Most care packages for military members are focused on male service members. But what do you put in female care packages? When you serve in the military one of the by products is that you become friends with people who will continue to serve after you leave the service. If you are lucky you will make close friends and keep in contact with them for years down the road. And someday they might even deploy and you will want to send them a care package to show your appreciation.
So when my friend deployed to Turkey I wanted to do just that. And even though I had deployed before, I was stumped on what to send. I remembered receiving so many great care packages and appreciated everyone. But when it was my turn to support a friend, I felt like I couldn’t show my appreciation enough through a box of things.
But then I remembered the box and the things in it were nice, but actually being remembered while being away from family and friends was what really made the box feel special. The added bonus was what was inside.
So to help you pack up a care package for a friend overseas I came up with a list.
Top 10 Things to Include in Female Care Packages
- Q-Tips: These are a great tool for cleaning weapons and if sent in the original packaging can be used for hygiene purposes as well.
- Feminine Hygiene Products: Some things are not important to remember because I seriously have no idea what I did to get these needed items overseas, but I must have had a way to get them because I don’t have a memory of a very embarrassing moment. Either way, they still make a great addition to a care package. Just make sure they are in the original packaging.
- Good smelling shower gel and hand soap (not bar): In a plastic bag to prevent ruining everything else. Someone sent me Bath and Body hand soap while deployed. It was probably one of the best things I got.
- Granola bars: My husband would send me Special K bars when I was deployed we now have migrated to Cliff Bars. Any granola bar would be great, no one is going to complain.
- Scented Dryer Sheets: They work great to help keep clothes smelling nice.
- Um…Food: Healthy treats, yummy treats, all food is great. My favorite things were the macaroni cups (where you don’t need a measuring cup) or the cup of noodles. Popcorn is also a very popular treat to send overseas. Also homemade cookies are a special treat and really show someone you care.
- Coffee: If you know me well you know I don’t drink coffee, but I’m one of the weird ones everyone else in my office drank coffee.
- Fun Stuff: Colorful Socks, Fuzzy Slippers, Silly Hats, Books (fiction or non-fiction), Coloring Books and Crayons. When you are overseas you are either working or working out. There often isn’t a lot of other stuff to do except maybe watch a movie.
- Stationary: I always tried to write letters to people who sent me care packages. I also sent generic letters to friends and family.
- Hand lotion: The base stores had generic products, but they never had any of the specialty stores that sold more unique brands. I loved getting anything from Bath and Body Works.
Now You are Ready
Now you are ready for the next time you hear about a friend deploying to an “exotic” destination. But the one thing you need to remember it isn’t about the box full of stuff. It is the reminder that you care and that they haven’t been forgotten. Check out Troopster for pre-packaged care packages.
What did I miss? What things have you added to care packages?
What a great post, to give ideas for sharing! A lot of the items sound similar to things I sent my son (except for the Bath & Body products) while he was a freshman in college. And you are right, it’s the thought that means so much! Blessings to you!
The thoughts of people are so important when you are overseas and care packages are a tangible way to show you care.
What great info.
Thanks Susan!
Just bookmarked this great article. Is there a website you would recommend to find current service women and men to send to, for those whose military friends are retired? I will check with my church, too.
Actually, I do. https://www.troopster.org/collections/all-in-one-military-care-packages is a great organization, run by a fellow veteran. She was deployed and only got care packages sparingly. Often when they finally got their mail it had been destroyed. So she collects and sends sturdy boxes overseas. Let me know if you find any other great organizations.
Thank you– and I definitely will!~ 🙂
Chapstick was a big one in the care packages we sent. Also for the holidays we would go to dollar tree and get decorations. For Halloween we sent the fake carvable pumpkins and they had fun with those. Food wise, we would send propel, crystal lite, or Gatorade powder, to flavor all of the water they were drinking. Candies and other treats that wouldn’t melt. After a few months, a new pair of slides/shower shoes. I also sent my collection of beanie babies, hubby handed those out to keep the kids from getting scared on their patrols. In addition to the stationary, blank birthday cards or Christmas cards, etc. For a nice little present, a pretty, inexpensive pillow case. We had one photo printed with our faces. Of personal note, I would always sneak a bandana spritzed with my perfume (placed in a ziplock bag) along with a love note with a lipstick kiss into one of hubbies bags. If anyone knows of a company or platoon, of military or even first responders that they would like to nominate to receive care packages, there is a great organization called Operation Gratitude.
I have heard of and follow Operation Gratitude on Instagram. They are doing amazing work for men and women serving overseas. You have so many great suggestion of things to send oveseas. I love the idea of the flavor packets. We had lots of options of things to drink at the DFAC, but after a while the same options were not so exciting. Someone sent me a tree at Christmas time, it was fun to decorate my room with a small tree.