My longtime friend is being deployed next week and all his friends and family are having a party this weekend.
Since he will be going into the armed forces, most of his carrying items will be provided to him. Making it very difficult for me and my wife to think of a good gift.
Any ideas? Price range is around 100-200$ and i am hoping for something classy.
Appreciate any responses.
Going into the armed forces i.e. starting out in bootcamp… or being deployed i.e. going somewhere on some sort of mission?
Maybe one of those little hand-held DVD players. Then you could send him videos from home.
Bootcamp for 16 weeks. He is 24 and its his first time away for any period of time.
[quote]PGJ wrote:
Maybe one of those little hand-held DVD players. Then you could send him videos from home. [/quote]
That’s actually a really practical gift and he’ll thank you for it later. Believe me.
[quote]PGJ wrote:
Maybe one of those little hand-held DVD players. Then you could send him videos from home. [/quote]
Wow that’s an excellent idea! I can’t think of anything better. And DVD messages from home as well as the latest movies on DVD’s would really be nice to have when you’re so far away!
A couple years ago, my wife and I were sending audio tapes to each other. My father sent reel to reel tapes to my mom from Vietnam. A DVD player and sending DVD messages would be excellent. How things have changed.
Send that stuff after boot camp though. He won’t need it there and won’t be able to get to it. It will just go into storage with his civilian clothes.
Make it a graduation gift from Boot Camp.
I have given multi-tools, good pocket knives, Ka-Bars etc to my friends that have deployed. More in the $ 50 range.
What a world we live in that you send a man off to war with a DVD player!
Just had another idea. Knives are great, and always useful. A Leatherman or similar multi-use tool will always be put to good use. Flashlights are good to, small ones with red lenses. Anything that you can use to give someone a good stabbing, fix something with, or illuminate stuff with, are always a great gifts for a military person.
Simple: P-U-S-S-Y
He wont be getting any for quite some time. Prostitutes are fine, some people prefer it to be from close freinds though.
[quote]chinadoll wrote:
PGJ wrote:
Maybe one of those little hand-held DVD players. Then you could send him videos from home.
Wow that’s an excellent idea! I can’t think of anything better. And DVD messages from home as well as the latest movies on DVD’s would really be nice to have when you’re so far away![/quote]
Just as long as it’s not a “Dear John” video of your wife/girlfriend having sex with someone else. It’s known to have happened in the past.
I know this doesn’t make for a great gift for the party, but some sort of IOU would prob make the best gift in the end. You could maybe get him something little for the party, but unless he’s been to wherever he’s going before, you have little chance of getting him something useful, even if you ask him what he wants. I think anything to make his life easier during the deployment is the best gift.
For example, he might want an Ipod to listen to his favorite music, but it turns out that one model turns to a pile of crap in the heat and sand. He might not know this until he gets there. Maybe he gets really homesick and misses . Maybe he needs a piece of gear to keep him alive e.g. better helmet straps, sunglasses, webbing…
I think it would be cool if he knew he could go to you first to ship him a luxury or survival item.
…or just go with the prostitute idea.
he wont be able to use his dvd player during bootcamp. i would recommend a leatherman multipurpose tool.
Oops, I missed the bootcamp part. I’d still wait on a gift till after graduation, unless he is in the reserves and will be living back at home. Even so, a decent percentage of people don’t graduate. A lot of freak injuries/wear and tear on old injuries can happen during 16 weeks. It might be kind of awkward if he gets sent home right away.
[quote]maxx power wrote:
Bootcamp for 16 weeks. He is 24 and its his first time away for any period of time.[/quote]
There is a large difference between being deployed and going to bootcamp at least here in the US there is.
Another poster mentioned saving the gift for graduating, I second that idea. All that he needs will be given to him for bootcamp (I could be wrong since I don’t know how bootcamp is in Canada) Don’t give him crap he can’t take with him or most probably shouldn’t take with him. Pictures are good, maybe even a kit of stamps, envelopes, paper and pens.
Save the “cool” gift for when he graduates.
If it’s for bootcamp, don’t give him anything. He won’t need it. At bootcamp you are only allowed to have what they give you. All your personal crap gets locked up and you don’t get it back till you leave. The very best thing you can do for someone at bootcamp is to send him letters of eencouragement as often as possible.
The best gift I ever got while serving was one of those fancy grooming kits with all the bells and whistles. You know, clippers, scissors, everything. Some of the better ones are in your price range.
That was 18 years ago (damn). Still have it and still use it.
Holmdog