Boot Camp Care Packages
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  1. #1

    Question Boot Camp Care Packages

    Okay, I have used the search feature and am still having trouble finding a list of "acceptable" care packages to send my son while in Boot Camp. I don't want him getting smoked on my account.

    Today, when I got his mailing address from the Recruiter, he said that powdered gatorade is acceptable. He can mix it up and share it with his buddies.

    I am thinking about adding a pocket size bible, single size powdered drinks, granola bars, chap stick, sunblock (including a few trial size to share with his buddies), dental floss.

    Thank you in advance!


  2. #2
    He should already have a bible, unless you are sending him his own one, chap stick, sunblock, and dental floss. I have never heard of a recruit being allowed to have powdered gatorade. All that is allowed when outside of the chow hall is water. The DIs will go through the care package and if there aren't enough granola bars for the whole platoon then they probably will get confiscated. If there are enough they may or may not be allowed to eat them. Close to the crucible we weren't allowed to receive any form of food in the mail but after second phase some one was sent cookies and we all were allowed to eat one. As good as it is to surprise your son, you may want to ask him what you are allowed to send him.


  3. #3

    Exclamation

    Quote Originally Posted by LivTooley View Post
    Okay, I have used the search feature and am still having trouble finding a list of "acceptable" care packages to send my son while in Boot Camp. I don't want him getting smoked on my account.

    Today, when I got his mailing address from the Recruiter, he said that powdered gatorade is acceptable. He can mix it up and share it with his buddies.

    I am thinking about adding a pocket size bible, single size powdered drinks, granola bars, chap stick, sunblock (including a few trial size to share with his buddies), dental floss.

    Thank you in advance!
    Well I wouldn't send anything for the taste buds as of yet. Bibles and shoe inserts for the long hikes are acceptable however. As a recruit me and my buddys made candy out of cough drops. Sunblock good, chap stick good, dental floss good, granola bars bad (unless they're for the DI's.) Gatorade not yet.


  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by LivTooley View Post
    Okay, I have used the search feature and am still having trouble finding a list of "acceptable" care packages to send my son while in Boot Camp. I don't want him getting smoked on my account.

    Today, when I got his mailing address from the Recruiter, he said that powdered gatorade is acceptable. He can mix it up and share it with his buddies.

    I am thinking about adding a pocket size bible, single size powdered drinks, granola bars, chap stick, sunblock (including a few trial size to share with his buddies), dental floss.

    Thank you in advance!
    Sadly, for your son, it isn't like his MOS school or being in the Fleet. He is in training, hardcore training and while we want to send love, sometimes it is best to save that for after boot camp. When my son's were at MCRD San Diego, I only sent them Power Bars right before The Crucible, and enough for the entire Platoon and Drill Instructors. It was something that I wanted to do, but would not have done, if I hadn't heard it from my son's first. I even changed all my cards envelopes in the Hallmark store to a plain white ones, so I didn't draw attention to them. They have canteens, or at least my son's did...not water bottles that they could toss in the trash. They don't get much personal time, and sending it to his buddies would be many Recruits. My son's went in an off time, and high school wasn't letting out, so they didn't have many...I sent 75 Power Bars just for their Platoon. Your son at this time of year, could have much more than that.

    He could have gotten a bible at MEPS. It is really cute, and cammo colored. He isn't going to have tons of time in the bathroom to floss and all....he is timed and counted down on everything. I would write your son and ask him what is acceptable, and patiently wait for an answer before sending anything but letters and cards to him. One of my son's friends got a card with music, and it was a really horrible experience...it is very hard to sing and do push-ups from what my son's were explaining.

    He is there to learn and be shaped in to the best Marine...I am very happy for you and can't wait for you to see him on Family Day and Graduation. It is truly inspiring and amazing!


  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by CBRN5711Tech View Post
    HI have never heard of a recruit being allowed to have powdered gatorade.
    It depends on the platoon, Cpl. My platoon was sometimes allowed gatorade. Aside from the box nastys, we had gatorade maybe 5-10 times total. Recruits' parents had sent in the powder mix, and occasionally we were allowed to make it.

    Everything is at the discretion of the Drill Instructors, of course. Honestly the thing I appreciated the most were the letters and cough drops. As another Marine already said, cough drops become candy to recruits. There was a time when almost everyone in my platoon had a cough or a sneeze, for about two weeks. Close confinement with so many other men was probably a good part of the reason. Cough drops did wonders.


  6. #6
    Granted, I haven't been to boot camp since 1998 but while I was there a good friend of mine sent me a package with 80 packages of 3 wrapped cookies. The DI's let me eat as many as I could before they finished handing out mail and that was it. If you really want to keep you son happy let him know how proud of him you are and that you support his decision. From time to time in boot camp people may question their devotion to becoming a Marine. Showing him your support would be the best thing you can do. They'll make sure he has every thing he needs while he is there. The best feeling for me was knowing my family was there for graduation. My dad rented a 15 passenger van and brought my two brothers, three step-sisters, grandmother and my step-mom. My graduation pales only in comparison to my wedding day and being there for the birth of my children.


  7. #7
    LivTooley.......if your son is just getting at MCRD, I would very much hold off on sending him any care packages just yet. His mail probably won't catch up with him for a few days anyway, and besides, he'll be way to busy those first couple of weeks.
    My nephew who is at MCRDPI 3 weeks yesterday, hasn't mentioned anything yet about wanting Gatorade or Power Bars, which his Recruiter did say that they were pretty much the only things you can send him, and it's been extremely hot and humid at MCRDPI right now.
    And like the other Marines who have mentioned....don't send any other snacks, that really isn't a good thing to do.
    Depending on the Drill Instructors, they'll either have you share with the rest of your platoon or make you eat everything that was sent until you puke....and that's the honest to Gods truth! And also....if there's a "weight recruite" in his platoon, you make that person feel really bad because he has to sit and watch everyone else eating what you sent.
    I hope all this info is helpfull to you.


  8. #8
    As a former DI DON"T SEND ANY FOOD ITEMS! Boot inserts, foot powder, bandaids for blisters, sun screen is ok. Mostly just encourging letters.


  9. #9

    Wink Thank You All!

    Thank you all for your wise words of advice. Letters, he will get his share and then some. Besides his adoring mother (that would be me), there are a group of young ladies from high school who were chomping at the bit waiting for his address. WHEW! We got that yesterday. He will not lack in support or prayers for health, wellnes and safety.

    I held off on sending anything until I read the replies. I will definitely go get him the comfort items, such as band-aids, chapstick, etc. Today, I was able to get our Spring Fitness Program Coordinator to donate a load of small bottles of sunblock. They would be considered trial size if you bought them in the store. Sixty-six in all (that's all I could carry in my bag with our team prizes). I will definitely send them so that as many of the Recruits can have one. She will probably contact me to give me more after the rest of the teams get their prizes. Thank goodness for flat rate boxes!

    Boy, the rules for Marine boot camp are very different from those at Army basic (that's where I went).

    Be groovy!

    Olivia


  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by jebollenbach View Post
    As a former DI DON"T SEND ANY FOOD ITEMS! Boot inserts, foot powder, bandaids for blisters, sun screen is ok. Mostly just encourging letters.
    I agree. Any food items sent to us (I went through boot camp in 2000) was confiscated and held in the duty hut until the day we graduated, if it wasn't destroyed on the spot.

    The cough drops were definitely candy, and I think I am still having withdraws from them. Nothing like cough drops that make half your head go numb! God, I would still trade for them if I could find them.

    Letters that had anything written on the outside were read out loud by the Drill Instructors, and the recruit they were addressed to was humiliated. Packages that were sent were opened by the recruit in front of the Drill Instructor and anything that was considered contraband was confiscated or destroyed.

    Sometimes a recruit received cookies that were enough for the whole platoon. The recruit's options were to destroy the cookies or try to eat all of them in 30 seconds. Most destroyed the cookies ... one kid went for it and ended up choking.

    If you just send letters, you will be doing enough as mail is the biggest moral booster. I prayed that I wouldn't get anything in a package, and I specifically wrote home telling my parents not to send anything. Anything I needed I could pick up from the PX when we were rushed through to buy our rifle badges or shaving cream. If I couldn't find it there, I could usually find it in my occasional visits to the whiskey locker.


  11. #11
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    my question is are recordable cards ok or will they be punished for them? My husband is in boot camp right now and I wanted to send him a card wishing him a Merry Christmas with my voice on it, but not if its gonna get him introuble.


  12. #12
    Anything that plays music or is recorded is never a good idea. He'll thank you for not sending one.


  13. #13
    The ONLY thing we were allowed to have was letters and "skin so soft" a product of Avon, that was really greasy and stunk of some nasty perfume. It was used as insect repellent or particularly "sand fleas" (like noseeums) that would torment you to death on Parris Island. I guess that crap worked somewhat (when they let us put it on, which was rare), but you still got bit. I think those little critters became immune to that stuff a long time ago and actually started liking it. Agreed, just send lots of letters, believe me, that's all he really cares about.

    Gatorade, is that a joke? Man, we barely had time to fill our canteens with water. Ahhh, good ole "hot" water. Nothing quenches your thirst better than 110 degree water, lol.


  14. #14
    Here's my two cents:

    Send letters, appropriate pictures, and news papers. When I went through about five years ago, our DI's initially only let us have letters. I think after the rifle range, they allowed us to have newspapers sent, and pictures sent as long as they weren't porn or anything like that. Of course, whenever girls sent us pictures, the whole platoon got to see, and the DI's got to give you their opinions on what they'd do to the girls if given the chance.


  15. #15
    I wouldn't send much of anything. I told my parents and friends to send me nothing but letters in plain envelopes. I did my research before I went so I had a great idea of what to expect. I got everything I needed at the PX when we did our 3 min px runs before an inspection. As far as Gatorade I have never heard of that being allowed. Any package that anyone received was ripped threw by a drill instructor tossing it all about taking away what was considered contraband, which was all of it normally. Than the recruit would be harassed. I would definitely say send no food cause the "fat" recruits will just have to sit there and watch. Newspapers were my favorite, when they were full of adds i'd throw out the paper and just read the colorfull adds. Just wait for him to say what he needs (if he's smart it'll be nothing) and just send him tons of letters.


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