Step 5- Care package guidelines

You've Got Mail! Sending letters and care packages is crucial.

Letters:
I plan on sending my Marine one letter everyday when he's gone, but that's just because we like the movie The Notebook. =] I've heard people say once a week and that's what I did with my last deployment. Personally I don't think it's enough. Let's just say..minimum-once a week, maximum-once a day. You always want to do the minimum though, because there's nothing worse than looking forward to mail day and you're the only soldier who doesn't get mail.

Care packages:
Deciding what to put in them can be hard. You don't always know what they need or want, and you don't want to send the same thing in each one either. During my first deployment, I did send normal ones and I found exactly that. It got boring, there was no surprise element, and I didn't know what to stuff them with. Buuuutttt!... I recently found a website that tells all about care packages. It's a Marine Corps website, but it can be used for any branch of the military. It'll introduces you to "theme care packages." They're so fun and I plan on using these for both of my upcoming deployments. Even if you don't like the idea and decide to do the traditional packages, I would recommend using an idea from one of the theme suggestions. It's sort of like a Day at Home. Have someone take a picture of everything you do in one day and send him things to do with it. Take a picture of you getting out of bed- send him a self-decorated pillowcase. You brushing your teeth- a mini tube of the toothpaste you use. Eating breakfast-a single serving of your cereal. (MY FAVORITE) Mowing the grass-fill a sandwich baggy with lawn clippings (it reminds them of home to smell fresh cut grass.) It just reminds them of home and reminds them you miss them in your everyday life. The website also has a link and information on how to get free boxes (select your size) and shipping labels for the your packages. http://usmcgals.com/carepackages.htm

Phone Calls:
The frequency of the calls and their length will depend on where your soldier is. They'll all have a FOB (the base) but your soldier may not be there very much depending on what they're doing. If they are there a lot, the phone calls will be more frequent and longer (once every 2-3 weeks maybe.) If they are not there, there's really no telling (anywhere from once every 3 weeks to every other month and shorter calls.) Don't get mad if they don't call or if their call gets cut off.

Read more: How to Survive Your Soldier's Deployment | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5248994_survive-soldiers-deployment.html#ixzz1F5adfnOM