How to Put Together a Care Package for a Soldier

One of the best things you can do as an American is support our troops by sending small gifts for deployed soldiers. It's actually very inexpensive to send a care package overseas. It will cost you less to send a package overseas than to the next town over.

My husband was in Iraq for almost 15 months. For this article, I asked his him and his friends who were deployed with him what they loved to receive in a care package from a stranger back home. The most common answer was letters. So, if you want to support our soldiers and don't have any extra money, the best thing you can do is send a letter! It just takes a regular US stamp.

Another thing my husband absolutely loved was when a stranger sent him a message on his MySpace thanking him for his service. They would become friends on MySpace. There were a few people that would leave random comments for him. He was always happy when that happened. You don't need money to tell a soldier thank you. However, if you do want to send a care package to a soldier, here are some things you'll want to consider including.

Candy and food from back home they can't get while overseas such as Nerds. They can put these in a pocket in their uniform and eat them almost whenever. Don't send things that will melt or get nasty like chocolate or peanut brittle. It's best to send things that are smaller. So, if you want to send Pringles, send the smaller cans. They're easier to transport as they move around often. Kool-Aid is another great idea. But, send the individual ones they can pour in their water bottle. If you send a regular packet, they may not have the sugar to add or a big container to mix it all in. I sent my husband a few regular packets along with some individual ones. He used the individuals immediately, but the regular ones he couldn't.

If you send canned goods, make sure they can be opened without a can opener. Consider sending sugar packets, ketchup packets, mayonnaise packets, etc. They run out of this stuff. Just ask a local restaurant if they have any extra. If you tell them why you need it, I'm sure you'll get some! Don't send any homemade food or anything out of factory sealed packages. Soldiers are instructed to throw these away if they do not personally know the sender.

Hand sanitizer gets used over there really fast. They don't always have water. Their hands will get dirty fast and sometimes there's no way to get them clean. Send the travel sized hand sanitizer bottles. These they can put in a pocket and carry to use when they need it. They love these. You can't go wrong with hand sanitizer. Baby wipes are also a great idea. Again, travel size. For some soldiers, this is how they bathe. Also strongly consider sending chapstick and sunscreen. These items will surely get used and they can never have enough of it.

Soldiers go through nail brushes as well. They don't just use them to clean their nails, but for cleaning equipment, shoes and spots on their uniform. Bic lighters are also appreciated. I say Bic because they last a long time. Cheap lighters break easy. They don't just use them for lighting cigarettes. Some soldiers need to light a fire every day for cooking or burning fecal.

Another great idea is to send small gag gifts. My husband had a lot of fun with a fake toy spider for a bit. They're always joking around with each other. You can send inflatable balls, cards, Frisbees, yo-yos and batteries.

If you're still at a loss for ideas, visit www.anysoldier.com. There, you will find recent specific requests made from representatives of each unit. This way, you know what you're sending is especially needed and appreciated.