Sending shoeboxes?

maddymoo

Hi - my husband is out in Afghanistan too at the moment - he should hopefully be home for Christmas this year having spent last Christmas out there. The enduring mail service is still up and running and I hope it will continue for the future as it is a great morale boost to all the servicemen and women when they receive parcels from family and friends back home.

It is still quite warm out there at the moment - so chocolate is going to be a bit hit and miss. Don't leave it too late sending out christmas boxes. The mail service out there is flooded at Christmas time with so many boxes from the public being sent out too. It's not unusual for boxes from family and friends to be delayed reaching the service personnel as the mail service is so overwhelmed.

Whilst they appreciate everything being sent out to them, it's receiving the parcels from home that really makes the difference.

Savvy_Spender_South

maddymoo wrote: »

Hi - my husband is out in Afghanistan too at the moment - he should hopefully be home for Christmas this year having spent last Christmas out there. The enduring mail service is still up and running and I hope it will continue for the future as it is a great morale boost to all the servicemen and women when they receive parcels from family and friends back home.

It is still quite warm out there at the moment - so chocolate is going to be a bit hit and miss. Don't leave it too late sending out christmas boxes. The mail service out there is flooded at Christmas time with so many boxes from the public being sent out too. It's not unusual for boxes from family and friends to be delayed reaching the service personnel as the mail service is so overwhelmed.

Whilst they appreciate everything being sent out to them, it's receiving the parcels from home that really makes the difference.

What job does he do? going out 2 years in a row?

maddymoo

He is in the RAF and goes out there every 8 months and will be doing so for the foreseeable future unfortunately.

ruthem215

maddymoo wrote: »

He is in the RAF and goes out there every 8 months and will be doing so for the foreseeable future unfortunately.

My husband also in the raf, and goes out there once/twice every year, hes out there now, hopefully be back xmas (unlikely though) I've just started putting a box together for him so these links are great help x

MzFitz

My husband is just back - parcels would take between 10 days to 3 weeks (3 weeks was when the ash clouds in May were stopping all air traffic). One particular parcel we posted together on his last day of R&R, Thursday - it arrived in Camp Bastion the same day as he did, four days later.
Fruit cake was popular, some of them have a good six weeks use-by date. Biscuits and squash (waitrose do good strong plastic bottles that aren't too huge). His favourite item I sent - a pillow. I had to scrunch it quite small, but it got to him - with a custom printed pillowcase with my pic! Made him smile. ( http://www.uniquepromotion.co.uk/personalised-pillowcase.html ) - I don't work there, honest, just loved the product (and it made it home and it washed really well).

And - nearly forgot - Nesquick milk shake mix. They get dried milk powder, he loved using strawberry nesquick for a treat.

samm1551

My hubby is out there at the moment and it is still 25 / 27 degrees during the day, so chocolate probably not a good idea - Haribo is a better idea apparently!

knithappens

MzFitz wrote: »

My husband is just back - parcels would take between 10 days to 3 weeks (3 weeks was when the ash clouds in May were stopping all air traffic). One particular parcel we posted together on his last day of R&R, Thursday - it arrived in Camp Bastion the same day as he did, four days later.
Fruit cake was popular, some of them have a good six weeks use-by date. Biscuits and squash (waitrose do good strong plastic bottles that aren't too huge). His favourite item I sent - a pillow. I had to scrunch it quite small, but it got to him - with a custom printed pillowcase with my pic! Made him smile. ( http://www.uniquepromotion.co.uk/personalised-pillowcase.html ) - I don't work there, honest, just loved the product (and it made it home and it washed really well).

And - nearly forgot - Nesquick milk shake mix. They get dried milk powder, he loved using strawberry nesquick for a treat.

thanks for these, i had not thought of some of them

elw378

Any toiletries will also be gratefully received. I spent a year in Iraq and the toiletries in the NAAFI are a rip off.

I agree haribo is a good choice as well as biscuits. I was sent out chocolate regularly and it always got there fine so don't worry about sending chocolate. Favourite cakes are good, books, magazines because these are at least double the price as in the UK. I'll have a think for anything else...

biancacarr

Ive sent boxes out to my O/H while in afghan and Falklands..i sent chocolate in both not bars usually biscuits with choccy on top they got there fine..cakes..energy shot drinks..cup noodles..sports magazines..chewing gum..baby wipes..and some toiletries (dont send anything with an aerosol as they will send it back explosion risk !)..the stick deoderants are good to send !..in afghan he asked for noodles and biccies the most and the magazines as they are hard to get there. Dont go over 2kg with the boxes to afghan or they will charge you. Postage to falklands or other postings are expensive especially if you go over the 2 kgs.

karamunroe

Can you send deoderant? If I was away from home, I'd miss deoderant I think! Hope your cousin is getting on alright - I'm sure she'll love the shoebox idea.