Gifts to Send a Soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan

After research and feedback from the field, along with what is mention in blogs and on other troop-support websites, here is the list of some of the items that are most requested.

This will give you some Christmas gift ideas or birthday gift ideas for your loved one, friend, or colleague deployed overseas. Gifts for soldiers fall into 3 main categories:

NOTE: Amazon.com cannot ship electronics, cameras and computers to APO/FPO addresses. You need to have these items shipped to your home in the U.S. first, then take them to your U.S. Post Office where they can be shipped to the APO/FPO address.
See Tips for Parcel Shipping and Amazon Shipping Restrictions for more info.

1) Gifts to help stay in touch with family

	Unlocked GSM cell phone There is nothing like hearing the voice of a friend or loved one on the phone.
	SIM Card: Iraq, SIM Card: Afghanistan You will need a SIM card for an unlocked phone. You have the option of getting one specifically for that country, or a multi-country roaming card.
	Prepaid Phone Card: Iraq, Prepaid Phone Card: Afghanistan Not all soldiers have access to MWR phones or free phones. These prepaid calling cards allow a soldier to call home from a phone tent.
	Digital Photo Frame (Sony, 7-inch) Load up this frame with cherished photos of friends, family, babies, trips taken. This truly will be a cherished gift and will be looked at daily!

2) Gifts to help relieve boredom & stress

Soldiers need entertainment when they are not at their duties. Personal electronic items are often requested as they are portable, lightweight and can run on battery power.

	Playstation Video Game Player (PSP 3000) This amazing device, besides playing all the top video games, can also play MP3s and full-length movies, and has Wi-Fi and Skype built in.
	Apple iPod Touch 32 GB Besides playing music & videos, taking photos and running applications, soldiers can get software that turns it into an Arabic translator!
	Kindle eBook Reader You can preload these with hundreds of favorite books and magazines. Kindles are very popular overseas, are lightweight, can be read in sunlight and work great in hot weather too!
	ASUS PC Netbook (10.5 hour battery life!) These are compact, come preloaded with Windows 7 or XP and have an incredible battery life. Besides being a fully-functioning PC, they are also awesome as a DVD player for watching movies!
	Video Games for Xbox 360, PS3 & Wii. Console video games are always popular. What's hot this year is Halo 3 ODST, Modern Warefare 2, Madden NFL 10, and Assassin's Creed. Soldiers often play against each other.

3) Gifts to use in the field

	SureFire LED Flashlight These amazing flashlights are super bright, super small, and the batteries last for a very long time. There is no equal to these in the field.
	Olympus Ruggedized Digital Camera This camera is amazingly tough for the field. It is shockproof to 6.6 feet, waterproof to 33 feet, freezeproof and crushproof to 220 lbs!
	Garmin GPS Watch w/ With Heart Monitor These watches are popular with soldiers during their gym workouts and outdoor walking, jogging routines.
	Pelican Case Pelican cases are super tough against shock, vibration, temperature and are water-proof. You cut out the foam to securely hold laptops, cameras and personal electronics. These are great in the field.