A Present For a Soldier

[craig1]

Depends how much you want to spend. Squaddies are bored 9/10ths of the time on active duty assignments. If they don't have an iPod (or similar) then that's something. Alternatively, if you're cheap and they have a picture device (iPhone/iPad equivalents) then you could spend a day or two downloading as much porn as possible. The dirtier the better. There's very little a proper squaddie values more than a high quality porn collection.

[DaveB]

Going Away :

Good quality multi-tool or folding knife
Sun Glasses
Hand Warmers
Foot Warmers
Digital Camera
Memory Cards (for camera, phone etc)

While Away :

Baby Wipes
Phone Cards
Magazines
Books
Films
Mouthwash
Febreeze
Body Wash
Body Spray
Travel Size Games
Deck of Cards
Suntan Lotion
Moisturiser
Squash
Pictures From Home
Boiled Sweets
Blue and Black Pens
Notebooks
Envelopes
Stamps
Fly Repellant
Travel Size Packets of washing powder

[SimonMac]

Ammo, ammo and more ammo.

An officer friend of mine said that is the only priority when on deployment.

From personal experience (Modern Warfare, Medal of Honor etc.), I can say it is quite frustrating when the ammo counter drops so low that you are forced to swap a nice shiny heavy machine gun for a crappy AK47 lying beside the dozens of enemy soldiers you have slain.

But the dozens of slain enemy combatants will have a plethora of ammo for said AK47 which will continue to work perfectly long before you need to stop being shot at by the american "allies"

[dang65]

My son did a three month tour in Afghan earlier this year, but he was permanently based at Bastion. These ideas might not apply to a squaddie out in the countryside.

I sent a few parcels, just trying to find stuff to entertain really... lad's mags, DVDs (they had a big telly and player on the base) etc.

Things he requested after a couple of weeks there:

E45 cream - "It is used to help rehydrate dry, scaly skin." Apparently, the dry heat takes time to get used to and he suffered quite badly at first.

Cake - Homemade or quality shop bought. Good for sharing and a good morale booster, he reckons.

UK crisps - Tasty flavours, like sweet chili and so on, or even just Walkers salt'n'vinegar. Not readily available and quickly missed.

Shower gel, deodorant etc - Always needed.

I did try sending 'fun' stuff like water bombs (which I read about on an American site as being very popular in the heat), but they went down like a lead balloon (filled with water). Might be good for squaddies though.

These aren't so much going away presents though, just things to send out in BFPO packages (which are free to send to Afghan). I also used to send him e-blueys. You type them online and they get printed on the base and distributed as letters. I used to put a bit of home news in and then just cut and paste some good jokes in fill up the space, dirtier the better. Those were always more appreciated than the family news!

[dang65]

Oh, and how about a white flag? I always thought that would be a really useful thing to send to a soldier on the front line.

[craig1]

Things he requested after a couple of weeks there:

E45 cream - "It is used to help rehydrate dry, scaly skin." Apparently, the dry heat takes time to get used to and he suffered quite badly at first.

See my alternative point above.

That sand gets everywhere...

[AtW]

Plasma rifle in a 40 watt range...

[Gibbon]

[QUOTE=craig1;1394638]Depends how much you want to spend. Squaddies are bored 9/10ths of the time on active duty assignments. If they don't have an iPod (or similar) then that's something. Alternatively, if you're cheap and they have a picture device (iPhone/iPad equivalents) then you could spend a day or two downloading as much porn as possible. The dirtier the better. There's very little a proper squaddie values more than a high quality porn collection.[/QUOTE]

Spot on in my experience also any handheld gaming devices (with some games) is good. Or maybe if you want to educate him send him the Illiad, when you're bored you will read anything, even the back of cereal boxes, although some prefer to wink themselves to oblivion.

[thunderlizard]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I don't think he's front line, so I might get something in the iPod/hand held widget area. Or boots. Boots could be good.

[centurian]

But the dozens of slain enemy combatants will have a plethora of ammo for said AK47 which will continue to work perfectly long before you need to stop being shot at by the american "allies"

I know - do you go with an M240 with holographic dot scope and be conservative with the ammo - or take a bog standard AK47 and shoot everything that moves - same in the knowledge that what you shoot will probably be dropping AK47 mags.

Decisions... decisions...