Gifts Under $15 for Military Personnel

This holiday season, literally tens of thousands of men and women will miss celebrating with their families. The troops stationed overseas in the Middle East probably don't have the same type of wish list that the average person does. Many also don't receive a lot of mail, much less packages. Their needs and wants are different and sometimes very basic and simple to satisfy for as little as $15.00.

So this year, why not add one more name to your shopping list and send a package to a soldier? If you don't have a relative or friend serving in the military, there are many support groups that will be more than happy to supply the name of someone serving overseas or forward your gift to them. It won't cost a great deal, but will be valued immensely by the recipient.

A well maintained and very impressive site where you can go to connect with a service member is called www.troopcarepackage.com You can submit your name and email and will receive the name of a deployed soldier in either Iraq or Afghanistan. You may request a preference for a male or female troop member and depending on who is available in the database, you may get your selection. You are provided with a mailing address, date due home, and also a wish list if the soldier submitted specific wants. Then you can get started with assembling a care package that will make the holidays brighter for someone a long way from home.

One of the most sought after items, aside from personal hygiene supplies, is phone cards. Because of existing phone lines and networks overseas, AT&T prepaid phone cards seem to provide the best connection.

A sixty minute prepaid AT&T phone card costs on average $9.00. A hundred minute prepaid phone card runs about $13.00. Either one would give a service man or woman a much-needed connection to their families and lives back home. You can conveniently order them online from AT&T's site.

Disposable cameras are another hot item on many soldier's wish lists. There are a dizzying quantity of them available on the market, but the industry standard Kodak and long standing Fugi have models that provide good quality photographs at a reasonable price.

The Kodak Zoom is a one time use camera that costs $12.95 and is available for purchase on Kodak's website. Complete with a built-in flash, it comes loaded with Kodak Max 800 speed 35 millimeter film with 27 exposures. This camera has an adjustable lens setting that allows the user to take pictures with or without the zoom feature. When in use, the zoom feature brings the subject of the photograph 35 percent closer than a regular disposable camera. Indoor or outdoor settings are possible with the flash.

Fujifilm Fujicolor QuickSnap Flash camera runs $8.98. It is another one time use disposable camera. The Fugi comes already loaded with Superia X-TRA film with 27 exposures. It also has it's own Quick Flash system that has a light range of up to 14 feet. The camera has a counter that is easy to read and keeps you informed as to how many exposures are left.

As a child, you might have dreaded the gift of socks. But soldiers include them on their most wanted list. Spending countless hours in military boots is extremely stressful on their feet, so it is important to have comfortable footwear underneath their soles.

Hanes has provided quality socks for generations and is still producing some of the best footwear today. Hanes Custom Comfort Heavyweight Crew for men comes in a pack of 3 pairs for a mere $6.00. You will be hard pressed to find a better value in money or comfort. The socks have three different cushioning levels, according to the company. Woven from a blend of 85% Cotton, 11% Polyester, 2% Nylon, 2% Rubber , they are available in sizes 9 to 11.

For women, the Hanes Custom Comfort Midweight Crew is a another great buy at the same 3 pack for only $6.00. The socks material blend is slightly different than the men's; 78% Cotton, 15% Polyester, 4% Rubber, 3% Nylon, for a softer feel. The sizes come in the same rage of 9 to 11.

Make this holiday season seem a little more like home for someone who can't be there themselves. Grab some socks instead of a stocking, fill them with a camera and a phone card and know you've made a difference.