Care Package - question for grunts

tuna

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While I started in the Army, they soon found I could read and I had to change over to the Air Force. So I’m asking this question as care packages relate to actual grunts overseas, not Fobbits or Intel pukes like me.

Is there anything you can’t really get yourself anymore?

In 2014 I was able to order from Amazon and have my stuff in hand in a week. So I wasn’t doing without whatever I needed or wanted. How was it for guys down range? Do you have that same ability when not outside the wire? I’m guessing you won’t get any mail or packages on patrol, whether a care package or Amazon.

My daughter’s school is collecting for troops, and it’s led to some fun conversations around the house.
1. Everyone thinks my idea of a carton of Marlboro and or a log of Copenhagen is a terrible idea. And it’s unhealthy. (But what do I know?)
2. Most people think the internet stops at our border
3. Most people envision Tripp’s living in WW1 era trenches with only rats, dysentery and lice to keep you occupied.

So, Grunts, is there anything you can’t get? Or should I just go with the stuff we all liked; Doritos, Pringle’s, baby wipes, listerine*, and thumb drives full of porn?

Thanks
 
cigars! a social club I belong to sends cigars in their packages. not white owl shit, decent cigars. the guys seem to go nuts over them. we have pictures on the walls of the guys stoking up that they send back.

it's not a matter of what they can buy themselves, we work on the principle that we're saving them a few bucks to spend else ware. so they're sent the usual, hygiene stuff, candies, tobacco products like copenhagen. a few members have kids serving so they clue their dads in on whats lacking or needed and the club will send it in bulk. no one has turned down a package yet.
 
No, I get the thought behind the packages, having received many in my time and been grateful for all.

My question is can the grunts get stuff they need from online as easy as us fobbits.

I like to send stuf that will be left in the common area until someone needs it; soap, shave cream, etc. that is stuff that even when you go to the BX you wind up forgetting to buy.

I like the cigar idea. Probably won’t go well with the school. That’s something that I can see having a hard time getting while overseas. (Though for a time we could buy Cuban cigars in Kuwait on base).
 
During the Iraq invasion, I made some biscotti, put them in Tupperware container, and sent them to a young friend of mine in the 101st. Certainly that was a different time, before the FOBs, but that was a big hit.
 
Gum is always great in the boonies. Can't always brush your teeth whenever you want, but gum can sure make your mouth feel fresher and you don't waste your drinking water. We never got enough fresh t shirts and drawers either. Tough skin in the small bottle, packs easily and is great for blisters. It burns like the devil, but it always seemed to heel up blisters faster. Small bottles of hot sauce also pack easily and cover up the taste of field food. Lots of candy melts. That sucks. Todays wet wipes can be pretty darn refreshing in the boonies. I would have killed for night sights. I don't think that Uncle Sam issues backup night sites. Diamondhead seem to be best that I've found. Check first to make sure the weapon in question has enough extra rail space for.
 
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Skittles are a big hit. Nothing better than a mouthful of fruity juicy chewy flavor to raise some morale and remind you of back home as a kid.
 
Umm, no. Have you looked at the religious culture of the places where our forces are currently operating?

No. I haven't looked at their religious beliefs any more than they would at mine. But then, Uncle Sam didn't pay any attention to Vietnamese beliefs when airlifting beer deliveries either. I'm thinking that.gov was more concerned with our moral than with Charlies. Guess that's why I asked the question.
 
I'm thinking that.gov was more concerned with our moral than with Charlies. Guess that's why I asked the question.

For the last 8 of the last 10 years the .gov was run by sand-charlies cousin Barack Hussein. For 8 years before that was a fella who, while not related, was a haji hugger for various financial and political reasons (hint; House of ____ members got private planes out of the US on _/__ while no-fly was in effect. Fill in the blanks.). Big problem being more concerned with hajis feelings than morale... I dunno how it is under Trump, maybe better, but send the listerine* and some "Popular Mechanics" with a few extra pink pages added (everybody everywhere loves blondes), and you'll probably make the grunts happy and maybe a few locals too (in trade).
 
My daughter started a school group to send letters to soldiers overseas. Now they’ve adopted a nearly forgotten group: elderly soldiers at kocal VA hospitals, many of whom no longer have family.

This is the best idea so far. Take over and move them in this direction!
 
They sent us pallets of beer on the hilltops in Nam.
a good friend was a crewman on mike boats there, said they hated beer movements on rivers. i guess the enemy thought it would be bad for moral if the beer didn't make the destination so it was the only time a boat he was on was sunk. twice.
 
My daughter started a school group to send letters to soldiers overseas. Now they’ve adopted a nearly forgotten group: elderly soldiers at kocal VA hospitals, many of whom no longer have family.

Show me a girl like your daughter and I'll show you parents, who raised their daughter correctly. Nice job garandman.
 
This comes up every year where I teach. The problem is that what soldiers really want is what schoolkids can’t/won’t send. They want to send deodorant and floss, which the Red Cross already gives them.

Porn and tobacco. Baby wipes are useful, too.
 
a good friend was a crewman on mike boats there, said they hated beer movements on rivers. i guess the enemy thought it would be bad for moral if the beer didn't make the destination so it was the only time a boat he was on was sunk. twice.

Charlie liked American everthing. Beer, smokes, etc.. Probably went diving for the beer. Didn't think much of napalm though.
 
Don't they still give the guys free beer? They sent us pallets of beer on the hilltops in Nam. They sent beer before they resupplied ammo half of the time.

At bases that (IIRC) are no longer considered in 'combat areas' like Qatar, UAE or Kuwait, beer and booze is available, limit of 2 per 24 hours. In countries still considered "combat zones" (the DoD was VERY lenient in years past with what was a combat zone - an example is that I get the same veteran status and pay when I was in Sicily while my planes were flying to Kosovo that I got when I was actually being rocketed in Afghanistan that the guy taking and returning fire was getting. They changed this so that unless you've actually got a chance of being killed in the line of duty by hostile fire, you don't get hostile fire, so guys in safe countries in the middle east no longer get the extra money) no booze at all.
Ever since Clinton, we had General Order # 1 - which confused the crap out of me as former Army. Instead of quitting my post only when properly relieved, it means that you can't have booze, porn (to include muscle magazines) or have sex so that we don't offend our "hosts".

Greencobra has hit my question closest. I'm not asking what to send, I've received enough to know what makes us happy in these packages. I'm just wondering if the guys on patrol get mail, or does it the guys who have jobs that don't sit in front of a computer all day (grunts, drivers, motor pool, etc) get the same ability to order the crap that the rest of the fobbits do.
 
At bases that (IIRC) are no longer considered in 'combat areas' like Qatar, UAE or Kuwait, beer and booze is available, limit of 2 per 24 hours. In countries still considered "combat zones" (the DoD was VERY lenient in years past with what was a combat zone - an example is that I get the same veteran status and pay when I was in Sicily while my planes were flying to Kosovo that I got when I was actually being rocketed in Afghanistan that the guy taking and returning fire was getting. They changed this so that unless you've actually got a chance of being killed in the line of duty by hostile fire, you don't get hostile fire, so guys in safe countries in the middle east no longer get the extra money) no booze at all.
Ever since Clinton, we had General Order # 1 - which confused the crap out of me as former Army. Instead of quitting my post only when properly relieved, it means that you can't have booze, porn (to include muscle magazines) or have sex so that we don't offend our "hosts".

Greencobra has hit my question closest. I'm not asking what to send, I've received enough to know what makes us happy in these packages. I'm just wondering if the guys on patrol get mail, or does it the guys who have jobs that don't sit in front of a computer all day (grunts, drivers, motor pool, etc) get the same ability to order the crap that the rest of the fobbits do.

It seems that everything has changed since I was on active duty. That having been said, back in the day, our mail found us, one way or the other. I remember getting what was once a cake from my aunt. I couldn't have been in a more remote place at the time, but that tin can, full of mold found it's way to me. I'm hoping and assuming, the delivery of mail has only improved since then.
 
I dont know if things have changed since 2008, but cigarettes were readily available at the PX on Camp Victory. They were name brand cigarettes but unfortunately they tasted like straight up ass mixed with pencil shavings. Im not sure if they were counterfeit smokes packaged in Marlborough boxes but they were terrible. Didnt have that problem with dip. So cigarettes would be a good idea. Vape juice for the more health conscious nicotine addicts.

"Listerine" would be another great idea. I was forced to make prison hooch with bread yeast, fruit juice, 1 liter water bottles and IV tubing during my time over there since my friends back home were a**h***s and never sent the "Listerine".

Jolly Ranchers also come in handy during long convoys/patrols when you havent slept in a couple days. Something about sucking on a piece of sour candy somehow keeps you awake.
 
Porn is a terrible, terrible idea. After a while on outpost, surrounded by guys, you just stop thinking about getting laid. Using porn just keeps reminding you that there's no pussy around, and it'll put you in a foul mood. You just make it harder for yourself (!).
I myself always appreciated getting my hands On some powder for drinks (Tang was a real thing back then) because shyte water out of tanks gets old real quick, foot powder, socks, and magazines (cars, motorcycles). Coffee was the balls. Keep in mind, even if you send your. Package to a specific soldier, the content WILL be spread within the squad. My tip? Buy a basket ball or soccer ball, deflate it, and send it over with a ball pump. You'd be surprised how much they like it.
 
There's probably not much they can't get themselves. That said, the essentials are always nice to have an abundance of. Baby wipes (the CVS ones in the purple packs are like cloths), junk food from home, etc.

Mike
 
We did a drive at my last job and a bunch of our employees were recently returned vets. The popular items were telephone calling cards, socks, baby wipes, sleeves of Skoal mint and Copenhagen, cartons of Marlboro reds, poptarts, Slim Jims and other snacks in sealed plastic, sunglasses,
Under Armour tee shirts, Five Hour Energy or similar. That's about all I remember.
 
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