Care Package Notes

Many of you have asked for care package ideas for the Marines. I don't have a list of wants/needs at this point. I feel certain that once they reach their "home" they will have a better idea of what is available and what isn't. I can certainly tell you David's favorites, but would like to also list those of other Marines who may not have friends/family sending care packages. I can't imagine being there, sacrificing for all of us, and never getting a package!!

I haven't figured out how to reference another post yet...so the address is in a previous post.

Here are some things to remember when sending care packages:

What can be mailed to deployed Marines/Sailors?
The following items are PROHIBITED:
Illegal substances, Alcoholic beverages, Explosives, including fireworks. Offensive or obscene materials, including photos, drawings or any other material which may have the potential to offend members of the opposite sex, members of another race, background, nationality or ethnicity; anything which would make uncomfortable, someone who is deeply religious, conservative or modest

How to Send Care Packages:
Keep the packages small (no bigger than a shoe box). Larger packages take longer to be delivered and are more cumbersome for your Marine to haul around. Smaller, more frequent packages are likely your better option. The U.S. Postal Service offers FREE boxes for Priority Mail. You can also order free boxes from the USPS online store (for use with Priority Mail shipping ONLY). The recommended size is the #4 or #7.

Packaging Tips:
Use plastic bags with zip-style closures for everything. They keep out sand, they keep out rain. Resourceful Marines are re-using them for all sorts of things. Quart size are great to keep their wallets and personal photos with them, in one of their many pockets, and they stay dry. If you're shipping a liquid (shampoo, eye drops), or items that are likely to melt or drip (Chapstick, deodorants, chocolate) be sure to pop it into a tightly sealed plastic bag first. That
will help keep the rest of the items from getting gooey or ruined, just in case. Additional info can be found on the web at:
http://www.usmcmccs.org/deploy/sendingmail.cfm?sid=ml&smid=6

A tip from a previous deployment:
Wait until your Marine or Sailor tells you what necessities he needs and don’t have multiple family members send the same items or they will have too many duplicates and not enough room.