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OT: question for any recent Iraq/Afghanistan vets
Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:49 pm
by uncc
I’ve got a nephew who is going to be deployed to northern Iraq in the next couple of weeks (from Alaska of all places!). For those of you who have been there or Afghanistan, what items did you wish you’d brought with you (and that was legal and allowed [;)]) that you didn’t? Thanks…and thank you for your service!
RE: OT: question for any recent Iraq/Afghanistan vets
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 12:10 am
by Carl Myers
RE: OT: question for any recent Iraq/Afghanistan vets
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 3:10 am
by berto
Gloves!
I haven't been there, but my Marine son has. Mike, a staff sergeant, has served two combat tours in Iraq, with his first Afghanistan assignment due in April.
Maybe the troops are now provided for better. But when he was there, Mike was most in need of thick winter gloves. It can get freezing cold there on winter nights, even in the desert. We sent him a couple pair.
We also sent over several food "care packages". The most popular item? Ramen noodles. He and the platoon he commanded ate them up quick!
Sometimes it's just the littlest things that keep our troops happy.
RE: OT: question for any recent Iraq/Afghanistan vets
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 10:40 am
by Sarge
Mechanix gloves 'n hard candy
PS:Baby wipes in the summer months is like winning the lotto
RE: OT: question for any recent Iraq/Afghanistan vets
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 2:35 pm
by hadberz
Tell him to get the mailing address and mail hygiene supplies. Buy enough to last the whole deployment. The BX sells these items, but they always run out. If he's going to be at a base and not outside the wire, don't bother sending junk food. He'll have all he can eat at the chow hall. Baby wipes are a must have year round. [:)]
RE: OT: question for any recent Iraq/Afghanistan vets
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 5:29 pm
by 2ndACR
Good tight fitting gloves that also have some flexibility. Mechanics gloves work, make sure they don't have any logo on them, pure black usually will not get you into trouble. But each unit is different.
Baby wipes are good. PX/BX will run out (or they did in 2004/05). Tell him not to buy DVD's at the PX/BX. Go find Haji and he can get it for 5 bucks. Quality varies depending on how scared he is of you. LOL. The more scared the better.
But above all, tell him to stay safe and watch his back.
RE: OT: question for any recent Iraq/Afghanistan vets
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 7:30 pm
by uncc
Thanks to all who posted and for the suggestions/links. Sounds like good gloves and baby wipes are at the top of the list. Thanks again!