Soldiers, care packages and "Free Mail"

I adopted a new soldier several months ago. I don’t know anything about him since I haven’t had any communication from him yet. It’s not uncommon for soldiers to not communicate, or to only communicate a few times, so I’m not really worried about it. It is a strange kind of thing to write to someone you know almost nothing about. Basically I know that this soldier is male, his name, rank (if he hasn’t been promoted), his mailing address and that he is in the Army, deployed somewhere in Iraq.

This is precious little information. Today I started to order him a t-shit and realized I don’t know his size. I also don’t know what kind of snacks he likes, if he has any allergies, is a health food nut, the kind of work he does, or if he is in southern Iraq or northern Iraq (the temps and weather conditions can really vary). Does he like country music or rap music? Is he 6’5” or 5’5”? Does he read westerns or sci-fi? Is he craving hot and spicy chips, or a moon pie? Does he need a set of sheets, or a sand scarf? Does he have access to a micro wave, or a freezer? These are all very helpful things to know when you are putting together a care package.

When organizing a care package there are some things you know are always welcome, like a brand new pair of socks, or something silly that will make them laugh. Over the years I have mailed blankets, pillows, books, movies, toys, games, puzzles, flash lights, bungee cords, duct tape, funnels, coloring books, crayons, markers, pens, paper, and even a set of horse shoes. I’ve also sent a lot of food and snacks: canned meat and soups, homemade cookies, cakes, soups, pickles and breads, tons of chips and candies, and mountains of jerky and gum.

I’ve also sent themed boxes for various holidays and other occasions, as well as the run of the mill boxes. I start with a military flat rate box and then stuffed to the gills with whatever I think a soldier might need or enjoy. I also try to include enough that they can share with buddies. The key to cramming the maximum amount into a care package is to take most things out of their original packaging. You also need to put liquid or goopy items like shampoo into zip lock bag just in case they burst open. I really like the vacuum sealed bags for large bulky items like blankets, sheets, and pillows. I can actually get all that into one box and still include bedtime story book.

As a Soldiers’ Angel member we always want to know how much a box weighs. My personal best is 17 lbs. Any angel you talk to can tell you their best.

I also like to decorate the boxes I send. We started doing this when my brothers were in the Navy. We wanted them to know how much we missed them. We also wanted them to be able to pick out their boxes right away. My youngest brother says he used to grab a forklift, put his box on the forks, then raise them all the way up and drive around showing his boxes off. He said was always became really popular at about that time. LOL

Building a box is really an involved activity. If you’re like me you have the post office deliver 25-50 flat rate boxes, with custom forms, to your house at a time so you don’t have to rely on the local post office having them. So, first you have to get all the stuff together. This could require you to do some shopping, cooking, knitting, sewing, or whatever. You will need to clean off your kitchen table to have room for everything, stack it all up on one end of the table. At the other end you will need to decorate, address and tape your box up. Then comes the packing, you need to distribute the weight, also try to cushion fragile items. Socks are great for this! Save really small and flat items for the last. Use the small items like gum and individually wrapped candies, lip balm, band-aids, to fill the gaps, and then lay the flat things like a letter, card, or magazine on the top. Then you have to tape it closed and start on the custom form. Of course if you are me, you will have to open the box at least twice to squeeze in something you forgot. Also if you are like me you will likely mess up the customs from on the very list thing and have to start all over again. They are such a pain!!!

Once all this is done you get to carry it down to the post office for mailing. This can be a hassle but I go to my local Hallmark shop, where there is a post office in the back. After I get through with my mailing I like to look around and I usually find something to put in the next box.

After all this work, there will come a day when you check your mailbox and see the thing that is most prized by all Soldiers Angels, a letter with “Free Mail” written where the stamp should be. This letter has been mailed from a combat zone. You are so excited you can’t wait to get to the house to read it, you tear it open on the spot and start to read what your soldier has written to you. You read it at least three times before you tack it your bulletin board with all your other Free Mail, then you get online and tell all your Angel friends that you just received Free Mail!!

NOTE: To learn more about adopting a deployed soldier visit www.soldiersangels.org