recommendation for a "kit" gift....

[Just Jim]

Well the PX at most of the bases has anything someone could need like knives and tools etc. Unless it is a special order. Life there is a day to day grind with alot of heat and long hours of work. Carrying anything extra really drags on you.

Things I saw that the troops should have is alot of money cause things at the PX cost alot more than here. Also Phone cards for calling home, minutes out of the px are four times more bucks than you pay here. I took a costco phone card and used KBR lines and saved myself a ton of money.

Lot's of baby wipes to give yourself a fresh cleaning when you can't get to the shower is handy (on the road). Everyone who goes over there comes down with a flu called the Iraqi crud but I bet the military will give antibiotics for that.

Lot's of insects that bug repellent would help ward off. The bugs give you disease over there and you want to make sure you give em repellant. Good sunglasses that keep the dust out really helps, the glare at 117 degrees is unbelieveable. I bought some that had interchangeable light and dark colored lenses for night missions, Wiley X.

Tell him thanks for his service.

jj

 

[EODDoogie]

I don't dip, but as an Air Force guy attached to Army units I bring two or three logs of stateside Copenhagen and Skoal in the cardboard cans when I link up with a new unit. Kind of a peace offering to the Army guys as most don't really think too much of getting AF EOD types until they work with us for awhile. For some reason dippers love the stuff in the cardboard can.

Cigars/cigarettes packed in the small Pelican 1040 and 1060 cases. Pelicans keep them from dying out in transit. When they are gone the Pelicans are good for storing stuff.

Got any old board games you aren't playing? Axis and Allies has always been popular. In fact we have a running game going on right now. Anything that takes days or weeks to play.

Tactical gear is kind of a personnal thing but most companies offer gift certificates, go in with a bunch of other folks for them as $20 doesn't really get you much.

Knives are the same as gear and really fall down to personal preferance. Spyderco has always been a favorite of mine for folders but I have been known to carry anything from a CRKT to an Al Mar. Benchmade Nimravus for a fixed blade, I have found that to be about the perfect size for most of my military needs. It replaced a Cold Steel SRK that has seen so much use cutting explosives that you can't get it within 100 feet of a K-9 EDD. Poor dog doesn't know weather to sh1t or go blind after one whiff of that thing.

For Surefires, the Aviator with the red LEDs is very popular but expensive. I loved mine until I left it on the roof of my HMMWV and donated it to the local Afghan Army guys. The smaller E1 executive is a GREAT little light. I have used that little light more than all my other thousands of dollars worth of Surefire goodness combined. Just make sure you get them the RED or BLUE filter caps too.

Ziplocs, magazines and hard candy as padding. I use car air freshners for my hootches, yup just regular old green pine trees hangin' infront of the AC or Heater. Helps cut down on the smell of sweaty FAB.

As for the synthetic clothes like Underarmor. That is up to him. I have personnally say to heck with it and wear them anyway. If the blast and frag of the IED doesn't get me than the 2 frags, 1 thermite, 1 smoke, penflares, 500plus rounds of ammo and the 2.5 lbs of C4 on my body is going to make sure the UA doesn't have much time to melt. I weighed the risk vs the gain and made my decision. But I get to play by big boy rules and as he might not be so lucky your best bet is to just ask them.

It may sound strange but if he is operating way out in the middle of no where some collapsable pails and a no kidding washboard with good old fashioned clotherspins. Been there, done that; burned those t-shirts and uniforms before I came home.

Food for thought.