. I have read that u can send cake in mason jars bc they seal and it will stay fresh (Pack icing separately of course). I am going to send cards from home, party blowers, streamers, candles, confetti, and whatever else I can find at the party store! This will be my first deployment as a military wife so if anybody has any advice or suggestions, please feel free to email me at k_dchandler@hotmail.com. I will pray for the safe return of all your loved ones.

Hi all, well my wife is in Irag right now on her tour for one year. She will be back on November this year, and this is her second tour. She was deployed with the 10th Mount. from Ft. Drum on the '06 while she was stationed in New York, but now she's with the 84th EN. from Schofield in Hawaii(Army Base). I want to send her some flowers and teddy bear. If anybody can help me with this please respond with some tips so that way I can send something that she really likes while she serving for our country. I appreciate so much.

WOW!! Thank ya'll So much!! My boyfriend got deployed again recently and the first time, we werent togather then. But now that we are, I'm all about sending him things and trying to make the time there as best as I can from here! This site is GREAT!! And everyone's comments were good too! But I was wondering if there was anything that I couldnt send?? I mean I know like no alcohol,perishable food and stuff like that, but I just wanted to know if there was anything else?? Because I dont want to send the wrong thing and he not get my packages!! Thanks So much!! And I hope all your friends and family that are serving return home safely and quickly!! =]

hey!
thank you so much for this site. i had no idea i could send so much stuff to my boyfriend. he's in iraq right now and i want him to be happy and comfortable. thanks!

My boyfriend is being deployed to Iraq in a couple of days, and I've been freaking out of my mind over it. I was browsing online when I found this and its managed to ease me a bit. I can't wait to get a jump on this, for him and for his comrades, of course!

I have heard that Silly String is something that the soliders are really requesting. They say that it helps them in their duties when they need to check for mine fields and different things, muchless the fun that they can have with it also. Another item that they like to receive is Girl Scout Cookies. My troop from here in WV sends out Cookie care packages every year.

Hello this is my first time here and I am in need of help, my son is in afghanastan and i send him packages when i can and now i want to do more for christmas but the shipping charge can get expensive if you dont use an APO first priority box (10.95) flat rate. I need some help on where i can get some help with shipping out the things i have been getting from generous people. I live in Anaheim ,Calif.. can someone point me in the right direction? My friends daughter is making this a school project and we really need the help with the shipping., thanxs, Linda

Send toys, puzzles, cards, miniture ping pong sets, mini nurf footballs, mini basket balls, puzzles, bubbles, nurf sponge shooting guns, anything that lets them "PLAY" in their down time. I always send something silly with a care package that will make them all smile. Silly puddy,foam planes, and the list is really endless. I suggest going to your nearest Dollar Store. You don't have to spend a fortune to send a really nice package. Another great item is microwaveable meals that don't require refrigeration.

My husband was recently deployed and the one way that helps me to feel that he is not so far away is to send care package. I put together a site of all kinds of ideas for different care packages throughout the year. www.thesoldiersfamily.com
Please visit and add your own ideas.

We started CARE PACKAGES FROM HOME 4 years ago when my friends brother was in Afghanistan and he would repeated tell us how NOT supplied they were and how lonely they were, wanting to hear from home. When he came home I spoke to my Mom and saidh "We could do this for others too!!" We went to our community and asked for their help. We have grown from there. We live in a tiny rural town in upstate NY. If anyone from anywhere would like to help you can have a fund raiser (Car wash, bake sale, Auction, Penny Social etc) then send the money to us and specify if you want it used for postage or items for the packages. OR you could go to your community, groups (churches, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, 4H, etc) Schools and have Donation Drive (of items) and send them to us to ship to our over 30 Soldiers. Female Soliers are in MORE need then even the Men. They are in DESPERATE NEED of Femanine products of ALL kinds. We sned to both but always try to make people aware of the desperate need of the Women. So if you would like to become involved with our worthwhile project you can EMail me at lestin@wpe.com or go to our website www.countrycomputerconnection.com/carepackagesfromhome
You can make secure money donations from there in any amount. It does not take a LOT of money to help. Every $1 makes a difference!!
Thank for your help.

Sincerely;
Tina M. Burnham (607)829-5928
Beverly Soldan (607)829-8627
Lesley Beers (607)829-5928
Care Packages From Home
www.countrycomputerconnection.com/carepackagesfromhome

My son is currently in Iraq. After talking to him on the phone one day me and my middle daughter finally decided on what she wanted to do to earn her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. Everything must be done by the only the Scout.
She is setting up a campaign to deliver Care Packages to Soldiers in Iraq. My son said that there are boys over there that have not received any care packages. My daughter thought that was just wrong. She would like to help out by sending at least one package a week for the next year. My son said that he would hand out the packages as they are sent to him, since you need to send them to a particular person now and not any soilder anymore.
She is in the process of making a list of items that she would like people to donate.
I think this is something very special that a 14 year old child is willing to undertake and commit to for the next year.
She has also decided to follow in her brothers footsteps and plans to enlist.
If anyone reading this and would like to help with any type of donation, whether its food items or to help with the shipping cost, you can send us an email at kdavis@shentel.net please put "I would like to help Sam" in the subject line. no item or amount will be turned down.
Thank you for your time and thank you for this list of items it really helps.

Added note: I joined http://www.soldiersangels.org/, another great organization which connects people with soldiers to "adopt". Julia Silva, if you wish to send me a private email, my address is loribelledesigns@gmail.com.

Hi Julia,
I know your last post to this forum was in 11/07 and hope you are checking in since. I just wanted you to know that I have been Eleuterio's soldier's angel since January 08. I only want to say that I am honored to help in any way I can and would love to send him the best items I can afford. I've asked him for feedback so I can send what he wants/needs, but I've been working in the "dark" and hoping my monthly care packages are hitting the mark. If there's anything you can share with me to help me send the most appropriate things, I'd be grateful. I made/shipped cool neck ties, many snacks, grooming aids, games, puzzle books, etc. But can you help me by giving me his favorite hobbies (puzzles, crosswords, soduku, word search, drawing, etc.), snacks (flavors, type, etc), grooming aids (hair gel, shampoos, body wash, deoderant, dental aids, powders, anything else?!) Does he like to read? If so, what kind of books? Magazines?

Thanks for the info! I'm trying to come up with some new ideas for care packages and this list helped a lot!

If anyone is interested in sending a care packages but doesn't have a soldier, PLEASE adopt one! Visit http://www.adoptaussoldier.org. Our soldiers love to get letters, even e-mail, from home. If you've only got a few items you'd like to share, you can contact me at tx_green_mnm at yahoo dot com and I'll put them into my next package. I adopted a soldier who is on the front lines in Iraq at the Iran border. It's been a wonderful experience for me and my family!

I see a lot of wonderfull comments from people wondering how they can support our Service Members down range. I currently work at the Medical Transient Detachment in Landstuhl Germany where our Service Members that are wounded go when they have been Medevaced to Germany and are either waiting to go back to war or to Walter Reed in DC for more help. We have many programs for these Service Members.

Operation "On My Way Home" -
We supply quart size zip top baggies filled with personal care items 3oz. or less for our Wounded Warriors to take with them on the Flight to thier next destination. Items are extremely limited here in Germany exspecially because of the exchange rate. It's one less thing the Wounded Warriors have to worry about as they complete thier mission "to get well".

Operation Feed Our Heros-
We supply microwavalbe meals and snacks to the Wounded Warriors. The flight come in at all hours of the day. Most Wounded Warriors show up with nothing but the clothes on thier backs. No money and all food places are closed at some of the crazy hours they come in. We like to ensure there is food for them when they get her after that 8 hour Medevac flight.

Operation Dirty Laundry-
We supply laundry bags with the individual size powder laundry detergents, travel size dryer sheets, bleach tabs, pen stain removers. We supply the Wounded Warriors with sweatpants, sweatshirts, t-shirts, under garmets, socks but they still need them washed.

All of this is done through Mission: Support Warriors.

Mission: Support Warriors main goal is to support the deployed Service Members serving in Iraq and Afganistahn. We currently have 734 Service Members deployed and are always looking for caring American that would like to adopt a Service Member or help with donations for the care packages we send them.

If anyone would like to help with our Operations and or Adopt or support our Service Members you can contact Barbara Pepple the Founder of Mission Support Warriors at barbara.pepple@us.army.mil

Just Thought I would Through this all out there.
Thanks

Anysoldier.com is a good way to send packages to troops if you don't have someone you know to send them to.

I don't have a soldier overseas but would love to send some care packages...

is there an address that would get some goodies to some great guys who deserve a thank you!

mary in oregon

my son is in coast guard but luckily he's in oregon with me...so i don't worry too much, but i do worry about the other mother's sons out there!!

These are some great ideas. My brother is oversea in Iraq right now. And a close friend that he grew up with which was in the USMC just died at Camp LeJeune,NC. Not sure if you heard it on the news or not. If you have any questions just email me at superman.nick159@yahoo.com

My 9 year old son had a birthday party and instead of presents he asked for guests to bring items listed on this site for care packages. He received lots of great items! We don't personally know of any military person we could share these with. If anyone knows of a soldier(s) who doesn't have friends or family to send them packages, we would like to have the name and address to ship them some goodies. Thanks!

Thank you so much for all the ideas. My nephew is stationed in South Korea. Does anyone have any gift ideas for soldiers stationed there.
I've copied lots of the ideas you have her and can't thank you enough for them!

My fiance was deployed Halloween day. His troop is in Afghanistan. The weather there is very cold now and these soldiers are getting a little bit of cabin fever. If anyone could send these guys some care packages they would greatly appreciate it! Thanks for everything your doing!!!

Henry Marshall White
HHC 218 BCT
Camp Phoenix
APO AE 09320

My best friend's son was deployed a week before Christmas. If you would like to send something he would appreciate it. He is a fun, loving guy & if he can't use your items or has enough for himself he will share with others.
Scott Griffin
Task Force Med
APO AE 09354

hello my hubby is deploying next week to Iraq, he has nine other guys going with him, if anyone wants to send them care packages for them all to share this is his address. thank you sooo much in advance
SSG Tony Wilking
H-26 TAB (RADAR)
FOB brassfield-mora
Apo-Ae 09393
also i have 1 question if anyone has any ideas to help children cope with deployment? sometimes they feel forgotten i think? any ideas??? thanks

Kelly -
Yep, chapstick & lip balm are well received gifts!

We send Carmex, Chapstick & Blistex in all our soldier care packages.

seems like I read somewhere about sending chapstick (or lip balm of some kind) to the soldiers.....does anyone know if this is something they can use?

Is it acceptable to send game devices like Nintendo DS Lite...would soldiers enjoy them and be able to use them?

Where can I drop off a care package for a service man or wormen that I don't know?

Or do I have to send it to someone for them to ship overseas.

My 4H group is looking at putting some things together and we're wonding what to do.

Thank you for your time.

What a wonderful web site. We couldn't figure out what to give my father in law for Christmas and decided we would send 3 care packages to random soldiers for his gift. This web site provided us with not only addresses but, stories to share with my father in law which makes it that more special. Thank you and God Bless our troops. Merry Christmas!!!!!

Our place of business took in donated items for a certain troop in iraq based on a list they put together for us. one of the items wanted was canned air for cleaning their guns. We had some cans donated but went we to send them were told we couldn't do to the fact it is hazardous material... Is there a way to get canned air shipped to this troop? I have tried everything I know. Even trying to ship direct from a company and they say they can't ship it oversees for the same reason?

Anyone know how to address packages to specific Company's/Regiments? If I read an article ie. 1st Cav. Div. 1st Brig. Combat, 8th Cav. Reg., Company D. Can you address a package to a specific Unit?
If you know of any Soldiers on the front line, I would like to send packages to their unit. (I already send to a mechanic and a medical person - next I want to send to boots on the ground if possible). If you know email me at investorbum@hotmail.com. Thanks Paul Harris, Columbus, OH.

One of the things my husband said to include in ANY package i send him is Crystal light in the individual packages. Soldiers use it to make the water taste better, and because it contains aspartame, not sugar, it doesn't cause mold growth in their camel packs. They are about $4.00 for a package of 14, but worth every penny! thanks

I have a son in Iraq anyone wanting to send him a care package feel free to do so he would love it....here is his address

PFC Jones Dennis M.
57TH TC#43338
168TH BSB
CAMP LIBERTY
APO AE 09344

I've heard of soldiers giving away small toys like beanie babies to children overseas. Do any of you know if this is true and if so can you give me information on where to send them. I have alot I am going to donate to a group here but if a soldier can use them I will send them on. Thank you!

What a great site. I got some great ideas for my two nephew's care packages. I only have one address now but if anyone is interested in sending something to him and his unit he is:

Staff Sergeant Jeremy Smith (USMC)
VMA -542
Unit 78061
FPO AE 09509-8061

thanks and God bless

Thank you so much for this article. I've been looking for good ideas for items to include in care packages for a dear friend just recently deployed to Iraq. There were tons of things here and links throughout the website that I had never thought of.

Just got my brother in law's address....

SSG Wilson, Robert B.
2-25 SBCT
C Co. 1-14 IN BN #6260
APO AE 09378

I wanted to mention also, a guest on Fox News said her organization sends Christmas decorations. She said it's something they don't have enough of and are hard to find over there.
If anyone saw her on Fox and knows her website, would you please post it here?

I asked a soldier to tell me what they Really needed when I was in the "Operation Adopt A Soldier" program. One item I never see on lists( that she asked for), is fitted twin sheets. I think it would be a good thing to send. Also the PLASTIC containers, utensils, bowls and plates(listed above)are badly needed. She said containers keep bugs and sand out of all the snacks they get. Breakfast bars, crackers, wipes for FACE and hands were some other items on her wish list. God Bless all men and women so far away from their family and friends, risking their lives for us.

This is a reallllly GREAT site, I have a son in Iraq and I got some really good ideas off here of what they need and WOULD LIKE so that I can get a CARE package sent to my son and his buddys 2 share!!

this site is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i dont have anyone i know overseas but am sending care packages to be shared thanks to addresses i now have! just thought you might like to check out this site - you can send a free dri care package to an overseas soldier - http://www.drifire.com/dricare/?gclid=CKCwk67Uk5ACFQOCZAod7XzTAA

Attn: Merriah Wilson

I would greatly appreciate it if you could get me an address for a deployed soldier. Do you think it still has time to get there in time for Christmas? Please post something on this site or feel free to e-mail me at krinnypooh@hotmail.com

Thanks for your help.

Jimmy.. The best way to do it is with a priority mail flat rate box.. you can fill it as full as you would like and it's all one price.. $8.95. It will be a lot cheaper that way than to send regular boxes. If you would like info for some troops and units to send them to let me know..

Merriahvpool@yahoo.com

My name is kevin and I am searching for a universal mailing address in Iraq so I can prepare and mail a care package in time for christmas. Please post on the site or send it to my e-mail. Thanks, Kevin
Hooyah

My name is Jimmy from littleradio.com in Los Angeles. I have about 5 boxes of sampler CD's that I wanted to send to soldiers in Iraq. Can you tell me what the best method to get this done? Any info would be extremely helpful.

Thank you very much.

Wow, this is an awesome site! Thank you so much to everyone who is helping to brighten a soldier's day!

My name is Merriah, I am a disabled Army vet and my brother is also an Army vet who has survived 2 deployments. I am currently going through my first deployment as a spouse! My husband, Jimmy (27), is an Army blackhawk pilot and is stationed out of Fort Hood Tx. We are originally from Southern California. This will be his first 15 month deployment!

My husband's sister Amy(21) is also deployed to Iraq and is an Army Medic attached to an MP unit. She is the ONLY medic attached to that unit!

My huband's brother Robert(24) is deploying next week as well, he is a ranger serving in a stryker brigade.

My mother in law and I will do the best we can trying to send packages to each of them but if anyone would like to help, here are their addresses:

Wilson, James
Stetson troop 4/3 ACR
Unit 6061
APO AE 09378
(He shares his goodies with everyone in the troop! There are 67 of them)

SPC Wilson, AMY
209th MP CO
APO AE 09342
(She also has 2 female roommates)

Robert doesn't have his address yet but i'll be sure to post it when I get it!

ALSO Jane... A friend of ours is an Ohio State Alumn, he is obsessed with EVERYTHING ohio state! He even brought his ohio state cornhole game with him to Iraq! Here is his address if you'd like to send him something!

Martynowski, Frank
Stetson Troop 4/3 ACR
Unit 6061
APO AE 09378

Thank again to everyone!
-Merriah
merriahvpool@yahoo.com

(If you would like more addresses for deployed soldiers I know thousands of them!)

I live in Hawaii near Schofield Barracks and I can't believe everyone's deploying again. It's sort for bitter sweet because my old friends just returned last month and now the others are preparing to leave. One of the best things I found we can do, in addition to care packages, is to watch over the families during deployment. Have them over for dinner and invite them to the beach and things like that. For actual care packages, health products are always appreciated especially since the soldier's health and well being are so critical during deployments. The problem is most don't ship to APOs. I found one that does and I tried it out for a few months to make sure it works before recommending it to anyone. The effect it had on me has really surprised me. When I wake up, I am totally alert regardless of how much sleep I get even if it's like 3 hours. I also have quick recovery and no soreness in my muscles even after extensive exercise or training. In fact, just yesterday I strained a joint in my hand and today I have no pain or soreness. Anyway, if you know anyone who would appreciate something like this, you can get it at www.welcometomaxgxl.com. I've discovered that you order it as a Preferred Customer, they'll automatically ship it to the APO address every month like clockwork. Anyway, thought I'd pass that along to everyone. I'd be ungrateful if I didn't share it with you guys. May all the soldiers return safely and may their families be taken care of while they are away. Aloha from Hawaii. Email: nate2345@gmail.com

I had a close friend deploy in October and this site is really helpful - reading everyone's comments was one of the best parts. I took down a few addresses to write/send packagaes to, but if anyone knows of soldiers who need someone to write letters to them, I would be happy to.

I don't always have the money to send packages, but I will find the time to write to as many soldiers as possible. Please e-mail me with a little bit about them and their address. Every little bit helps, especially to a soldier who doesn't recieve any mail!
My e-mail address is bridget316@gmail.com

Hello, I recently discovered this website and have found it extremely helpful, It's nice to see that people havent forgoten our military troops over seas! My husband just got deployed to Iraq so it's still all new to me. We are newlyweds and have been experiencing some though time in the past few months from my miscarage,family deaths, to his deployment so yeah its been rough. When he was getting deployed he had a friend who came up to us and asked if it was ok if we were his family for that day becuase he didnt want to feel left out, His family was from chicago and they could come down , it broke my heart that he felt lonely and he wasnt the only one who didnt have any family there to say goodbye to or wish them well.He was with us the whole day till they got on the bus to leave but I havent forgotten him or his face when he asked us that question? He is now my husbands room mate and if anyone would like to help in sending him some care packages it will be greatly apreciated you may send it to my husbands name, since he doesnt know Im asking for this, and I hope he gets surprised!

Silva, Eleuterio Jr
F TRP 2-3 ACR
Fob Caldwell
APO AE 09324

Thanks!

Leighanne -
We did exactly what you did... last year. And we'll do the same again this year.

--> Here are some of the things we included in our FUN care package.

My uncle used to be in Iraq,I send packages to Iraq. But, I'm in England now...... and I don't know what to do. Where do I send things, any website? Thank you soo much for the help. Things are free to send to the troops. Thanks again.

I just wanted to say that my husband is over in iraq on his second deployment. This deployment is 15months. I've been sending him toys. I know that might sound a little childish, but he loves it. I sent him one of those transformers masks and when you put it on you talk like the transformer and let me tell you he's had more use out of that than i would have thought. Guys over there also like seasons of different T.V. Shows like House, or That 70's Show etc. One thing that i've figured out is if your sending something that has a little bit of money involved to insure it through the post office. That way the boxes wont be opened and if they're lost then you can atleast get your money back. Thankyou for everyone's support. People have no idea how much all of this means to the soldiers over there, and their families :o)

Hello everyone.
I would like to send a care package to a soldier this year and would like some ideas about what they need the most, what things they like to receive and how early I need to mail the package to insure it reaches it's destination in time.
Also, if anyone knows a soldier (man or woman) from Missouri that they feel could use a little "pick me up" this holiday season please let me know.
Thank you!

A reminder...

When you are making out your Holiday card list this year, you may want to include the following:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20307-5001

UPDATE 11/20/07:
Read this important notice from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

just want to say i just found this site and it is awsome. so much information and so wonderful to read the caring comments from others who care about our soldiers. it actually warmed my heart to read this. my son is in baghdad and MAY get to come home christmas--we are praying and he too told me about many soldiers over there who do not get anything so any help from everyone to help insure that as many soldiers as possible can receive gifts, hope, joy and love and support, will be welcomed. keep up the good work here, i know not only the soldiers are grateful, but moms like myself. hanna vanhoose

Hello again,
Chelsey thanks for the tip on keeping the reciept for the personal dvd player! I've never heard of the idea for the flea collars...that sounds great...would all branches need the collars? What would be the top 5 gifts to send over to a friend in the marines who has been deployed for 3 months for Xmas?

My son is in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He left last month. This is his 2nd time to Iraq. I've been praying for God's protection over him and all of the military in Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan. This site is wonderful! I have a daughter in the Air Force Reserves, so that means our house is lonely. If anyone would like to email me, please do. It is: Pattisuzy@aol.com. God bless you all!!!

Just wanted to say this site is GREAT!
I love everything you are doing for these soldiers. My husband is currently serving in OIF and I cannot begin to tell you how much a care package brightens thier day, and signifigantly boosts moral. I send large care packages to him often, which he shares among his unit. I have recieved SO many thank you letters from his fellow soldiers, expressing thier gratitude, because they don't recieve mail, so his shared goodies are always a hit. Christmas is coming and I recomend any care packages you send flat rate and priority leave by at least the 20th of November. it typically takes 3-4 weeks for 093-- APO's to recieve packages. Any questions, feel free to email me and ask.
Thanks,
Krissy

hello I'm in Iraq right now and my family and friends dont have the money to send me care packages would like something to feel appreciated and loved my address is:
SGT Beam
15 Trans/ 1st plt
APO AE 09378

Thank u I appreciate it so much

Hi...I'm a Senior in High School but I started a HUGE project at my school where current students write to the alumni who are in the armed services. There are 40 alumni and I want them to write letters, and we want to do something special for them for christmas...any ideas?

My brother is currently serving his 2nd tour in Iraq and will not be home for Christmas again this year. I am going to teach my children it is better to give than to receive this Christmas. We are going to adopt my brother and his unit for the holiday. I have also recruited the help of others in this adoption to provide them with what they need/want. I would like my girls to make something for each individual. I was thinking Christmas cards, or any card, I guess. What about a small ornament that they can create and put the year on? Any other suggestions that would touch their hearts and be meaningful? My girls are 7 and 9. Thank you for thinking about this..Jen

Hi! I would like to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for this site and for the people that support our troops! I am a PROUD Army Wife ! My husband is on his second deployment to Iraq. Yuk! ALL of your suggestions are great!!! Especially the flea collars, the sand fleas over there are brutal! I would also like to suggest that if you know someone serving , please consider sponsoring 1 or 2 more soldiers. You can ask your soldier to pay attention to who doesn't get mail and get their info. Its just as easy to send 2 or 3 pkgs as it is to send one!! Plus you might just end up with a life long pen pal!! There are quite a few young men in my husbands unit that don't receive any mail at all. Alot of these young people join the service because they don't have a good family history and want something better for themselves. So the army becomes their family. We really need to support these soldiers especially during the holidays. And you don't need to send them anything elaborate either. They would be so thankful for a book, a crossword puzzle or even a simple letter. Just something to let them know that they are appreciated and that someone took the time out of their busy schedual just for them. They need to know that what they are doing over there matters and more importantly that they are not forgotten. So any support you can offer these young men and women is greatly appreciated!!! Its because of all you people out there that have these sites and the people that contribute to them, that keep our soldiers going. Again THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!!

Some tips - do not wrap things in gift wrap. If searched they need to be able to see everything in the package easily and quickly or it might get discarded. There is a link on the Usps web site that lists the specific cut off dates for priority mail as based on the APO/FPO zip codes. The latest date listed is Dec 11th. Remember that the soldiers do not have a lot of room, so make it some thing that is easy to carry around with them. There are a lot of companies that offer military care packages so you can find one resonably priced and let someone else put it together and fill out the paperwork for you. One great idea I have seen is that if you fill in the instructions in case of nondelivery with "chaplain at same" if that person has been moved or sent home they will give it to the chaplain who will give it to another soldier who is still stationed there.

My Son has been in Iraq for 14 months now. If sending care packages, remember flea collars to put around their boots for the sand fleas. International phone cards so they can call home during Christmas. He is a Tank Driver and Very proud of the 3/8 CAV Unit

My boyfriend was just deployed today to Iraq with the 601st ASB Company B. It was so nice to see this website and see the great ideas that we can send our boys over there. I will definitely be sending some care packages in the near future!

I forgot to add my email address, computerbuddy@earthlink.net

Hello everyone!
My son Dave is in Iraq, in Baghdad. If anyone is wanting to sponser a wonderful human being this Christmas and his troop, please consider Dave. He is from Michigan. He doesn't have alot of family or friends and is very lonely. Here is a list his wife provided...
CARE PACKAGE IDEAS FOR DAVE!

A tour of your city by mail: postcards, souvenirs, etc
Valentines out of season
Pictures from a special event
Peanut butter cookies with Hershey kisses in them
Chocolate chip cookies
Mix CD's
Letters full of clich�s (if you do this one, warn them that that's what it is)
Write with stickers
Brownies
Seasonal items
Bold Chex Mix
Favorite books and magazines
o Us
o This Old House
o Air Force Times
o Log Cabin
o Local real estate books from
o Readers Digest
o Newspapers
o Any other magazines
Candy
o Tangy Taffy
o Tootsie Rolls
o Fun-size Snickers
o Nerds
Cards and stamps
Any canned foods that can be microwaved (raviolis, peaches, Easy mac, other fruits, etc.)
Individual cereals
Bowls, plastic utensils
Disposable Tupperware type containers
Ziplock sandwich bags
Microwave popcorn
Anything Christmas!

TSgt David Martin
Al Rustimayah
NTM-I (NATO)
APO AE 09390

I've modified his care package needs for you.
(From his wife)
The chow hall there has a very limited menu, so the prior guys said he will really need foods he can microwave, or canned stuff.

How can I send homemade cookies to Iraq? I am concerned they will "spoil" on the way there-but it sounds like lots of you send them! Any advice will be appreciated!

What a great website! My son is now in Iraq...he's career and was in Bosnia a number of years ago. He was also stationed twice in Germany and I sent 'American' care packages to him. This site has given me so many more ideas of what to send, now that he's in Iraq. I kept trying to come up with some new, interesting things. This helps so much. He's a SFC, so he's sharing a lot of the things I send with his troops, especially the home-baked items. Many of these young people are in the Army because they don't have much family. Send things your trooper can share. Thanks to all of you who are sending packages even though you don't know anyone there. They are greatly appreciated by all.

oops.....Jane from OSU-here is my email....jillmc225@earthlink.net

Jane-Send me an email, and I can link you up with a soldier in Iraq from Columbus.........he is on his second deployment. sigh.

Hi
This site has been very helpful. My husband is deployed over in Europe. I want to send him individual items that you can open everyday of December until Chirstmas. My question is I would like to put the items in gift boxes. I was wondering if I can wrap items also, or do they need to be unwrapped? My husband was deployed before but he came home before Chirstmas. So this part is new to me. Thank you.

Hello
I enjoyed this site I have sent my husband one care package he only has been there a month and I just wnated to see if I could find some cute ideas for the next one i send. Um desiree u asked for a unit well my husbands is over there he's from Vilseck Germany! He is 2nd Calvary Regiment e-mail me if u need information or want to send his unit some care packages I'm sure they would love that! They are infantry. sugarbabychic88_206@yahoo.com thankx for this site it helped a lot

Hi. I was very excited to find this site. A man I had just recently started talking to was deployed over there. The care package I sent him was very well received. I personalized the package by taping funky post-it notes to every item I bought explaining it's significance. He said that meant more to him than the actual goodies (although, he loved that as well). So rather than just adding the gifts, make it special in your own unique way.

i have sent several large care packages to a unit in iraq. the address is my friend's. i have used my own money in preparing these care packages. i just sent 4 this month. how can i get people involved and to donate? my company would like to help me in the care packages but i'm not sure how to make it an organization or something so that we can get donations from stores or more people. do you know what i should do? if i send 30 boxes? do i alone pay for all the shipping? i don't know if i can get people to donate or participate if i am not part of a certain organization.

i am looking for a unit from Ohio... i have a group of Ohio State alumni who would like to support a unit. if anyone knows of one please post!!! thanks!

OK...got my first e-mail from my son-in-law. He's now in Iraq. SO....I'm now new to this deployment process and will probably ask questions that have been asked and answered a million times before. I understand in the winter it rains alot. Any great ideas of what to send our troops to beat the winter blues? I think I'm also going to send care packages to my daughter who's alone and scared to death for her new husband, after all, her half her heart is in Iraq now.

Soldiers love those personal dvd players. If you send them be sure you insure the package! Keep your receipt from the store you bought it at with your insurance info prom the post office. Send Christmas packages before the end of November!! Ciao!

I was wondering if anyone has more ideas on what soldiers in Iraq need? What are some items that they would probably really want? Are personal DVD players acceptable? Thanks!

Hey Brian Dudley, Send me a email. I want to send you a package. But want to know what you might need.

duck92465@aol.com

I was also told NOT to include my soldier's rank. Joshua's also at COB Speicher, deployed couple weeks ago. Sounds like we've got some soldiers in the same place. Joshua is with A-Company, 601st ASB. Glad to be a part of this group & see we're all looking for things to ease our soldiers' wants/needs. Take care and thank your soldiers for their service.
Mary Lou - Proud Army Mom from Round Rock, Tx

Why are you not supposed to use your soldiers' rank? When my boyfriend told me what to write for the address he told me to include that.

Just as I finished my posting, Rear D sent me an e-mail with a zip code change. I will list Branden's full address in Iraq again.

Branden Lester
D Company, 2-1 GSAB
COB Speicher
APO, AE 09393

Thanks again! Let's pray all of our Troops return safely!

Laurie :) Columbia, IL

Hello, This website is AWESOME!! My son deployed a few weeks ago. I am putting together mailing instruction and package ideas for my family. Sadly there are always those soldiers who do not have much family support. For that reason I am posting my sons info. If anyone is looking for a unit to sponsor they can send packages to Branden and he will make sure it is dispursed. We were instucted to not send pork products or large amounts of religious material against Islamic Faith. Religious items for personal use is okay. We were also told not use our soldiers rank.

My son is
Branden Lester
D Company, 2-1 GSAB
COB Speicher
APO, AE 09369

They will be there until January 09.

Thanks for this site and to all those who support our troops!

Laurie :)Columbia, IL

I have a son in Iraq. Since we are from Georgia we sent him a "redneck" package. It had moon pies, pork rinds, country music, pecans, vidalia onion relish, dried peaches, etc. It was everything we could think of that would remind him of home. We even sent him movies like Talledega nights, which aren't about Georgia but Nascar is big thing here.

Our next package will be B rated movies. The ones that are so bad that they make you laugh. Items like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.

CHRISTMAS PACKAGES!! For ya'll planning on sending packages to Afghanistan or Iraq check with your local post office on when to send. From my experience space avaliable mail should go before Nov. 26th and Priority before Dec. 10th. Remember that the USPS only has control of it til it hits the military postal service hands. Also if your soldier is in a remote area it will take even longer for his packages to reach him. Anyway ya'll rock and I hope this helps you.

Hey everyone! It is so fantastic that people are still posting comments after a couple years. I used this website during my husbands first deployment in '05-'06 and now it has come to that time again. I have 15 months ahead of me so I will need some fresh new ideas and tons of inspiration come from this web page. I would like to remind everyone that when you mail care packages be sure to have it addressed to a person not "any soldier". Soldiers are great about sharing the packages they receive and if addressed to "any soldier" it could be discarded of. To all of you soldiers thank you thank you thank you for your service and from all over the world we support you and are looking forward to your safe return. Spouses, parents, family, friends...thank you because a soldier doesn't serve alone his loved ones are with them through the good and bad. All of you on here just feeling inspired to send donations to these brave men and women you do not know...thank you especially. Your support reminds them that the American people have their back.
Much love to ya'll down range. Take care, stay safe, and come home soon.

Hey Brian, I would love to keep in touch with your unit. I sent you a letter today, but I know it will be a while before you receive it. If you'd like to email me that would be great. trishanne202@hotmail.com

Great site. Thanks for the tips on what to send and links to USPS etc. I was inspired by the video.
Remember our soldiers in prayer and in action - send them letters and care packages.

Hi everyone, what is the deadline this year (2007)to get care packages and cards to the soldiers in Iraq?

My nephew LOVED it when I included a PILLOWCASE in his box of goodies. I put it in a zip lock bag so it didn't absorb other smells.

If anyone would like any ideas for themed care packages let me know, I have 11 pages of them and some info on cake in a jars.
ckamk1995@yahoo.com

My name is Brian Dudley, my unit 58th IBCT was recently deployed to Iraq last month. We will be here for 15 months so any care packages would be really appreciated. We are originally from Maryland. There are roughly 145 troops in my unit.

The address is:
SSG Dudley, Brian
58th IBCT, HRD
Unit# 42205
Victory Base Camp
APO AE 09342

MY BOYFRIEND IS IN IRAQ , HE'LL BE LEAVING IRAQ IN OCTOBER...I HOPE HE DOESN'T GET DEPLOYED AGAIN ....AND I TALK TO HIM EVERY OTHER WEEK AND WE EMAIL EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME. I LOVE HIM AND MISS HIM SO MUCH... AND I'M PUTTING HIM TOGHETHER A CARE PACKAGE.. THIS SITE GAVE ME SOME GREAT IDEAS...HE'S NOT ONLY MY FUTURE HUSBAND ...BUT ALSO MY BEST FRIEND ....I PRAY FOR HIS SAFE ARRIVAL HOME!!!!

I have a son and daughter-in-law in Iraq. This is their second go around. My son ended up with a lot of kidney stones due to all the mineral water they drink while there. I spoke to my MD about this and she told me to send him lots of lemon juice to put in his water. Lemon juice is a natural solvent of kidney stones. So we send him lots of those little lemon packs you find in resturants. Hopefully this will help. Just in case someone else out there has this problem.

I want to say thank you for all of the information. I'm starting a care package contest at my work. I'm asking for donations from all employees then anyone who has a loved one or family member deployed they can put their name in a drawing, a name will then be drawn out and that person will get the package for their loved one. The place that I work as a no solicitation policy so I had to make it into a contest. I don't care how I have to do it but at least the company is willing to let me do it. Thank you I plan on printing the ideas out for everyone to read over for donations.

Thank YOU!!!
Shellie

Just heard from my brother-in-law that he can't find PEANUT BUTTER anywhere. So, I'm off to buy large quantities to ship to Iraq!

Thanks for the information on what they need. He's not very big on asking for things, so this site helps a lot.

My husband just got deployed to Iraq 3 weeks ago and this site gave me some great ideas. I sent him a pillow in my first care package - he was so thankful that I had sent one. In the summer it sounds like stuff for feet and powder are needed. I also sent some of those flavored packets you can add to water - since they are drinking so much water due to the heat. Thanks for the ideas.

Hey everyone, this site is really good, i currently have 5 adopted soldiers and an adopted platoon that i take very good care of...however, i'm running short on fun ideas, since i don't really know any of them very well yet...anyone who has any ideas, please email me at allshookupnow@aol.com
Thank you!

these items you have are great. alot of times, especially when you are new, you end up sending the wrong things that just don't work.. Even then you never know what they are getting alot of.. the great thing about your site is that you can put a package together and add to it. That way you know they are getting what the need or want.. for our guys and gals, protecting us!

Thank you so much, I spent so much time trying to find info on what to send on the USO page but couldnt find anything. My brother is going to Iraq at the end of this week and we were all talking about making a care package for him. So thank you so much this really helped.

Thank you so much for creating this site. My boyfriend just left for Iraq 2 weeks ago and I have been freaking out everyday since. I have been racking my brain to think of some fun things to send him, and things that he can really use. This site really helped a lot and I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. I'm sure he will to!

I WOULD LIKE TO DO THANK YOU CARE PACKAGES FOR TROOPS THAT HAVE SERVED AND ARE NOW HOME TO LET THEM KNOW WE APPRECIATE ALL THEY HAVE DONE FOR OUR COUNTRY. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON GIFT IDEAS AND HOW I WOULD GO ABOUT FINDING NAMES IN MY AREA?

can anyone give me a couple Iraq based addresses? I have care packages I would like to send out and want them to go to anyone abroad serving our country. Thank you from Southern California

This is a great site, and thank you so much for doing this! I am a military mom, and a very proud one at that. This warms my heart. My son is due for his first deployment in about 2 weeks. He is a Navy Corpsman attached with the 2nd Marine Division. I am a member of both the Navy Moms and Marine Moms sites, and also a member of the PGR. I will share this site with all. Any and all information on packages, etc., is always helpful! God Bless you all, God Bless our troops.

If anyone is interested in adopting a soldier during his/her deployment I am a member of a great group called Soldiers Angels. You adopt a soldier during their deployment, write, send care packages and generally all the support you can! These soldiers names are sent to Soldiers Angels by other Soldiers or family members that notice they arent getting much mail or care packages...it is an awesome way to show your appriciation of all our Soldiers do for us! Here is the link, thanks!

http://www.soldiersangels.org/adopt_a_soldier.php

I am proud to be a Soldiers Angel!

Thank you so very much for all of your suggestions! My son is in the Army and set to go over to Iraq on or around the 15th. of February. Our community has rallied behind him and are excited to show their support for the men and women fighting for their country. Thanks again for this wonderful website. Tracey Stirling Big Lake, AK.

Hello again to all. Once again a hearty Thank You goes out to all those who are supporting the troops.

Here are a few answers to some of the common questions asked about over here.

Question #1 What is the weather like? Currently it is January and the weather goes from about 60 degrees during the day to about 40 degrees at night. It will begin to heat up again in a couple of months and by August it will get back to highs of 150 degrees. Add your body armor and a hot vehicle and it is a great weight loss program.

Question #2 How long are you going to be there? I have about another year before I will finally arrive back home for good. This is my second rotation and the first time I was over here for 15 months.

Once again a BIG THANK YOU to all the folks who have taken the time to drop a line, send a card or a care package.

As before if anyone has any question they can email me at riippi@aol.com.

SFC Charles Riippi
SECFOR
Unit # 60500
APO AE09375-0500

Thank you for the good ideas. You have helped me to add a little variety to my packages.

Sue -

I would check with your local post office (since silly string is considered "hazardous materials" I believe you have to pay extra to ship it.)

You may find some helpful info here:

Silly String: A Special Request From Troops

Soldiers In IRAQ Need More Silly String

Hello, I am a High School teacher at Sycamore in Cheatham County, TN. My students want to do a service project for soldiers. They want to send silly string. I found your site while doing a search on how to send it. Do you know how to send it? If not they would be happy to send care packages. I saw the list of things, but where would we send them? Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for this wonderful site. My son is in Iraq and between his grandfather and I we try to send him different things in his care package that he can share. He called me today and asked me to take money out of his account and put together a care package for a female friend of his. She is not in his unit but she has not received any care packages since she has been there. Since my son is in an all male unit I had no idea what to get for her. So thank you for your great ideas.

Hi everyone,
I wanted to share part of the email I received from SGT Aaron Hansen (see above comments) this morning.

I do so to give you an idea of the types of things you may want to include in your care packages...

"We got a great amount of joy on everything you sent, the chocolate pretzels were a great treat along with the carmel's, I think everyone was amazed at the movies, the games, the footballs....everything, it was a heartwarming gesture....thank you thank you thank you.....that was excellent and terrific thing you and your husband did for us, I cannot thank you enough. this will help us with our downtime to play games that we cannot get over here and watch movies and have snack food while we play and watch movies, then we can burn off all of that excess energy and tension with running around playing catch....thank you very very much....you boosted up our morale big time, you have no idea how many life's you changed for a good, thank you very much SGT Aaron Hansen"

Hello,

My name is SFC Charles Riippi. I am currently serving in Iraq and wanted to thank all of you who have taken time and money to send soldiers care packages. It really does make a difference in morale. I work in an operations center and we have a wooden box that we have nicknamed the "Snack Chest". Anytime anyone gets a care package and they have extra, they put it in the box. Anyone who is passing through is welcome to anything we have in the Chest and it goes through cycles of empty and full. Point being if it was not for kind individuals like yourselves it would not be possible. Many soldiers are on limited incomes and many have taken a pay cut to serve their country. So snacks and comfort items are appreciated. All that people like yourselves do really does make a difference.

If anyone has any questions please feel free to email me at riippi@aol.com. I will answer anything I can.

Just wanted give you all one more Thanks!
SFC Charles Riippi

Thanks, But I think he and his unit deserve some thanks as well. I was just googling and tinkering with the idea of a care package and little did I know I would end up, lol, with a shopping cart full and 4 boxes are on their way.

Thank you for your site, as it helped alot. And hopefully it can help them as well. Thanks again!!

Hi Theresa -

That was incredibly sweet of you to send something to Sgt. Hansen & his unit.

Jim and I put a little something together as well.

Hopefully, they'll have a few more smiles this holiday season...

Hi, just wondering if you could let Sgt Hansen know that I sent out some packages for him and his troop, or how I could contact him to let them know they are on the way? Thanks!

I have more information regarding SGT Aaron Hansen's troop, if anyone wants to help...

His reply to an e-mail I sent him:
"First i would like to say thank you for returning my email, it has been very hard to get a hold of anyone who would be willing to help us, we have about 37 medical people here in my unit, but we are all spread out among numerious diffenrent spots all over Bahgdad, but the one I am at we have 25 of those 37 medics. We are all among different places in the US so we have different likes and dislikes, we are though an all male platoon in a all male unit, so please keep that in mind, if you want and trust you can send out my address and anything we get we usually share among everyone, to include snacks and goodies from family back home, the reason I emailed is there are many like myself who don't have family or do not have family who can afford to send anything, and the few who do get boxes do not get them that often and we see other soldiers go to the post office on our base and see others getting boxes from home and that brings down morale, so if you can help that would be great.

my mailing address is
SGT Aaron D. Hansen
HHC 1-5 CAV, 2 BCT, 1 CD
FOB LIBERTY, UNIT 43300
APO AE 09344-3300

Thank you for anyhting you can do for us, it will be appricated very much

SGT Aaron Hansen

Hello, I am retired military and belong to an organization Called S*M*A*R*T (Special Military Active and Retired Travel Club). We have been looking for a way to send care packages to forward deployed troops, Army and Marines. It has been difficult to find the correct things to do: items to send, mailing, personal messages and etc. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.
herb Whitfield, Retired USMC/USARMY

Please visit www.treatsfortroops.com. You can sign your unit up and visitors to the site can foster an individual soldier or foster a unit. Thanks for your service.

Greeting,

I am a soldier serving in Iraq and my unit was wondering if you knew any organizations which were willing to support a unit in Iraq and what kind of support would they be willing to give???

i have no idea what to send my friend in iraq! i've been looking around at ideas and websites where they ship packages to soldiers in iraq..but seriously still have no idea what to send =(

If you want to send homemade cookies, try packing them in a pringles or "stax" chips tube to avoid breaking or crumbling. Also, www.soldiersangels.com is another "adopt a soldier" program, and also provides the "Letter Writing Team" of volunteers who can't afford to send big packages, but can support troops through letter writing.

Hi my fiance is in iraq and i have no idea what to send to him. i need help.

Thank you so muc for this info. Especially, the info on CareKit#4. I have a brother that is in Iraq, right now. I've already sent him packages, but needed some more ideas.
:)
~K~

If you go to http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/622/soldiers.html
the webpage linked with this message you will find another GREAT personal care gift to send to a soldier and get 2 for 1 and free S&H -- the ANY SOLIDER Website wanted money from the seller to list it there

Heard this on the Bob & Tom Show and thought it was a FUN way to do something for the troops:

"The USO has created Operation USO Care Package, which is a way to send a message of thanks to the troops for their service and sacrifice."

The best part?... 10,000 of the USO care packages will include Bob & Tom CDs AND ... for only $25 you can send a soldier a care package FILLED with $90 worth of fun stuff.

What a great (and inexpensive) way to send a soldier something fun!!!

Stumbled across your site this morning and I have to say I am really impressed!! My son is in Iraq right now and was searching for things more festive to send him for Christmas. The ideas and links are fantastic...I'm off work today, so now I will be shopping!
Thanks for all the great ideas!

Ruth -
Thanks so much!... That's good to know.