Deployed Soldier Care Package Items
Mailing Tips

**The United States Postal Service will send free boxes, packing materials, tape and mailing labels for care packages to be sent to military family members deployed to Iraq. Call 1-800-610-8734 and request a military mailing package.
**Instead of using Styrofoam packing peanuts, use plastic grocery bags, plastic ziplock bags, newspapers, small tissue packages
**Mail toiletries separate from foot items
**Use sturdy cardboard boxes and seal with clear packing tape – don't use boxes with product names visible
**Use a dark permanent magic marker to address package or address labels. Use large block print. Cover the address with clear packing tape to avoid smearing or illegible addresses
**On the box or address label, include the full name of the person you are sending mail to, the unit address, the APO address, the nine-digit zip code and a return address
**Keep package sizes under 5 pounds. Larger packages take a longer time to be delivered and are hard to carry around
**When selecting food items to send, remember that in some locations the heat is intense – for example, gum can stick to the foil wrapper in hot weather.
**Small packages of individual wrapped snacks are portable and stay fresher longer.
**Choose flip- or pop-top lids when possible -- can openers can be hard to come by.

Correspondence
AT&T Pre-paid phone cards
Envelopes (pre-addressed)
Notebooks (pocket sized)
Pens / pencils
Tablets / Writing paper
Printed Materials
Books (novels, short stories)
Comics
Magazines
Movies
Newspapers (local)
Other
Air Freshener (stick-up, Febreeze, etc)
American Flags (small)
Baggies (Ziplock)
Bug Spray (must be packed in a ziplocked bag)
Canned air (to blow dust out of electronics)
Duct Tape
Fly strips
Fly swatters
Koozies (to keep water bottles and cans cool)
Pre-paid phone cards
Socks (cushioned)
Shoe polish (Black)
Sunglasses (black, no name brands)
Sweatbands
Food / Drinks / Snacks – non perishable
Beef Jerky
Candy (heat resistant such as tootsie rolls, M&Ms, sweet tarts, Skittles)
Canned fruit (pop top cans)
Cereal (in small boxes)
Chips (canned, Pringles, etc)
Cocoa mix (individual packets)
Coffee (instant)
Coffee Creamer
Coffee Maker (individuals
Condiments – ketchup, mayo, mustard, hot sauce, soy sauce, etc. (individual packets)
Cookies (individual packages – large bags fill up with dust if not eaten immediately)
CornNuts
Crackers
Fruit (canned in pop-top cans)
Fruit Breezes (throat drops)
Gatorade
Granola Bars
Gum (hard – Chicklets, etc – gum can melt)
Individual heat & eat meals (pop top cans)
Lil Debbie snacks
Nuts / Trailmix (individual packets)
Oatmeal (instant)
Peanut Butter
Popcorn (microwave)
Pop Tarts
Power Bars
Powdered Drink Mixes
Ramen noodles
Soup mixes/cans
Spices
Squeeze butter (packets)
Sugar packets
Sunflower seeds
Tea mixes or tea bags
Tuna / chicken sandwich kits (ready to eat)
Twizzlers
Entertainment
Balls (soccer, tennis, baseball, etc)
Board Games
Cassette Tapes
CDs
CD holders
Checkers (travel size)
Chess (travel size)
Crossword Puzzles
Dominoes
DVDs
Frisbee
Hacky sack balls
Hand-held electronic games
Nerf balls
Playing cards
Poker chips
Puzzles
Uno
Video game CDs for laptop computers
Word games
Yatzee
Toiletries / Hygiene
Antibacterial hand soap / hand sanitizer
Antifungal / Athlete's foot products
Baby Wipes
Breath mints
Brown T-shirts
Chapstick
Deet Insect Repellant
Dental Floss
Deodorant
Eye drops
Foot powder
Hand lotion (travel sizes)
Icy / hot patches
Lysol wipes
Mouthwash
Nail clippers
Q-tips
Razors (disposable)
Sewing kit
Shampoo
Shoe Insole cushions
Shoe laces (for gym shoes and boots)
Shower shoes / flip flops
Soap
Sunscreen
Tissues (heavy duty – Puffs, etc)
Toilet Paper
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Tylenol
Underwear
Vitamins
Wash rags