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September 19, 2005
Tips for sending letters and packages to your deployed Marine
The 22nd MEU has a great list of tips for sending letters and packages to deployed troops. The list is below, with a few comments in italics from this Marine Mom:
While e-mail is a wonderful innovation in keeping connected to deployed family member, there is nothing better than holding a tangible reminder of home in your hand. Here are some basic tips for writing your deployed Marine or Sailor:
Letter Mail
- Mail is slow. First class mail will average 10 days to the ship and may take up to 20 days. Plan ahead for special dates and mail early for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. For some of the outlying posts, mail might only arrive every 10 days or so. If your letter arrives the day after a shipment, it will sit until the next time someone makes the trip. Mail early, mail often.
- Write often. Letters do not have to be long, but writing often is important. If that is difficult supplement with greeting cards. Getting short letters often is better than getting long letters occasionally. I tried to send a letter or at least a note every day. It's amazing how quickly you can dash off a short note in the nooks and crannies of your day - waiting for a meeting to get started or sitting at a traffic light. I kept stamped envelopes in my glove compartment and stationery in my purse, desk, and car - no matter where I was, I had writing materials.
- Number letters. The roundabout means by which mail reaches the MEU means and the fact that it arrives in bulk means that several letters may be received at once or out of sequence. Numbering envelopes and dating letters is very important.
- Keep things upbeat. By all means, let your loved one know about problems at home, but don't send a letter full of complaints and gripes. Explain any problems clearly and concisely, and include how you intend to resolve the situation. Interject all letters with amusing stories of your family's daily activities. Your Marine misses the day to day routine of home and family life - so tell him or her what you're doing. Baking cookies, raking autumn leaves from the yard, walking the dog - just a brief description will provide a touch of home through your words.
- Include pictures. I used to compose my letters on my computer and include pictures on the printed page. My son loved it - he had very limited space to keep personal belongings and since he knew I had copies of the document on my hard drive at home, he didn't feel bad about burning mail at the end of the deployment. Also, print small versions of favorite pictures. I shrank images of his family members and printed 1X2 inch prints, and he'd tuck them inside the lining of his helmet when he'd go out on patrol.
- Write self-contained letters. Don't close letters without resolving issues. Never promise to finish a story or provide resolution 'with the next letter' because you don't know how long it will take that letter to find your loved one.
- Vary your routine. Try not to send just letters, nor just greeting cards. Mix things up a bit. Send a few letters, then a card or two, and so on. While it may seem a minor point, to a deployed Marine or Sailor, it makes a world of difference for them to know you're putting thought into your correspondence. If you only have time for a short note, just write a few thoughts on the back of a photograph and drop it in the mail. It will bring a smile.
- Never write in anger. There may be times when frustration and tension build up and the best way to release it is in a letter. However, before you send out that 'flamer,' let it sit for a day or so. Give yourself time to cool down and think things over, and after a while, things might not be so bad after all. If you do feel the need to vent, do so calmly, telling your loved one how you feel and why. And then, consider burning the letter instead of mailing it. Consider why you wrote it in the first place. Because your Marine hasn't written? He or she is extremely busy - 20 hour work days aren't uncommon - and sleep might take precedence over communication. Yes, we live for those phone calls and letters home. They have so many tasks and so little time - continue being upbeat and supportive and don't add to their stress by sending negative messages.
Packages
- Remember, packages will be handled by a lot of people and may get crushed, so pack carefully. Use a thick, sturdy box. A shoebox just won't do. The Post Office will supply Priority Main flat rate boxes free of charge. It's just the right size for packing with a variety of items and, no matter what it weighs, it's just $7.70 to send to any deployed with a FPO/APO mailing address. Pick up a supply and fill them. I mailed care packages at least once a week and always included a few extras for Marines who didn't have family support.
- Make sure the box isn't too big for the item(s) included. Stuff the box with crumpled newspaper so things inside won't rattle around and will have a little more cushion. Extra pairs of socks also make good cushions. Especially during hot weather, your Marine will change his socks multiple times a day and there is no such thing as too many pairs of socks.
- Tape all corners and open creases securely. The Post Office won't accept scotch or masking tape because they don't hold well. Instead, use duct, nylon reinforced or paper tape. I also tape the inside seams of the boxes - it adds to the stability of the box and helps keep the dust out.
- Don't send fragile items. If you must, make sure that it is packed with extreme care. I sent my son a camera and packed it in a Pelican watertight case. It went astray and was finally returned to me six months after I sent it - and the camera was the only item in the box that survived. Everything else was permeated with dust.
- Make sure food items won't spoil or melt. There's nothing worse than getting a big lump of inedible chocolate. Fruit-based snacks, hard candies, and trail mixes are great ideas. If your Marine or Sailor has to have chocolate, send Tootsie Rolls. Also, do NOT send soap, shampoo, or any other personal care item in the same box with food. Your brownies will arrive tasting like soap, no matter how much plastic you put around them. Also, baked goods get stale quickly, unless they are vacuum packed. I invested in a vacuum packer when my son deployed last year and he reported that the cookies I sent arrived tasting as if they were freshly baked. It was good for a number of hugs at homecoming from the Marines who shared his care packages.
- Although they may be a bit out of date, send magazines and local newspapers so your loved will have an idea of what's going on back at home. I sent a box of magazines each month - the guys will read anything but especially enjoy bodybuilding, hunting & fishing, truck & car, motorcycle, and other testosterone-heavy topics. I included entrepreneur and small business magazines since they're all dreaming of the day when they'll start their own small business (no kidding, they sit around and discuss business plans) and this provides a focus and a bit of education. They'll read Maxim first, but still. And, the newspapers will be read from front to back page, especially the sports page when the home team is playing.
Posted by Deb at September 19, 2005 12:20 PM
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Comments
Hello,
I enjoy and thank you for the tips. i was wondering if someone can tell me how do I go about sending baked goods and chocolate?
Thanks!
Mar
Posted by: Mar at October 11, 2005 07:11 PM
i am having trouble sending a letter or package to a marine in iraq, because i am unable to get his address. please help me and tell me how i can get an address to send him a letter.
thanks
mom2
Posted by: deana hughes at December 15, 2005 01:33 PM