Once he’s completed Basic hes headed to the sand box,Im trying to get a deployment package together so he will have everything he needs.I’ve already got a Idea of a few things, Like 20 Magpul fallowers and Magpul floorplates.
I was thinking a Camelback, Maybe spare Gas Rings,D rings, and a good blade.
anyone else have anything to add??
My son has been there since last June… comes home next March.
Stuff he likes:
reading material
foil packs of tuna & chicken
Spec-Ops Brand Recon Wraps
beef jerky
trail mix
mixed nuts
protein bars
original Mag-puls
Spec-Ops Brand Wolf Hook
Spec-Ops MPH holster
I know there is more that i am forgetting…
Spare weapons parts (gas rings, bolts, etc) more than likely won’t be allowed and he’ll most likely be issued a Camelbak. Your best bet will be to wait until he gets to his unit and starts his pre-deployment training to see what he needs or wants. Depending on what his MOS will be or what he does may play a big part in what he needs/wants.
Toilet paper
Sun screen
Good folding blade like a sog trident
Brown towels
Razors
Shaving cream
Soap
Energy bars
Reading material
Ipod
Batteries
Our club put together a xbox package in pelican case, remote and wired controllers, all the latest games, Halo 1,2,3, GOW, you name it. The team deployed in September is going to love it. Apparently for a lot of non-special force guys, boredom is the biggest problem. Just a suggestion.
My brother served 2 tours in Iraq. He constantly wanted;
Baby wipes/moist towelettes
shaving stuff
shampoo
DVDs/CDs
magazines (the reading kind, not the ammo kind)
There’s a guy that comes into my local gun shop now and again and says what the Marines want, and a bunch of us donate money and my dealer goes and buys the stuff, and we ship it to them.
Here’s the latest list (it’s about 20 guys, all marines)
SOFT Toilet Paper (they said the MRE stuff was like using bark)
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups/ anything with peanut butter (wtf? :D)
beef jerky
AA Lithiums
magazines (they had a list, but I forget what was on it- “guy” mags)
sunscreen
That’s about all I remember now.
The PX system over here is very good, and he will have no problem finding basic things. Sending gun parts may get you in trouble with the post office if you declare them. My wife recently sent over some Pmags, and she added a few paperback books. She wrote on the form: Books and Magazines and I had no problems :).
Give him time to get settled in and wait to find out what he needs. Xboxes or PSPs are good ideas and they sell the games here. He will be ok for a month or so… he is a Marine after all…
if he’s allowed send him a spyderco endura with serated edge, that will cut through most anything he’ll need it for.
music is critical; cd’s. he can swap and trade with others in his unit.
batteries may be an issue also; there are some good solar charger units, so get him a couple sets and let him use one while charging the other
someone else said reading material, and that’s highly important. take out a couple subscriptions in his name and have them sent to him (newsweek, sports illustrated, ect.).
large cotton bandandas. stick with blue or black, 100% cotton. great for sweat and general grunge rags.
certain foods ship well: raisens, beef jerkey, lol and as weird as it sounds, the dry brownie mix; he may not have access to an oven, but raw brownie dough… you’ld be surprised.
and a constant supply of letters. he’ll want to hear of the the boring ordinary stuff don’t worry about that.
I would buy him a Surefire Echo knife. Im sure he would appreciate it
a good knife as well as all the previously listed stuff
Generally speaking many personnel don’t know if they are going to the sandbox or not at least until they have finished all of their training. In some cases if the unit is already deployed he may be sitting around until a decision is made about plusing up, etc…I would just wait and see what happens and where he ends up first.
In the mean time you can buy some of his favorite mags, some books, and the other itmes mentioned for him though they will be dated by the time his training is over. If and when he does deploy some things from home that aren’t generally available in a care package is the best bet. Most of the FOB’s and bases here have a PX and they will generally have the basics like razors, shampoo, Q-tips, etc…It is the reading material, notes from home and stuff like that that is a plus.
A lot of my Marine buddies want Pmags 
A couple good flash lights. Nothing exspensive. The Surefire G2s are great and if you lose one it is no big deal. I gave several of them away to the guys that replaced us. I figured, I could refit when I got home.
Good luck to you and your nephew.
Perhaps you should wait unti he graduates, finishes MCT/SOI, his MOS school (if he is not infantry) and gets to his unit and deploys to see what his wants/needs are. Having just rotated out of Parris Island I have seen plenty of recruits not make it to graduation.
get him a camera or mp3 player
or a quality M16 cleaning kit, a multi-tool or knife, flash light,…
Guys, for almost two years now, I’ve been finding out exactly what the troops want and sending it directly to them.
Books For Soldiers is an organization that hooks people like us up with the troops who want care packages. Not just books mind you, that’s their name.
Once you log on to their site and follow their membership guidelines, you can read the personal requests of soldiers from all branches of the service. Most of the requests seem to come from our troops in the general area of the sandbox.
They ask for gum, handy wipes, CDs, magazines, books, letters, everything and anything.
I first got into it to help out…you know, spread the wealth…but after a while, I became completely hooked on the cards, letters, and email messages I received from the troops.
You truly have no idea what your single package or letter does for them. For some of them, it will be the only mail they get.
As a matter of fact, the website has a section called The Forgotten Soldier. This list of names represent all of the troops who receive no mail. Imagine that, no mail from home.
There was this one Sgt names Sanchez who wrote back to me twice. I just figured that she liked whatever I sent her and that was that. I was sending out so many boxes and letters that I didn’t remember her at all. I finally looked through my records and found her name. I always makes notes next to the names and addresses on my list. “Wants magazines” “Needs TP” etc.
Regarding her entry, I had written simply this:
Sgt T. Sanchez
Gets no mail.
I swear I get choked up whenever I remember that.
There’s nothing in it for me if you visit their site. I’m pushing it 'cause I believe that it changes lives…yours and theirs.
+10
The logicistic and PX system has been in place for a while now. Anything can be had locally or in a few days via online ordering. My roomate is a reserve corpman with the and the amount of quality gear they get trumps my ANG gear.
Spyderco Endura, serrated. Beef jerky and reeses peanut butter cups. The basics.