'Tis the season to be selfish and greedy for an 8 year-old, but for those of us who are worried about the price of gasoline, crude oil and the stability of our IRAs, it is the time of year to think about others, and who better than the men and women overseas who work every day to ensure our ability to continue watching 'Family Guy' without Osama bin Ladan banging on our door. There is no time in the year more difficult to be deployed in a war zone. So, here are some ways to let the troops fighting to preserve the image of infallible strength which guarantees our liberty know that they'll be home for Christmas, if only in our dreams.
Christine Fulton put together a great starter list of gift ideas for troops serving in Fort Sandbox. Check it out, click here. This list includes everything from food stuffs to headlights and knee pads.
From what I understand, Halliburton's standards for quality food have fallen over the course of the last five years, so food stuffs are always a great gift. MyGiftBasketIdeas.com
offers two sizes "Treats for Troopers." The small box is priced at $28.95, and the medium is $34.95. If you were thinking something with a little more substance than just CheezIts and M&Ms, I have had two separate requests for non-perishables such as EZ Mac or packages of beef jerky (people say Slim Jim's, but before you buy them think about it... do you like Slim Jim's? Go for the Jerky. Try Jack Link's. It's awesome.) A few suggestions for beverages: Swiss Miss or Nestle hot cocoa, juice boxes, coffee supplies such as instant coffee, sugar packets and non-dairy creamer, or Crystal Light's On-The-Go packets.
At E.D. Foods Inc., you can find a package of 10 instant soups free. Just pay the shipping.
Sticking with food products, get regionally specific, and send troops a taste of normality. For example, servicemen and women from the tri-state area will appreciate TastyKakes as a reminder of home. The company has a highly unpublicized holiday season sale for troops: Buy one case and get a second case of equal or lesser value free. They even handle the shipping for you. Just call 800.33.TASTY.
Under Armour gear is a hot item among those stationed overseas. At Brigade Quartermaster's, you will receive 10% off all Under Amour products - including gloves, shirts and briefs - by using promotion code UA10 AND through Dec. 7, you also receive $25 off an order of $150.
Pre-paid phone cards are a great gift. These are hard to come by online, most of the time when you purchase a "card" over the Internet, you are just buying airtime minutes with an access code. But check out BaseOps for information on international cards for troops.
Gift certificates are also good. Believe it or not, troops have a wealth of access to the Internet and can do their own shopping if they have funds. Sites like Amazon.com or Best Buy are great places to find entertainment for the idle mind such as DVD's, CD's, books or video games.
Cigarettes are always in short quantity because, let's face it, soldiers tend to be heavy smokers. Order European cigarettes and save huge. Smokin'4Free also has a variety pack with 10 brands in one carton for under $15.
Personal hygiene products are always in high demand as well. Think shampoo and conditioners, body washes, face masks (yes, apparently even GI's care about the size of their pores and acne problems), and moisturizing lotions. Help The Soldiers can put together a care package with everything from Q-tips to Advil (and that's not the expired Ibuprofen that they give to our troops).
Here's a gross, yet practical one for you. A publication in Nova Scotia ran a piece on the persistent skin problems troops face. The article recommended a product called SkinFix, a paste that treats everything from psoriasis and rosacea, ecsema and sunburns to athletes foot, fungal infections and minor burns.
For something a little lighter that might just bring a smile, try CSL News Cartoons. They take military comic strips and put them on everything from t-shirts to coffee mugs.
If you don't have anyone in particular overseas, but you still want to help, Operation Troop Appreciation takes donations, both monetary and "new or gently used" items to send to troops.
Some Soldier's Mom has some great suggestions for gift items and how to go about shipping them as well.
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