Topic: The Bizarre, Unsatisfying Things Soldiers Receive in 'Care Packages'

[Michael O'Leary]

The Bizarre, Unsatisfying Things Soldiers Receive in 'Care Packages'

Article link.

These books were far outnumbered by titles that look like they came off the rack of bodice-rippers at the supermarket. I'd bet a lot of money that no soldier requested that Deborah MacGillivray's A Restless Knight, which sports a shirtless male model type on the cover, be flown here, and that no soldier will ever read it. I would guess that the obscure L. Ron Hubbard titles haven't gotten a lot of use either. So where do these books come from?
 
The answer, I suspect, is care packages. The yellow ribbon magnet on the SUV bumper is probably the most public way that Americans show their Support for Our Troops. Another, usually more useful one is care packages addressed to "Any soldier." (Web sites like AnySoldier.com and AdoptaPlatoon.org help people with the mechanics.) These packages are hit or miss.
 
Sometimes, a care package is perfect. Once -- I won't say where -- I watched a tentmate open up a box that contained a bottle of Skyy vodka, and the look on his face rivaled the boy's in A Christmas Story when he is finally united with his Red Ryder Carbine-Action Range Model Air Rifle. Of course, that came from a friend, not an anonymous patriot, but other, more licit luxuries can be just as welcome.
 
Why, though, would anyone send a big stack of AARP magazines to teenage and twenty-something soldiers in a war zone? Or a box full of Sensodyne prescription-strength toothpaste tubes? Or a powder blue "Hello Kitty" t-shirt? (All of these are things I've seen troops puzzle over in Iraq or Afghanistan. The lucky recipients of the AARP magazines were members of the 2-106 Cavalry Squadron last year in Helmand province.) Maybe not the same people who send those supermarket romances, but someone with a similarly well-calibrated sense of what deployed soldiers most miss.

More at link.

[Sapplicant]

Those old dip tins also work really well as make-shift road-hockey pucks. Though I don't think losing 16-2 to the Canadians at KAF helped morale any more than the stack of AARPs did 

[GAP]

In one letter to my mother, when I finally got around to writing, was to bemoan the lack of Koubassa Sausage, among other normal things a 19 year old might ask for kool aide, tobasco sauce, etc.....

Mail overseas, being what it was then and now, I received my care package about 6 to 7 weeks later in 120 degree heat, and guess what it contained?......................my Koubassa sausage and other stuff, all contained in it's own mailbag, cause it contaminated everything that it touched.....

[Petamocto]

Personally my favourite, even above and beyond things, for entertainment value was getting letters from school kids.

Not high school kids who may have their own a-hole agendas, but young kids who draw hilarious pictures and ask questions like "Do you use jetpacks" or "Can you please kill ________ for me, he stole my bike".

One of my friends received a crayon-drawn picture of a stick figure Canadian soldier shooting a ton of people in the head, and all of the bodies had the X over the eyes, etc, which seems morbid now, but I can just imagine the teacher looking in front of the class saying "now we're going to draw nice pictures that show support for our soldiers..."

[medicineman]

Funny things people send to friends and loved ones in hot places - chocolate.  Why do people think it won't turn into some amorphous goo within minutes of arrival in a really hot place?

MM

[daftandbarmy]

One of my friends received a crayon-drawn picture of a stick figure Canadian soldier shooting a ton of people in the head, and all of the bodies had the X over the eyes, etc, which seems morbid now, but I can just imagine the teacher looking in front of the class saying "now we're going to draw nice pictures that show support for our soldiers..."

Nice to hear that you got my letter 

[Brutus]

The lads in the Mess sent me beer, a newspaper, and audio tapes of local radio stations (along with, umm, 'literature' depicting the female form).

All jokes aside, it was a great care package. I didn't realize how cool it would be to hear familiar radio voices and read what's happening in my home town.

[Technoviking]

Personally my favourite, even above and beyond things, for entertainment value was getting letters from school kids.

Not high school kids who may have their own a-hole agendas, but young kids who draw hilarious pictures and ask questions like "Do you use jetpacks" or "Can you please kill ________ for me, he stole my bike".

One of my friends received a crayon-drawn picture of a stick figure Canadian soldier shooting a ton of people in the head, and all of the bodies had the X over the eyes, etc, which seems morbid now, but I can just imagine the teacher looking in front of the class saying "now we're going to draw nice pictures that show support for our soldiers..."

I remember those letters, especially the comments we added to said letters 

[jollyjacktar]

The MFRC in Halifax were kind enough to send a care package each time I was there.  They were pretty tame and honestly not really thrilling.  The other MFRCs did a better job I think.  A co-worker from Borden got magazines, some candy and better stuff in his.  To add insult to injury, the Halifax guys always packed their semi-filled care packages in empty Keith's boxes.  Now don't get me wrong, it's the thought that counts.  But geeze I wish some more thought went into it.

[Michael O'Leary]

But geeze I wish some more thought went into it.

That is perhaps the start of a new thread created by those who, like yourself, have been overseas. Identify what you would have liked to receive in the "ideal" care package. It will be different for different people, so there's lost of room for alternative examples.  Consider a few basic ground rules (besides being realistic, of course), such as a "$25-dollar care package" or a "$50-dollar care package." Also, consider the possible size of the package which might be chosen by an organization trying to create many at once; such as packages to fit a standard shoe box or, as noted, a beer carton.

So, what would you have liked to receive?

[Scott]

Perhaps "more thought" would have been if the beer box had have  contained its original contents...

Seems obvious to me.

And those die hard Alpine lovers out there could have had "desert-piss-warm Alpine"...

[jollyjacktar]

Well now, "official" MFRC care packages I will have to sit back and think on as what I would have like to see, legal and legit. 

There is one forum member here however I wish to acknowledge (again) and pledge my eternal thanks and gratitude to....  Engineers Wife, and her Sister in Law.  They were kind enough to send me some home baked goodies that I was able to share with everyone who wanted a taste of home.  EW loves to send these packages and has done so for several of my friends as well while there were there.  What a morale boost!!!       True Patriot love for sure.   Take a bow you two, you both are my heroines.

She also tried to get some shirts/hats over from the folks at Hero to Hero.  Kevin, I would have enjoyed distributing these through out the FOBs/KAF but sadly they did not make it by the time I rotated home.  I hope that they did make it to someone there who would enjoy the gesture and share the wealth.   My sincere thanks nevertheless.

[Grimaldus]

We recieved a stack of letters from children and were ordered to write the children back.
back fire.
One of the soldiers in the platoon was a genius in creepy morbid marches to his own beat kind of way.   For example, overseas he took pages out of Maxim Magizine, soldier of fortuine, FHM magazine etc.. depicting  war, death, violence, suffering and randomly covered the wall behind his bed in the ripped out magazine pictures.   Only when you stood back and looked at the wall as a whole, the random pictures actually formed the image of a giant smiling skull.   Very creative guy..

So he writes the child back in the form of an illustrated comic book which could only be described as written with brutal honesty and soldiers morbid humor.

School wasn't impressed. No more writing children for the platoon. Extra duties and a trip to the shrink for the soldier.

[Michael O'Leary]

And those die hard Alpine lovers out there could have had "desert-piss-warm Alpine"...

To wash down a care package donair and some deep fried Brothers pepperoni.   

[CDN Aviator]

   For example, overseas he took pages out of Maxim Magizine, soldier of fortuine, FHM magazine etc.. depicting  war, death, violence, suffering and randomly covered the wall behind his bed in the ripped out magazine pictures.   Only when you stood back and looked at the wall as a whole, the random pictures actually formed the image of a giant smiling skull.   

That brought a tear to my eye............"Where to we find such men ?"

[stealthylizard]

My mom sent me some liquer filled chocolates for Christmas.  I was half expecting a bag full of chocolate mush, but thankfully it was winter time.

[Strike]

My sister used to go to town at the dollar store and send me the nuttiest stuff -- wind-up helicopters, bubbles, funky holders for air fresheners.  Getting stuff from her was always an adventure.

Mom would send me food.  Cookies, brownies, date squares.  Years of sending care packages to my brother when he was on ship, and a family friend when he deployed meant she had perfected the method of holding in the freshness.  Of course, I always shared.  Whenever I got stuff from home there would usually be a few people kicking around waiting to see what goodies I had.

[Thucydides]

My MFRC sent me toothpast, handcleaner and a bag of Gatoraid powder suitable for filling the 50l jug that gets dumped over the coaches head after the game. (We had 500ml bottles of water for drinking)

I suppose it is the thought that counts

[just me...]

My MFRC sent me toothpast, handcleaner and a bag of Gatoraid powder suitable for filling the 50l jug that gets dumped over the coaches head after the game. (We had 500ml bottles of water for drinking)

I suppose it is the thought that counts

my MFRC sent me sweet FA!  Now my wife on the other hand.....any weight I lost from the desert heat, I gained back in friggen candy.

[Dimsum]

One care package addressed to "any Cdn soldier" got sent to our detachment that was filled with nothing but hair conditioner and Poli-dent. 

[CDN Aviator]

Last time, i got a cheap backpack and an old issue of "Canadian Living".......FML

[owa]

One care package addressed to "any Cdn soldier" got sent to our detachment that was filled with nothing but hair conditioner and Poli-dent.

I'm at a loss for words hahaha.

[Michael O'Leary]

I can see two contests thought experiment coming out of this:

a. who can design the best care package (shoe box size, perhaps).

b. who can design the weirdest one, send it and end up with some one coming here to say they got it.   

[PPCLI WO]

While deployed in 2006, my father sent me a random rubber chicken and a few sets of heavy rubber gloves.

My driver loved the gloves. Saved him from wiping his hands off in moon dust after fueling the LAV.

And the rubber chicken? Interestingly enough my Coy was attached to the 1 RCR Battle Group.

Thanks Dad....

[PMedMoe]

My oldest sister always sent the neatest stuff.  Usually a small stuffed toy, keeping Canada in mind (once it was a moose), a table top or travel game (cribbage which we used on the trip to Australia) and other odds and sods (little Christmas ornaments, etc).

When I was in Bosnia, she sent me a bunch of Canada flag pins, pencils with maple leafs on them and other souvenir type stuff to give out to the kids when we were doing med coverage for the soccer games between the CF and the locals.

Worst stuff received?  I have to say candy or sweets (unless it was M&M peanuts).  We (HSS Coy) had so much of it by the time we got to KAF, we just put it all in one of the storage bins and it was available to everyone.  Makes me glad for all the travel sized toothbrushes and toothpaste we had.   

[Scott]

To wash down a care package donair and some deep fried Brothers pepperoni.   

And we're talking about chocolate not making the trip well? GAP mentioned koubassa tainting all the other mail? Holy frig, one of those belly bombs, after all of that travel, would be a serious biohazard.

[Milhouser911]

At christmas, we out at the FOB were "donating" junkfood to the ANA/camp security guys by the triwall.  Everywhere you looked were shoeboxes full of candy, and stacks of "any Canadian soldier" letters that people refused to open, for the feeling that if they opened it, they'd feel guilty for not writing back.  I don't know how many toothbrushes, pens, notepads, etc, that got thrown out (although as a supply tech, I did occasionaly top up my stores with them). 

Most unappreciated thing:  Candy.  Seriously, I referred to the FOB as candy mountain.  We've got more than enough of that stuff.

Most appreciated thing:  The hilarious drawings and letters from the kids, the christmas tree/decorations I received, small time-passing books, my favourite of which was a book of Winston Churchill quotes.

[Danjanou]

One care package addressed to "any Cdn soldier" got sent to our detachment that was filled with nothing but hair conditioner and Poli-dent.

I think that was from my Legion branch. BTW they were wondering if they could have some of the poli-dent back?

[just me...]

And the rubber chicken? Interestingly enough my Coy was attached to the 1 RCR Battle Group.

Thanks Dad....

bawhahahahahahahahah!..........oh I needed that this morning!

[0tto Destruct]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

"Maple Syrup is NOT a desert condiment!"

We got piles of the stuff on our tour. The Timmies gift certificates on the other hand...

[Technoviking]

I'll jump in here with some of my own personal observations.

I took it upon myself to answer about 2 or 3 "letters to any soldier" per week.  I was unable to do so always, but in the end, it was rather humbling to realise that not all of those letters were from classes who were told to write.  I had letters from all sorts.  One was a kid who had seen something on TV about Afghanistan and decided to write a letter: apparently the story got to her.  Another was from some grandmother.  They varied, and they were nice to receive.

I got some breads and cookies of a wide variety (that I shared with many) that was not only well-appreciated, but well-consumed!  Yummy!

My mother sent me all sorts of dollar store toys, and they were actually pretty fun.  We would goof off with them, having dinosaur races and the like with whatever it was she sent me.  She also sent me a coffee cup (ceramic) which I still have. 

In the end, some things are useless, but others are pretty good.  Someone mentioned porn already, and there's not enough of that.  We don't need movies over there (there are more than enough), but in the end, tastes vary, and if someone is reading this and is wondering what to send, the best best is to fire off a few "letters to any soldier" asking if there is anything they would like. 

[Strike]

I'll jump in here with some of my own personal observations.

I took it upon myself to answer about 2 or 3 "letters to any soldier" per week.  I was unable to do so always, but in the end, it was rather humbling to realise that not all of those letters were from classes who were told to write.  I had letters from all sorts.  One was a kid who had seen something on TV about Afghanistan and decided to write a letter: apparently the story got to her.  Another was from some grandmother.  They varied, and they were nice to receive.

I got some breads and cookies of a wide variety (that I shared with many) that was not only well-appreciated, but well-consumed!  Yummy!

My mother sent me all sorts of dollar store toys, and they were actually pretty fun.  We would goof off with them, having dinosaur races and the like with whatever it was she sent me.  She also sent me a coffee cup (ceramic) which I still have. 

I had a whole penpal thing going with a class in Ontario.  I guess one of the kids didn't get his first letter in on time and was quite upset by it as my letter back addressed each child individually.  He was the first to submit a letter the next time around.

As for the dollar store stuff, there's nothing better then firing off foam darts in your office!   

My parents also sent me a coffee grinder and some high-end coffee beans.  That was a nice change since the people in my office were quite the barristas.  We left the grinder there for the next roto as well as some unground coffee in the freezer.

[Ipip12]

Well... Are there any restrictions on sending alcohol to soldiers overseas?

[Journeyman]

Well... Are there any restrictions on sending alcohol to soldiers overseas?

Yes, Canada Post, and the Chain of Command, both have some pretty unfavourable views on shipping alcohol in-theatre. In sum, they're against it.

[startbutton]

Yes, Canada Post, and the Chain of Command, both have some pretty unfavourable views on shipping alcohol in-theatre. In sum, they're against it.

And not just Canada Post our posties hate it to lots of paper work involved especially when the moron sending the bottle packs it wrong and it breaks all over the other packages in the mail bag .Saw it happen when I was helping the Posties in Kosovo at Christmas time .

[Dimsum]

I think that was from my Legion branch. BTW they were wondering if they could have some of the poli-dent back?

Actually, after posting that I tried to find them.  Somehow they disappeared...   

[jollyjacktar]

And not just Canada Post our posties hate it to lots of paper work involved especially when the moron sending the bottle packs it wrong and it breaks all over the other packages in the mail bag .Saw it happen when I was helping the Posties in Kosovo at Christmas time .

Yes, on my Roto too.  The 5 BG guys were sending "maple syrup" quite a bit.  All was well until a large bottle (glass, DUH) of dark rum pretending to be MS broke and ruined quite a few parcels and letters it was shipped with.  Lucky for the recipient, it's package was so sodden that the addressee and sender could not be ascertained.  The Posties figured they would just wait out and see if someone came bitching about a missing shipment of MS.  Never did hear if the dumb-*** came a calling.