Deployment Care Packages

Sometimes, I don't really understand how long we've been doing this military life. 15 years. 16 in January. In 4 years my husband will be retired!?! Seriously, it's hard to wrap my brain around. I still have to pause and calculate when I'm asked How long has your husband been in? At some point, this long journey to 20 years hit a fast forward button and we have 4 years left. It's weird. I never ever believed the old timers who would tell us the 20 years would go fast. Now I realize they were right. Maybe the first ten years passed slowly but the past six... a blink of an eye.

Promotion to Lance Corporal

With 15 years behind us, you better believe we've done deployments. Not as many as most, especially with Iraq and Afghanistan, but enough to matter. Heck, my mentality is 'one is more than enough'. We did a Korea trip, three Iraq deployments, and a MEU. Korea was in 2001. I'm pretty sure we were using email and snail mail for morale boosters. When my husband went to Iraq, I started sending care packages.

Homecoming 2005

Back in the day (circa 2003), the Marines ate hamburgers and hot dogs practically every day of deployment to Iraq. It didn't take long before they burned out on the limited fare. So, I sent a crockpot and the family would send care packages full of canned goods and spices. The Marines would do the bachelor thing and just mix random things together for soup. I guess it was much better than the alternative. There was even a hot dog soup. Eww!

Not until my husband's recent MEU did I start sending theme care packages. It was fun for the kids and me too. I wasn't quite sure what my husband would think but the themes were actually enjoyable for him. I guess when you are deployed things start to feel like Ground Hog Day. The same day after day. I guess a fun care package helps break things up! Add a little color and excitement to the desert sand or grey metal of a ship.

I'm sort of creative when it comes to simple things. Pinterest still helped jumpstart ideas for themed care packages. Instagram is surprisingly helpful too. Hashtag #carepackages or #militarycarepackages for pictures of military care packages. There is also a blogger, Army Wife Housewife, who posts creative care packages ideas frequently. You can check out my Deployment Pinterest Board for a few ideas. The themes are endless.

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