Now is the perfect time to send a care package as many soldiers are unable to come home for the holidays.
As U.S. troops continue to defend our nation overseas, many Americans want to know how to send care packages for service members — even if they don’t personally know them. When military members are away from home, they often have limited access to the necessities of life. While they may have access to the essentials, such as food and shelter, they may not have access to things that many people take for granted, such as basic toiletries, snacks, or even a fresh pair of socks. Kitchen Ink has created a list including items that are not only needed but special items from home that they miss. Prior to gathering items, please follow these important guidelines:
- Use sturdy packaging: The best packaging is a free Military Care Kit from the U.S. Postal Service, which includes tape, custom forms and address labels. The packaging is free, but the postage is not
- Provide accurate shipping information: Include your service member’s unit, last and first name, title, DPO/FPO/APO and full ZIP code. With a DPO/FPO/APO on the box the United States Post Office will only charge domestic shipping fees even if the soldier is overseas
- Complete the customs forms: You need to fill out customs forms for any shipping outside the United States. Customs forms are included with Military Care Kits or can be found on the USPS website
- Consider shipping time: Most care packages can make it to the Middle East in about two weeks, but some take longer. For holidays, allow about five weeks for delivery
- Be careful what you send: Check the post office’s prohibited items list to keep items from being rejected. Remember that sometimes packages from home get opened by someone before your service member, so don’t send anything you don’t want strangers to see. Also, don’t send things that are valuable or can’t be replaced – sometimes packages get lost
- If you are not sending the package to a specific person, remember the many women Soldiers there! If your package is intended for a woman, be sure to address the package, “Attn: Any Female Soldier”
A list of appreciated items:
- Stationery and pens – a must if you want to receive any letters from your service member. Send paper, envelopes, address labels, and pens, but skip the stamps. They won’t need them.
- Hot sauce (a great commodity to have around, and the convenience of Taco Bell sauce packets are great to have in the field)
- Water flavoring packets Remaining hydrated is so important. Individual packets of powdered drink (Kool-Aid, Crystal Light, etc.) are needed
- Snacks – Beef jerky, Slim Jim’s, protein bars, gum, hard candy, nuts, peanut butter (small plastic jars), microwave popcorn, squeezable apple sauce, chips (Pringle type containers best), small cereal boxes (one serving), and instant oatmeal
- Canned food – fruit, tuna, and soup
- Hygiene Items – 3 blade razors, small bottles of shampoo and body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and antifungal gels and creams, band-aids, fingernail clippers, Packets of antibacterial hand wipes and unscented baby wipes
- Practical/Useful – small sewing kits, high-quality socks, hand warmers, lens cleaning cloths, and adhesive wall hooks
- Entertainment – coloring books, colored pencils and sharpener, word search books, Soduko and crossword puzzle books, playing cards and card games, and small electronic games
MOST IMPORTANTLY -Don’t forget a personal handwritten note thanking the soldier for protecting your family and freedoms.
The Department of Defense does not operate a program for members of the public to send care packages and holiday mail to deployed service members. However, those wishing to send materials to service members can do so by contacting any of the various non-DOD military service organizations who still do this work. The Blue Star Mom’s is a national organization that accepts donations and prepared care packages to ship overseas.