What to send in care packages for soldiers in training?

Question

I have a NAVY and a MARINE to keep upbeat while in training.
What are some fun things (and yummy things) they are allowed to have and would also keep them from being too homesick?
They are my brothers, both just graduated High School and just joined now in July 2007.

Thanks a million!!!

Answer 1

Don't send anything but letters.

They're only there for a few weeks. They're supposed to be homesick... and they're expected to get over it. That's why at least for the first few weeks they aren't allowed to make phone calls.

Another reason the phone call is granted towards the end of their training is so they don't worry loved ones. When a kid hits boot camp he's in a totally different world. He has to get up when he's told. He has to go to bed when he's told. He has to study when he's told. He has to march where he's told. He has to do calisthenics when he's told. He has to learn that the walls are bulkheads, the floor a deck, and the ceiling an overhead. Doors are hatches, and the restroom is the head. He has to learn rules and regulations that will govern his activities for the next few years.. Most kids don't like it. When you first get there you can be absolutely convinced you won't make it through. One may hate the food. One may hate the hours. One may hate the discipline. One may hate the study. One may hate marching everywhere. One may hate those placed in charge of him. But, as time passes he finds out he's not really going to die. He can see graduation day approaching. he begins thinking about getting back home for a d\couple of weeks before his first deployment.That's when he's in a proper frame of mind to talk to his family.

Part of recruit training is getting used to being away from loved ones. For some, it's tough. But the military has been training kids to be men for quite a while. and they're pretty good at it.

More than likely, you received a package with everything he took with him. The military supplies all that he needs. The military checks packages for "contraband." That can be pretty much anything. A lot of stuff you might send him may not be received. When they're deployed, then you can send them stuff... but pack it so it doesn't arrive as crumbs.

Letters, as I recall, were distributed Saturday afternoons. I think a reason for that might have been to make sure everybody had a chance to get a letter. Some got several, but almost everybody got at least one. It was also probably to keep us focused on the stuff we were supposed to be learning.

A Navyman and a Marine. Lucky girl. You are probably going to be very popular with your friends... especially the girls... when your brothers get their two weeks leave before their first assignment.

Please do me a favor when you see them and thank them for their service. As I see it, the WWII Vets are almost all gone. The Korean Vets are close behind. We Vietnam Vets aren't getting any younger. It makes us feel good to know that there are some young folks, true Americans, following in our footsteps to catch the banner when we fall.

And there is an old World War II saying, "They also serve who stand and wait." That refers to families of soldiers and sailors. So thank you too for your service.

Answer 2

i would personally send nothing but a letter every now and then. they can't stop letters from getting to the soldiers but they can confiscate packages that might contain things that are not allowed in basic training. which is anything they did not take with them except what the list said to pack. if they forgot something then they buy it at the px. it just makes life for your son that much easier. trust me because i went through basic training in the air force. i have seen people get packages and seen them get locked away until graduation day where they get it back.

Answer 3

If you send them "yummy things" they will just get yelled at and probably put on there face for some pushups. Stick with writing letters and a few pics.

If you want to get back at your brothers ...send em the yummies!

Answer 4

Some writing paper already addressed envelopes with postage attached already and nice letters from home. Wait until they get out of Basic because cookies and candies are contraband to a trainee and they will get punished for having it in a box from home even.

They need shaving equipment and nice shaving lotion and shaving foam is a good thing for the trooper.

He can probably use fresh new underwear and white t-shirts and maybe some new white socks. (His white will get really grungy and sometimes it is better to just throw it out and replace it.

Also when he is out of Basic and AIT send him some top hats. Make your favorite peanut butter cookies and add some chocolate chips to the batter, scoop a 1/2 Cup scoop of cookie dough onto a baking pan and sprinkle the cookies with coarse sugar then put a chocolate kiss on top and bake as usual, cool and pack them in cupcake cups and fold over the top to cover the cooky, then pack lightly in a tine cooky can. Those go over well and hold a long time too, so he can eat them at his own pace.

My Mother used to send Birthdays in a box to me. She'd air pop popcorn to stuff a box so nothing would be damaged, then she'd pack several cans of cookies, several bottles of ready made cocktails, chips, party hats, a gift, a cake, frosting and candles, along with other and sundrie articles and a gift for me. The cakes would be baked in cooky tins and she'd make several of them and a couple of cans of frosting in different flavors--chocolate, vanilla, etc. whatever she thought we'd like so we could have several different cakes for whomever came to my party. And she'd also include candies and you name its. I never knew what I was gonna get, just knew it was gonna be fun for everyone. I had 12 birthdays that year I was in Vietnam. What a wonderful wayof celebrating one more month gone by! Made my time go by a little faster! Oh, and you could also eat the popcorn. Nothing was wasted.

And his favorite canned goods because he is living on canned goods after AIT and he is on his own.

Answer 5

i stick to just letters lol yummy things don't go over well with the Drills, they hated when we got stuff from home, lotta pushing, lotta sweating, and from experiance letters do the trick of keeping one upbeat very well

Answer 6

What one site says is "you can't." but what you can do is have something waiting for them on the way out - and write a letter informing them that once they are done you have something yummy waiting for them. That look to the future may be good for them..

http://www.militarymoms.net/basicformoms.html

Answer 7

if this is Boot Camp

NOTHING. They are not allowed anything but letters and cards while in Boot Camp. No food, no magazines, no nothing.

Oh wait, I take that back.. Stamps, envelopes and writing paper they can have

Answer 8

Sites with a good list of ideas:

http://www.geocities.com/militarycarepackage/

http://www.brandonblog.com/A_Soldiers_Blog_Care_Packages.html

http://operationmilitarypride.org/packages.html


But it mainly depends on their personality.. A couple of friends of mine like the logic puzzle books, word searches, etc.. mindless solo games...

Others may prefer books it just depends on them...

Answer 9

Depending on where they are maybe bug spray, or sunblock, m dad says he dreams about getting packages with them.

Answer 10

send them candy...protein drinks, baby wipes they help out even when i training!.....chapstick, lotion,bug spray, shaving cream razors, granola bars....rice krispie treats! thanks to your brothers for being brave soldiers!