what to send to soldier in iraq

i have a 21 year old nephew in a transportation unit in iraq. he just got there in september. what can i send? here are some ideas, please tell me if it's good or bad, OK to send some of these things...

personal items - deodorant, tooth brushes/paste, shaving stuff, etc?

hardware - AA, D, C cell batteries, little screw driver/leatherman devices, little flash light, headphones

food stuffs - granola bars, powdered drink mixes, chips, candy

i'm totally at a loss, some things they are provided with, others they have to buy right? another though i had was if i sent him some things that he didn't need, he could put them up for grabs.

he's got a camera and laptop, maybe some recordable cd roms or something?

i am active duty and just finished up several deployments in the last couple years...

food stuffs are just annoying. unless they specifically ask for them...that's the general consensus anyway...granola bars get crushed over time in the mail. usually there is a makeshift px there anyway unless he's in a really crazy (not so built up) place that will have pretty much everything they need and most of what they want to snack on....

toiletries, about the same as foodstuffs but not as annoying. some babywipes are good, they almost always come in handy lol. if you can find them in wal mart or something, old spice makes sort of like baby wipes for adults...they are really nice to have!

i know i said foodstuffs are annoying, but find out if there is that one thing he loves and can't get over there, then you've hit gold! oh, i know....everyone like a nice hickory farms box.....that stuff is great!

it's actually kind of tough to say what to send and easier to say what not to send....find out if you can what he needs over there via email or something....every time i went i got there and realized i needed something but forgot to bring it....

that said, usually when you go over you pick up a new hobby, if only temporarily. with that may come a few accessories he didn't think to bring as its of course a new hobby

gotta ask him....i gotta say, my most anticipated shipments were ones i ordered myself. so only the individual knows what they want really. handwritten letters are always nice, as are pictures.

laptop...maybe a few little accessories that connect via usb, little usb flashpens....gizmos like that are always on guys' wish lists and are pretty cheap to boot

good luck!

My wife is over there and she just asked me to send some cold weather gear... i sent her 2 under armor long sleve shirts.. the heavy kind and 2 pair of long under armor long leg thermals.. I also sent her a few cd's that have come out since she's been gone..

A return ticket home?

My son is in Afghanistan right now and he asked for any kind of noodle soup you can just add hot water too. Hand and feet warmers (the ones you can slip inside your gloves and socks). Hot choco packets.
Chap stick, good in hot and cold weather.
Any thing packed in individual packages are good too... easier to pack in a ruc when going out on a mission.
He never says he needs anything but always asks for food type stuff that he can't get there.
So I guess it depends on the individual and how close to the immenities they are!
Good luck... get it sent out soon so it will be there by XMAS!
-Kaz

send him a flash card full of photos, he can download them and enjoy on his laptop and have extra memory to boot

i am currently in Iraq. Of all the things my soon to wife sends me nothing is better than a letter or a card being able to read the 3 simples words I LOVE YOU. but as far as sending things i agree food and toiletries do get old. don't get me wrong we love getting them but so many people and churches send boxes and boxes of this type of stuff. if you are sending to you nephew only then maybe see if there is a special soap,razors, or something he really likes. phone cards are always nice, favorite magazine( while we get them here, i know i can never find a good photo one), local newspaper. just ask for specific things or types of things. we do have access to most things here, but we can never get those items that we can get anywhere in the states, but could not get for anything like snickers bars, captain crunch cereal, well i could go on and on. but bottom line, just ask is there anything special or specific you could get. he will more than be greatfull. and to all those people who don't have anyone over here but continue to send HUGE boxes of food, and many other things, thank you so much, it truely means more than you could imagine.

Peace!!!

Under Armour would be a great idea... wicks moisture away from the body, therefore reduce irritation and keeps them cool in the hot weather, warmer in the cold weather... etc.

Handwritten personal letters are always sweet. Voice recordings too if you can. Or go all the way and get his friends and family on video and send him a DVD. Anything to remind him of home.

Oh, and most importantly... send him thanks.

thanks everyone. the under armour is a great idea. i took your advice on just plain asking him, i emailed him a couple hours ago and he just replied. he said AA batteries are always welcome, he just broke his leatherman and he'd love to get some blank DVD's. so i think i'll pack up a box of these things and send them over along with some candy and snacks even though it might not be all that _needed_ it'll be a nice "filler".

personal note: i'm very proud of all our service men and women!

murtaugh, nick mentioned that they are going to get the internet hooked up soon in their "chu's" which is guess is slang for the box-car they live in? LOL. does that mean anyone with a laptop will be able to hook up directly to it full time? should i send him a wireless router so he can hook it up and sit on his bed without wires? i suppose i could ask him.

yeah, he should be able to hook up full time with his laptop...he's more than likely "2 to a room" and the room is tiny, i don't think a wireless router would be necessary as he really doesn't have far to go from the wall

IMHO i would say it's probably nto necessary.

big respect to all the folks deployed during the holidays.....IT SUCKS! done it many times...thankfully I think my deployment days are over. okay actually looking back on it, it didn't suck....actually I had a great time in retrospect. took the best photos of my life in the box

a few snacks as fillers is perfect, beef jerky is great too....goes quickly though...people deployed can smell that stuff a mile away and come runnin for it!

If he wants AA batteries,

but we know he has access to power outlets..

Maybve a set of the nice Energizer AA NIMH Rechargeables and the small charger?

they have those 15 minute chargers, dont' know how good they are but could be an option.

yeah, rechargeable! i knew it'd be a good idea to ask on this forum. i'll send a few packs of regular AA and then get a pack of rechargeable too.

Rechargeable is a great idea. I'd look at Thomas Distributing and get some quality MAHA charger and batteries!

Get one for yourself too!