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What Every Deployed Marine Needs: A Care Package

Features, On Target  //  July 3rd, 2012  //  By Cpl. Chelsea Flowers

Care packages are a piece of home for deployed Marines. Show your Marine you care by sending some of his favorite things to him while he's away. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Daniel Wetzel)

Whether your Marine is a grunt or an administration clerk, a dog handler or a pilot, receiving care packages when on a long deployment can mean much-needed strength to make it just one more day. It can put a smile on your Marine’s face and let him know he is always on your mind.

| More: The life of deployed Marines. |

“Honestly, who doesn’t love care packages?” said Cpl. Corey Landseidel, combat engineer with 1st Combat Engineer Brigade currently deployed to Afghanistan. “It’s like Christmas.”

The items don’t have to be costly or elaborate. They can be practical, sentimental, or to share with the whole squad.

We’ve put together a list of care package ideas that are Marine and Marine-family approved so the next time your Marine is away, you can provide the support and encouragement he needs.

Feel free to comment and add your tried and true ideas. Also, visit our U.S. Marine Corps Pinterest page for more ideas.

 

Food and Goodies:                                                      Entertainment:

Hard candy                                                                    Magazines/Books/DVDs

Instant coffee                                                                  Playing cards

Beef jerky                                                                       Travel Board Games

Dried fruit and nuts

Gum                                                                                 From Home:

Drink packets                                                                 Cigarettes and dip

Pop tarts                                                                          Photos of friends/family

Baked goods                                                                  Paper/letter-writing gear

Non-perishable snacks

 

Hygiene:                                                                        Clothing:

Baby Wipes                                                                    New socks

Razors                                                                             Skivvie shirts

Disposable toothbrushes

 

Miscellaneous:

Weight-tension bands

Water balloons (to keep cool and counteract boredom)


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  • http://www.facebook.com/nicole.becker.378 Nicole Becker

    Can I send him cigarettes?????

  • http://www.facebook.com/nicole.becker.378 Nicole Becker

    That is such a great idea!!! God bless you Joe!

  • katie maillet

    How can I adopt a Marine?

  • katie maillet

    How do I “adopt” a Marine to send to? THANK YOU!

  • http://www.facebook.com/jeanne.cabel Jeanne Cabel

    My son is a Marine, stateside, and I’ve been asked to find a few deployed Marines for a BoyScout Troop in Lake Zurich, Illinois…..anyone interested??? Let me know….the scouts would like to send directly to the deployed Marine. Jeanne

  • Marine Mom

    I’m a Marine mom adn was able to send 160 gift bags to our troops. I was able to get our postage paid by enlisting the help of our local American Legion womens auxillary. I hope this info helps with postage.

  • Halliefischer

    A helpful hint from a marine mom…enlist the help of family, neighbors, denitist offices and co-workers to donate food, toothbrushes, toothpaste etc. and talk to the local american legion womens auxillary who will pay for postage of boxes for our troops. I was able to send 160 gift bags for our troops and almost no cost to me. 

  • Deanna Parisi

    Gunnery Sergeant P.J. Anderson, Sir, I am also interested in adopting a Marine to send a care package to.

  • http://www.facebook.com/christopher.flurry Christopher Flurry

    This is a great list, and definitely some good information for anyone with a deployed Marine. One thing that I think is always important to remember are possibly restricted items — for instance if your Marine is in Afghanistan, that means alcohol and pornography are certainly not allowed
    But folks, the most important takeaway is that your care packages matter. Just like Cpl Landseidel said, they truly make any day like Christmas for a deployed Marine.

  • Lukas Atwell

    Maria Ann, a skivvie shirt is a green t-shirt that a Marine wears under his camoflague utilities.

  • Lukas Atwell

    Yeah, the Nerf Hoop. We had one in Iraq as well and it was a regular office game when I wasn’t outside the wire.

  • Lukas Atwell

    In Iraq I always found new socks, drink packets and books to be the most useful. Are there any Afghan vets or folks currently serving in Afghanistan who have some things that may be their favorite items to recieve?

  • Jlfusmc3381
  • Robert

    Go to the post office, they have flat rate boxes that you can load up and send for a flat fee.  A large box  12x12x5.5″ can be sent for $13.45. Don’t send anything that can melt in the summer. Temperatures exceed 110 degrees and will be goop when they arrive. You’re not suppose to send magazines like Playboy, but I send them anyway. Focus on toiletries and non-perishables and you’ll be good to go.

  • Robert

    Go to and there is a listing of deployed Marines you can send care packages to.

  • Lrwilson05

    Our organization (Indiana Marines Family & Friends) sends care packages throughout the year to Indiana Marines.
    Once a year we have a fundraiser (Hiking for Heroes; His Pack, His Boots, My Hero!) where we ask people to bring care package items and pledges and put them in a backpack and walk a mile around a track.  Then we take all the items we have collected that day and encourage people to “pack a box” and send them to ALL branches of military.  We place pictures at various tents/tables so they can see who the care packages are going to.  Last year we sent 130 care packages!!  It was a great event and we are already working on plans for this year’s event.  We are always looking for monetary donations to help pay for postage AND care package items.  I keep a box in my office at my full time job where items can be dropped off at any time.  

    Much love for our military………..especially our Marines.

    Proud Marine Mom

  • Phillip J Anderson

    Joe BP, I have a small team of Marines here in Afghanistan that are Avisors to the Afghan National Civil Order Police. You can adopt us if you like. There are 14 of us total. Thanks for your concern and support! Semper Fidelis…
    Gunnery Sergeant P.J. Anderson

  • Nig

    Because there are

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/25FPAYGHE6OZZTVTJVNG6VBSOA Maria Ann

    Question… What ia a “SKIWIE” shirt?  I would love to send one to my son.

  • Joemom12

    Go here, you can choose from many soldiers.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001816189613 Joseph Morris

    how dose one go upon sending one and are there restrictions on what i can send

  • Magdalena Krug

    Hi everyone, I volunteer for an organizion called “Adopt A US Soldier” which allows you to adopt deployed troops to send care packages and letters to. We are open to all branches and also support Marines. If you’re interested in supporting, please go to . Thanks! Magdalena

  • Angela

    Care Packages are so important to those deployed overseas. When I was married my husband served in the US Navy, and I know that the Care Packages really helped him. .The care packages boost their morale immensely, I cannot manify that enough! Letters from home, cassette tapes (but now they have computers and email), Family videos if family member is deployed. OH and don’t forget the popcorn! I would like to start sending care packages again. Is their a civilian goods drop off location, or is everything done monetarily?

  • SaM

    why does it say :
    Cigarettes and dip under from home?!?!?!?

  • Nikolai

    I’m also curious if you can “adopt” a deployed Marine?… if so, can you message me on Facebook?

  • Downsyndrome21

    There’s alot of programs that send free care packages, the one I like best is by the sister  and granddaughter of a marine. they send care packages year round to any branch but they do have a soft spot for marines

  • http://twitter.com/ANDA_JD Joe BP

    possible to “adopt” a deployed Marine to send a care package to?

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This entry was posted on July 3rd, 2012 at 2:30 pm and is filed under the Features, On Target category. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.