Military tours and deployments can be a challenging time both service members and their loved ones. Sending a gift or care package to a service member is a great way to boost morale and show the service member in you life that you appreciate them. Choosing the right gifts for deployed military members can be both challenging and time consuming. Therefore, we’ve compiled a list of thoughtful gift ideas to help you pick the best gift for your deployed family member or friend.
NINTENDO SWITCH
The gaming system that lets your deployed loved one play the games they want, wherever they are. This gift will quickly have them become the favorite in their unit with its single and multiplayer functions for hours of endless fun.
BRCC SILENCER SMOOTH BLEND
Need a coffee that’s as strong as your soldier? This American brand coffee is anything but weak and comes as whole beans or ground, from extra dark to light for every coffee connoisseur! Black Rifle Coffee is also owned by veterans, so you get to support your soldier while supporting others too!
ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE GHOST CHILI HOT SAUCE
The name of this hot sauce is a great story waiting to happen. This sweet and burn-your-mouth-off hot sauce is gluten-free and vegetarian, so no one can give those excuses when faced with the Zombie Apocalypse Challenge! This sauce will definitely bring MREs up a notch.
TACTICAL CHRISTMAS STOCKING
If your loved one is deployed over the holidays, this is the best tactical gift of all! This unique, sturdy stocking comes with an American Flag patch, hook and loop patch for a nameplate for you to customize for your soldier.
PERSONALIZED FAMILY PORTRAIT HOLIDAY CARDS
Personalized gifts for the holidays are nice to receive no matter what, but for a homesick soldier, it means the world. This fun, sentimental holiday card features a custom illustration of your family and pets without the hassle of keeping everyone still for a photo shoot. The artwork is created from your photos and description of hairstyles, clothing, accessories, etc. to be as accurately unique as possible!
NONGSHIM SHIN RAMEN PACK
Eating DFAC food every single day during deployment isn’t something that service members enjoy. A box of these Nongshim Shin Ramyun can be an ideal gift in such situations because these are easy to prepare and taste delicious. Your favorite soldier can either whip up a soupy meal or prepare a stir fry (or pasta) with these noodles. A box of these makes for an excellent gift for deployed military personnel.
JBL WATERPROOF BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
This portable, compact Bluetooth speaker delivers powerful stereo sound for 12 hours of continuous play. This gift is perfect for your deployed loved one with its durable, waterproof materials that can go anywhere they do. And have more than one loved one in the military? Well good news, these speakers come in multiple colors!
INTELLIGENTSIA INSTANT COFFEE PACK
For mornings on the go or a quick afternoon pick-me-up, instant coffee delivers quality and flavor with convenience. Intelligentsia Instant Coffee Pack comes with five single-serving packets that work with hot or cold water, making it a great gift for a busy soldier.
CUSTOMIZABLE PHOTO BLANKET
Get your soldier something that will remind them of you every night, like a customizable blanket. This completely customizable 12-photo blanket comes in four different material types and is machine washable. It’ll be like sending a personalized warm hug from you!
OAKLEY SUNGLASSES
Oakley Sunglasses not only look very cool, but they provide UV protection and are high definition. Their durable frames are also lightweight and comfortable for all-day wear. Make your soldier the coolest in their unit with a stylish pair of shades.
HANDWRITTEN NOTE ENGRAVED WALLET INSERT
Give your soldier a piece of you that they can carry around all day, like the gift of a handwritten note. Much like your love and care for your soldier, this permanent etching will not fade over time and it gives them a keepsake to hold on to forever.
JACK LINK’S BEEF JERKY VARIETY PACK
Providing food is a fantastic act of love and giving your soldier nine bags of beef jerky is the way to do it! Beef jerky is a good source of protein that’ll keep your soldier full and energized. Jack Link’s Beef Jerky is 100% premium beef and this pack features four Teriyaki and five original 1.5-ounce bags to enjoy with a meal or on the go.
PERSONALIZED GOLD DISC NECKLACE
These personalized gold disc necklaces are handmade with gold, rose gold or silver along with many ways to make them unique. Along with being able to put up to eight initial charms on this necklace, you can also add birthstones or a Swarovski drop charm. You can always buy one for your soldier and a matching one for yourself!
SMART DIGITAL PHOTO FRAME
With a smart digital photo frame, you can send photos and video directly to your soldier’s living area or vice versa, so you always have up-to-date photos of your loved ones playing. Even if your soldier doesn’t have Wi-Fi at the moment, it will still continue to play the most recently received photos from its secure and private cloud.
LOVE YOU PEBBLE
The “Love you Pebble” is a perfect gift for someone special, like your soldier. It makes for a cute gesture of love or friendship that your soldier can carry around with them.
ODOR ELIMINATOR SHOE INSERT
For any “Forrest Gump” fan, taking care of your feet is always rule number one and an odor eliminator shoe insert is a helpful way to start! These inserts don’t mask odors but stop them at a molecular level just after one day. They can be used anywhere and each pair can stop odors for up to six months.
DUKE’S SMOKED SHORTY SAUSAGES
Duke’s Smoked Shorty Sausages are a good way to get a quick, hearty snack when you’re on the go, making it perfect for a deployed soldier. Duke’s only uses real, whole ingredients and quality meats to get their five different unique flavors just right.
KINDLE READER
If your soldier is going to miss their library or book collection while they’re deployed, then a Kindle is the perfect gift for them! In any condition, the Kindle’s display still looks like real paper and one battery charge lasts weeks. It also has 8GB of storage, which means your soldier can have thousands of titles on hand for reading or listening!
HANDWARMERS
Single-use hand warmers are a great way to quickly get warm no matter what conditions your soldier is in. This variety pack comes with five pairs of hand warmers, five pairs of hand and body warmers and three toe warmers for a compact and ready-to-use option.
TRAVEL TOILETRY KIT
The gift of convenience never goes unnoticed, especially when that gift contains everyday necessities. This 20-piece kit comes with TSA-approved travel-sized, popular name-brand toiletries and other travel necessities. So, your soldier can look and feel as good as they did at home!
PUREBOOST ENERGY DRINK MIX
Boost your soldier’s energy while also boosting their immune system! Pureboost Energy Drink Mixes have 28 vitamins, minerals and nutrients to give your soldier an energized boost without all the sugar of a canned drink. Every box contains 30 naturally flavored tear-and-pour powder packets to give several days of immune and energy support.
PERSONALIZED JOURNAL GIFT
A personalized journal makes for a meaningful deployment gift. These journals are easy to carry and make for a great place for your soldier to share their thoughts, feelings and experiences while they’re away.
BEATS STUDIO BUDS
Beats Studio Buds create an excellent and comfortable listening experience. They are unique from other Bluetooth listening devices because they come with a battery life of up to 24 hours and have an extended range. Studio Buds also come with two different listening modes of Active Noise Canceling or Transparency, so your soldier has a choice if they want to block everything out or still be aware of their surroundings.
WHEY PROTIEN PACKETS
For any soldier who is into fitness or just likes to meet their recommended protein requirement every day, Whey Protein Packets are the way to do it. This gift is perfect for building and repairing muscles because it contains 26 grams of protein. These 15 tear-and-pour packets are perfect for on the go soldiers who need a delicious, chocolatey way to get their protein!
ENGRAVED POCKET KNIFE
A personalized pocket knife is a practical and sentimental way to show your soldier that you care. There are eight different styles of the knife to choose from and two lines available for text, titles or dates. You can also buy them in sets of three, six or ten if you have multiple loved ones in the military or just want to make one for the rest of the family.
