Comments (14)

By Alyssa, July 7, 2010 9:01 pm

Because I loved receiving mail while deployed, I try to send a couple military care packages off every year.  If you’ve never sent a package, there are a few key things you should know.  This list is for those military care package newbies.

1.  Who wants a military care package?  If you don’t have someone specific you’d like to send a package, check out these sites and find a military member that would love to receive a little gratitude in the mail.

Any Soldier- Created by a soldier.  They provide the mailing address, you provide the package
Operation Gratitude- Send in donations and they send off the package
Troop Care Pack- Send pre-packed items to soldiers

2.  What do I send?  As I detailed in my Christmas care package post, I loved getting:

Food: Drink mixes, beef jerky, trail mix, protein bars, gum, chocolate (Oct-Mar only or it melts)

Other stuff: Old magazines (no pornography please), quality ear plugs, bungee cords, chapstick, hotel-size hygiene products, baby wipes (in small containers), fly swatters or strips

Find out if your soldier is in the middle of nowhere or on a Forward Operating Base (FOB) and design the package around the service member’s current mission.

READ THIS:  Jot down everything you’re packing in the box before you seal it up as you’ll need that list for the next step.

3.  What are the postal requirements?  This is the only not so fun thing about sending care packages… custom forms.  Although letters don’t require a customs form, you’ll need one for a care package.  Hopefully, after viewing this guide, it will be easy-schmeasy.

Here’s a great outline for a customs form that I found:

Here’s my example form for my fictional Private Joe Snuffy care package (Nope, I never stay in those little hash marks with my letters and, yes, I always mix up the first name, last name part.)

Take a couple of these forms the next time you’re picking up stamps or running an errand by the post office and fill this baby out at home.  If you’re like me and you always mess up the first one (case in point above), it will be a lot easier to do it again without angry peeps in line behind you.  Also note that last checked box as it sends the package back to you if your service member moved or came home before the box arrived.

Oh, and just so you know, sending a box “Priority” or “Overnight” only means quick delivery to the port in the United States.  Once it gets into the military mail system, there is no such thing as priority.

4.  When do I send a package?  NOW!  O.K., if you can’t send one right this second, think about sending one this summer.  There really isn’t anything better than receiving mail when you’re deployed.  Packages need at least two weeks to arrive at their destination so plan ahead for holidays, especially Christmas.

Don’t think you have time to send a care package right now?  Send a service member a thoughtful email through USO (United Service Organization).  It only takes a few seconds to express your gratitude for our heroes.

Comment if you have additional questions or tips.  Happy packing!

*** UPDATE: For security reasons, leave the rank off the package and customs form and instead just write the soldier’s first and last name. ***

Comments (1)

By Alyssa, October 19, 2009 4:31 pm

Thankfully, I’ve never had to spend Christmas deployed.  One of the best Easter services I attended was under Army green canvas in the “Middle of Nowhere” Iraq, but I’ve always been with my family during Christmas.  My Dad is spending another Christmas in Iraq this year.  He’s halfway through his second deployment spending his birthday, anniversary, Christmas, my mom’s birthday, and Easter without his family.  Don’t tell him (the web system over there doesn’t give him access to this site), but yesterday I packed a sweet Christmas box for him.  I also helped pack boxes for a few other soldiers.

Packing Boxes

Our church started a “Christmas Packages for the Troops” ministry a few years ago with the goal to give soldiers encouragement while overseas.  It started in someone’s living room with a few boxes and now they send almost two thousand boxes.  I was very impressed. Before the packing started, there was ceremony including the Pledge of Allegiance (I relied on the 4th grader standing next to me for some of the words… it had been awhile!), National Anthem, and my favorite rendition of the Army song so far (they played all the service songs but had it right playing the best one first).  The donated items for the boxes were incredible.  New books, crock shoes, food drink mixes, golf balls, you name it.  They had new bungee cords and electric toothbrushes too.  I know I’m geeking out about this stuff but you don’t understand what I would have given for an electric toothbrush and bungee cords while deployed!  At the end of packing a box, they inserted notes from kids, a bandana with dozens of signatures, and, at the end, green and red tissue paper and candy canes so it would be like opening a real present.

My Dad's Box

As I was packing, I’ll admit I was a little jealous.  During my first deployment, I was so far away from anything that there was an entire month I couldn’t speak to my family or receive mail.  I was trading envelopes for batteries and sugar packets for crackers.  Right now there are soldiers in similar situations.  They are on their fourth consecutive deployment and their family probably sent tons of stuff for deployment one and two, but by now, they aren’t receiving as much love from home.  For this reason, I love the ministry our church has undertaken.  When all of the boxes were packed yesterday, the entire group gathered around them and prayed over each box.  Prayers for safety, prayers for family members, prayers for love during the Christmas season.

Interested in packing boxes for a deployed Soldier?  I can tell you that it’s pretty easy to send something to one person and in turn be helping 5 to 10 soldiers.  Everyone in a unit loves when a package arrives, because soldiers always share.  I guess it’s being stuck in the same awful place that creates a giving heart.  Find one person you can send a box to and do it today!  ”What should I pack?” you might ask.  I formed an addiction to Green Tea Raspberry Crystal Light during my last deployment.  Here’s a list of things I would have loved:  Drink Mixes (as there is no running water and plain ole’ bottled water gets old fast), Old magazines, paperback books, SOCKS!! (black or white), beef jerky, trail mix or protein bars (just know that if you send chocolate it will be a melted hunk when it gets there), gum, EAR PLUGS (because you are NEVER alone), bungee cords, electric toothbrushes, chapstick (in a ziploc just in case it leaks), hand sanitizer, baby wipes….

Sending a package in the next week or two will ensure the box gets there by Christmas since the military mail centers are inundated with mail right before Christmas.  Don’t bother with priority shipping as once a package is transferred to the military mail, nothing’s really a priority (sorry, I’ve just known too many Army mail handlers).  Make a party out of packing boxes and invite a few friends over.  Each friend can bring a different item and, BAM, you’ve just helped someone that doesn’t get to see their sweet toddler in footed-jammies on Christmas morning.

If you’re in the Denver area, head to Cherry Hills Community Church (www.chcc.org).  We are packing more boxes this Sunday, October 25, starting at 1 p.m.  I love Christmas morning and can’t wait for that great feeling this Christmas knowing the same time I’m opening gifts, someone in the desert is opening my box.