Blog Archives

Army Soldiers Who Did Great Things

Jenifer Calandra

Say “Thanks!” to Your Modern-Day Hero with a Military Care Package

A true soldier possesses certain character traits that make them truly special. These characteristics are loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. Over the years, members of the Army have displayed these traits and achieved amazing things while serving our country. Do you know the story of these important Army soldiers?

Maj. Gen. John Lincoln Clem

Clem changed his middle name from Joseph to Lincoln before attempting to enlist in the Union Army during the Civil War when he was just nine years old. After being rejected initially, he made it into the 22nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry and killed a Confederate officer who demanded his surrender. Clem was promoted to sergeant before being discharged in 1864. He made his return to the army in 1871 and rose to major general before his retirement in 1915. We don’t know many nine-year-olds are prepared for war today, but we’re thankful for Maj. Gen. Clem’s dedication to this country.

Sgt. Henry Johnson

A “Harlem Hellfigher” during World War I, Johnson found himself in a fight in the Argonne Forest. A dozen German soldiers attacked him and his buddy. Sgt. Johnson was able to hold them off with grenades and rifle fire. When he ran out of ammo, he finished off his attackers with a knife and saved the rest of his unit. President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Johnson a Congressional Medal of Honor; President Bill Clinton posthumously awarded him a Purple Heart. In 2003, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army’s second highest award, was presented to his son, Herman A. Johnson, a Tuskegee Airman, on behalf of his father. The French government also awarded Johnson the Croix de guerre; he was the first American to receive the award.

Gen. George S. Patton

A West Point graduate, General Patton commanded the army in World War II in the Mediterranean and in France and Germany after D-Day. Although his public statements and motivational speeches to his soldiers were somewhat controversial, today, he is regarded as an American folk hero. During his time in the Army, Gen. Patton earned a Purple Heart, Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Bronze Star Medal, and Legion of Merit. Patton is the subject of several full-length motion pictures that celebrate his achievements and his big personality.

Lt. Audie Murphy

Audie Murphy is considered the greatest combat soldier in the history of the United States. Although he passed away at only 46 years old, his legend lives on today in his Hollywood movie roles. At just 5’5” tall and 110 pounds, Murphy was refused enlistment in both the Marines and paratroopers during World War II. That was their loss, and the Army gladly accepted him. His first assignment was to the 15th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division, where he fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany. He earned a battlefield commission for his courage and leadership, as well as every possible medal for valor that the United States awarded. He also earned three French medals and a Belgian medal, making him the most decorated soldier in American history. 

First Lt. Eddie Rickenbacker

Rickenbacker was the most successful American fighter ace in the Army during World War I, with 26 aerial victories. During his time in the Army, he earned the Junior Military Aviator Badge, Medal of Honor, Army Distinguished Service Cross, Medal for Merit, World War I Victory Medal, Legion of Honor from France, and the Croix de guerre from France. Rickenbacker also is famous for his careers as a race car driver, automotive designer, and the long-time leader of Eastern Air Lines.

How to Thank Army Soldiers with a Military Care Package

Although we cannot thank these Army legends in person, we can continue to honor their legacy and dedication by remembering them on Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day. Today’s soldiers are also deserving of our acknowledgement, which is why My Hero Crate was born into existence.

My Hero Crate makes it easy to say “thank you” to any member of the American armed forces. Simply purchase a military care package on our website, and we’ll ship it directly to your favorite soldier, no matter where in the world they’re stationed. Each military care package contains a variety of snacks suitable for any dietary need, and all contents are military-approved. 

Place your order today to thank your personal hero.

Five Important Marines You Should Know

Jenifer Calandra

Recognize Your Favorite Marine with a Military Care Package

The Marine Corps were founded as the Continental Marines in November 1775, during the Revolutionary War, for ship-to-shop fighting, assisting in landing forces, providing shipboard security, and enforcing discipline. Since then, the few and the proud have been protecting the United States. Here are a few famous Marines we think are worth knowing. 

Be sure to add your Marine Corps hero to our list, too, and send them a military care package from My Hero Crate.

Marine Sergeant Major Gilbert “Hashmark” Johnson

One of the first African Americans to join the Marine Corps, Johnson served as a drill instructor before being promoted to sergeant major. Johnson requested permission to conduct combat patrols and led 25 of them in Guam during World War II.

Previously, he served in both the Army and Navy for a combined 15 years before joining the Marines. At basic training, he was nicknamed “Hashmark” because he had more service stripes than his instructors. Sgt. Maj. Johnson dedicated his life to serving his country in the armed forces and is definitely deserving of our salute.

Lieutenant General Lewis “Chesty” Puller”

Most every enlisted Marine is familiar with Chesty Puller and the role he played in the Corps. Lt. Gen. Puller served for 30 years and rose to one of the highest ranks while becoming the most decorated Marine in the history of the Corps. 

He earned five Navy Crosses, the nation’s second-highest military honor; no one else has ever achieved the same. He is famous for saying, “All right, they’re on our left, they’re on our right, they’re in front of us, they’re behind us. They can’t get away this time,” when his unit was surrounded by the enemy during the Korean War. He also served in World War II and in Nicaragua and Haiti.

Sergeant Major Daniel J. Daly

Known as “the fightinest Marine,” Sgt. Maj. Daly earned his fame by leading a counter attack at the Battle of Belleau Wood during World War I, despite being outnumbered and outgunned. Although this was an incredible act of bravery, he didn’t earn a Medal of Honor for it.

Instead, he received two Medals of Honor for single-handedly holding a wall in China as snipers tried to kill him and for resisting an ambush in Haiti before leading a counterattack against Caco rebels there.

Colonel John Glenn — Yes, THAT John Glenn

You probably know Col. John Glenn for being the first American to orbit the Earth, but he was an incredibly decorated Marine first. Glenn earned six Distinguished Flying Crosses, 18 Air Medals, and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

During World War II and the Korean War, he flew 122 combat missions with three air-to-air kills. He once protected his wingman who was experiencing engine trouble as enemy planes attacked. Glenn drove them off to give his partner time to return to base, ultimately taking down one enemy jet in the process.

Private Minnie Spotted-Wolf

Minnie Spotted-Wolf was the first Native American woman to enlist in the United States Marine Corps as a member of the Marine Corps Reserve in 1943. A member of the Blackfoot tribe, Spotted-World described Marine boot camp as “hard, but not too hard.” She served on military bases in California and Hawaii, where she was a heavy equipment operator and driver for general officers.

After serving for five years, she was discharged and became a teacher, a career she enjoyed for 29 years. In 2019, a section of U.S. Highway 89 was dedicated as the “Minnie Spotted-Wolf Memorial Highway.”

Say Thanks to Your Marine Corps Hero

If your loved one is continuing the legacy of excellence of the United States Marine Corps, we think they deserve a very special armed forces snack box from My Hero Crate. 

Each of our military snack gift baskets contains an assortment of military-approved, American-sourced nuts, chips, candy, and other treats and ships for free, including overseas and to APO, FPO, and DPO addresses. You can send a single snack box, or subscribe so your favorite soldier receives an armed forces care package every month.

Place your order today!

Salute to America! Fourth of July Party Ideas with Social Distancing Measures

Jenifer Calandra

Get Your Holiday Snacks with a Military Care Package from My Hero Crate

This year’s Independence Day celebrations will look very different from what we’ve become accustomed to over the years. With social distancing guidelines in place all over the United States, people are still working to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, while celebrating the birth of our country.

It’s possible to throw a Fourth of July party and stay safe at the same time. At My Hero Crate, we’ve compiled ideas for celebrating July Fourth in special ways to prevent the spread of germs while still spending quality time with the ones you love, including your favorite soldier!

Serve Individual Meals and Snacks

It sounds extreme, but purchasing snacks in individually wrapped packages can help slow the spread of disease. When snacks come in their own bags or wrappers, no one is diving in, fingers-first, to hand-pick chips, nuts, or candy from a big bowl, and no one can cough directly into a serving vessel, either.

If your goal is to stay healthy, we recommend serving plated meals over buffet-style family dining, and setting up a snack table with individually-wrapped snacks. Include a couple bottles of hand sanitizer, and spread out the lawn chairs, and you’ll have a socially-distant good time! Stock up on your favorite individually-wrapped snacks with a military snack box from My Hero Crate.

Stay Outdoors

The fresh air outdoors can help decrease the likelihood of disease transmission, rather than sitting indoors where air recirculates through the HVAC system. When your partygoers stay outdoors, the summer breeze can carry away airborne droplets. Of course, it isn’t fool-proof, so sitting separately, not sharing drinks or utensils, and practicing good hygiene are a must. Thankfully, a classic American barbecue is hosted outside, and that’s the perfect party theme for the Fourth of July!

Plan Your Own Fireworks Show

If it’s legal to purchase fireworks where you live, consider having your own family fireworks show instead of attending a public one in the park. Have a bucket of water handy for dousing any stray sparks, and practice good fireworks safety by admiring lit fireworks from afar and never aiming them at a building, pet, or person. Older children can enjoy lighting smoke bombs, popping snaps, pulling confetti poppers, or waving sparklers at night, with adult supervision.

Watch Fireworks on TV

If fireworks are not legal to set off where you live, and your local fireworks display has been canceled this year, consider watching fireworks on television with your household instead. While it’s not the same as sitting outdoors, as the smoke wafts through the sky, it can be just as amazing to watch! Turn off all the lights, open the windows for an outdoor feel, and stream a fireworks show on your TV after enjoying a special meal together and serving delicious snacks. (Order a big stash of snacks with a care package from My Hero Crate!)

Video Conference Your Family

If you’re away from home, schedule a time to video conference your family, either on your cell phone or other device. Time it right to sit down to a meal together (you can even prepare the same thing), then watch fireworks through your screens as you ooh and ahh at the beautiful colors in the sky. Video conferences are also a great way to include family members who cannot gather at your house in person for their own health reasons. Harness the power of technology to make your holiday special.

Avoid Fireworks Altogether and Choose Another Fun Activity Instead

If the sounds of fireworks create more stress and discomfort than entertainment in your household, consider opting out of fireworks altogether. For some combat veterans, fireworks bring up traumatic moments in their military careers. While it’s important to find ways of managing PTSD symptoms, sometimes it’s better to avoid those feelings and memories altogether. Watch a movie as a family instead, try out virtual reality video games, or host a board game night. With music playing in the background, and treats to snack on, you can create a festive, patriotic spirit even without fireworks!

Build your holiday snack supply by ordering a military snack box from My Hero Crate. Our boxes are full of a variety of treats from American suppliers, and ordering one will save you time making a shopping list and searching for each item at the grocery store. You can even send one to your soldier, anywhere in the world, including overseas, with free standard shipping. Shop now.

Fun Games to Play via the Mail

Jenifer Calandra

Add an Element of Fun to your Letters

If your favorite member of the military is deployed overseas or away at basic combat training, your interactions are limited to short phone calls and heartfelt letters sent in the mail. It’s sometimes hard to come up with motivating and inspiring words to share in your notes when you’re missing your soldier or soldier-in-training and wish they were back home with you.

The fact is, no matter what you say in your letters, no matter how mundane the topic of conversation is, your soldier treasures your handwritten mail because it’s a connection to you — a fiancée, parent, sibling, or dear friend.

Liven up your weekly letters by adding a quick, paper-based game on a sticky note or index card. Play your first turn, and mail it to your soldier. They’ll play their turn, and send it back to you with their next letter, continuing until the game is complete. Here are a few games you can play via the United States Postal Service!

Tic Tac Toe

This classic game doesn’t need explaining; everyone knows how to play! Draw up your nine-sectioned game board, and decide who will be Xs and who will be Os — and write it on your note so no one forgets! Who will win this game of strategy? You’ll soon find out!

Dots and Boxes

For a longer-term pencil-and-paper game, draw up an empty grid of dots in the desired size. Take turns adding a single horizontal or vertical line between two unjoined, adjacent dots — no diagonals allowed! The player who completes the fourth side of a box earns a point and writes their initial inside the box before taking another turn. The game is over when every box is claimed. The person with the most completed boxes wins.

Hangman

Come up with a word or short phrase, but keep it a secret! Instead, draw lines with spaces between to represent each letter. Your loved one can take guesses as to which letters fit into the words, Wheel of Fortune style, without the spinning! If they get a letter right, write it into the space. If the letter is wrong, add a component to a hangman drawing. If you don’t like the idea of drawing a hangman, your drawing can be anything — a dog, cat, boat, car, or anything else you prefer, to keep the game light.

Sprouts

Draw several dots in a random pattern on your sheet of paper. We recommend starting with four or five, but you can play with as few as two. Each player will take turns drawing a line between two dots (or a dot back to itself) and adding a new spot somewhere along the line. The lines can be straight or curved, but can never touch or cross a line. The new dot a player adds cannot be placed on an existing endpoint, and no spot can have more than three lines attached to it. The game is over when a player is the last to draw a line that follows these rules. Like Dots and Boxes, this game is rooted in mathematical strategy!

Gifts for Military Members

When basic combat training is over, or if you’re looking for something more special than a pencil-and-paper game board to send your loved one overseas or stationed on base away from home, My Hero Crate builds and sends military care packages for your heroes!

Each My Hero Crate contains an assortment of military-approved snacks and treats, all sourced from American suppliers. Choose from our specialty military care packages, including gift boxes for soldiers with special diet requirements, or purchase a monthly snack box subscription so your hero gets an Army care package twelve times a year — or whichever branch of military your loved one serves in!

Gift Ideas for Military Dads

Jenifer Calandra

Father’s Day Gifts for Heroes

For military families, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are sometimes two of the most heart-wrenching holidays, especially when you have to spend it away from your loved one. When you do get to spend the holiday together, it’s even more meaningful.


Regardless of the miles that separate you from your dad or husband in the military this year, give a special gift to show your love and gratitude for all the things they do every day. My Hero Crate has assembled gift ideas for dads near and far, with a military twist.

Father’s Day Gifts for Veterans

For a veteran dad, consider giving armed forces memorabilia as a special Father’s Day gift. Pennants, shirts, baseball caps, and even replica statues of military or historical figures they look up to can make heartfelt gifts. A license plate frame with their branch of the military on it would look great on your dad’s civilian car, too.

A Special Night Out

Give your dad a special night out for Father’s Day. Take him out to dinner at his favorite restaurant, and then treat him to dessert. Head home to watch one of his favorite movies, or play his favorite board or card game with him. Have a real conversation with him, with cell phones put away. Quality time spent together is one of the best gifts you can give.

Handmade Father’s Day Gifts

Handmade gifts take time to make, and creators put a lot of love into them. Try your hand at a new craft or hobby to create a special present for your dad this Father’s Day. Consider screenprinting a special t-shirt, assembling a family scrapbook, painting a coffee mug, or some other artistic endeavor. Dad will know you poured your heart into his gift and will treasure that forever.

Father’s Day Gift Ideas for Deployed Soldiers

If your dad is currently deployed, it can be hard to ship gifts to him at his overseas military address. Deployed soldiers don’t often have a lot of room for storing special possessions, either, so what you send needs to fit into his space and be military-approved, depending on where he’s stationed. For your dad, one of the best gifts you can give is a heartfelt greeting card or letter, new family photos, and a few items he needs. It’s not an exciting gift, but when you fulfill your dad’s wish list, you’re helping him live more comfortably, wherever he is in the world. 


If you want to surprise your deployed hero for Father’s Day, send him a special military care package from My Hero Crate. Our gift baskets are full of military-approved snacks from American distributors, and ship to FPO, APO, or DPO address anywhere in the world for free — or to your dad’s home address here in the United States. Each snack box contains an assortment of nuts, chips, candy, jerky, cookies, and more, with gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options, too. Plus, now through June 21, 2020, take an extra 15% off your purchase!

Shop Now

What is PTSD?

Jenifer Calandra

It’s a Common Mental Health Issue that Affects Many

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like military combat. It’s perfectly normal to have upsetting memories, emotional reactions, or issues falling asleep after such traumatic events. Some people feel better within a few months, but people who have prolonged symptoms might have PTSD.

Frequency of PTSD in Military Veterans

It’s very common for members of the armed forces to develop PTSD. No one should ever feel alone for struggling with it. In fact, according to Veterans Affairs, between 11 and 20 percent of every 100 veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom have PTSD. 

PTSD didn’t start during these most recent times of war, however. Twelve percent of veterans of the Gulf War, also called Desert Storm, have been diagnosed with PTSD. And even as far back as the Vietnam War, about 15 percent were diagnosed in the late 1980s, but today it’s estimated that 30 percent of Vietnam veterans have had PTSD in their lifetime.

Who Can Develop PTSD?

Anyone can develop PTSD at any point in their lives, even from a very young age, if they’ve experienced a long-lasting or short, but very intense traumatic event. Risk of developing PTSD is heightened if the person does not get immediate or appropriate care after the trauma, or if they don’t have enough social support. Of course, it’s possible even with these in place, a person can still develop PTSD, and it isn’t their fault at all.

What Are the Symptoms of PTSD?

There are generally four types of PTSD symptoms, and not everyone will experience them in the same way.

1.Reliving the event, which can cause feelings of fear, nightmares, or the sense that you’re experiencing the event all over again.

2. Avoiding situations that serve as reminders of the trauma, such as not talking about the event, avoiding crowds or driving, or whatever else may remind you of what happened.

3. Experiencing negative changes in your emotions or beliefs, such as no longer having loving feelings toward other people, or taking on a negative worldview.

4. Feeling hyper-aroused, also known as feeling overstimulated. The VA refers to this as “feeling keyed up.” This sometimes causes you to feel very irritable, lose sleep, have trouble concentrating, or startle easily.

PTSD Treatments

The most successful PTSD treatments are trauma-focused psychotherapies. This type of treatment helps to process traumatic experiences.

The VA uses:

  • -Prolonged Exposure: teaches those with PTSD to face their negative feelings, including talking about the trauma.
  • -Cognitive Processing Therapy: teaches those with PTSD to reframe their negative thoughts about the trauma and focuses on discussing negative thoughts.
  • -Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: helps make sense of trauma by thinking about the trauma while paying attention to back-and-forth movement or sound (like a finger waving side to side, or a single tone). 

How Can I Support Someone with PTSD?

If your loved one is suffering with PTSD, there are a few ways you can help support them.

  • -Don’t force them to talk about their trauma if they don’t want to.
  • -Anticipate their triggers. For example, if you know a certain sound will trigger a negative memory of the traumatic event, prepare for the trigger. Come up with a plan with your loved one about what you can do when they experience a trigger.
  • -Do normal things in a normal routine. Don’t avoid everyday actions, stop planning vacations, or cease normal functions. A sense of normalcy goes a long way in helping those with PTSD.
  • -Remain calm during emotional outbursts and let your loved one know they are safe.
  • -Meet with your loved one’s mental health providers to learn how you can help in their specific situation.

Why My Hero Crate Cares About PTSD

My Hero Crate cares deeply about our service men and women and works every day to help enhance their lives, not just through creating special care packages for the military, but also by donating proceeds to veteran-backed organizations. We understand that mental health issues can be difficult to manage, and we hope our work will be a light in the dark for those who benefit from the organizations we support. Shop our military care packages to send to your favorite hero.

A Brief History of Memorial Day

Jenifer Calandra

Thank Our Military for Your Continuing Freedom

 

In 2020, Memorial Day is Monday, May 25. Although the national holiday may be a little different this year because of social distancing practices, the day will still carry the same heavy meaning as it has every year since it was established. 

At My Hero Crate, we celebrate the soldiers deployed, living on military bases, and everywhere else, working diligently to protect our country. But we would be mistaken to not acknowledge those who gave their lives for us. Memorial Day is the one day set aside every year to do that — but we’re truly thankful every day.

 

 

The Meaning of Memorial Day


Memorial Day, sometimes called Decoration Day, is observed in honor of the men and women who died while serving in the armed forces of the United States of America. We are literally memorializing the military members who made the ultimate sacrifice, no matter what branch they were in: Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, or National Guard. It’s a day to reflect on and remember why we are free to live as we do in this country.

Memorial Day is different from Veterans Day, celebrated on November 11 every year. Veterans Day is a time to thank and honor all military members who served, including those who came home alive. Veterans Day also acknowledges those soldiers who served during peacetime and did not see combat during their tenure. 

 

 

The First Memorial Day


It seems there is no official documentation of the first Memorial Day, but the custom of honoring fallen heroes is a worldwide tradition extending through history. Some say the day was first officially acknowledged in America after the Civil War, but there are records that show regions and countries honoring their service members prior to that. 

 

Regardless, Memorial Day became a national holiday in the United States in 1971, by an act of Congress. Americans celebrate it every year on the final Monday of May.

 

 

Memorial Day Activities

 

Traditionally, on Memorial Day in the United States, people visit cemeteries and memorials to place flowers and other mementos on the graves of their ancestors, particularly those who served in the military. At national cemeteries, like Arlington, volunteers place American flags on each grave.

Some families use Memorial Day as a time to get together with their loved ones, to barbecue, and relax. The day is often thought of as the unofficial start to the summer season, although the first day of summer isn’t until June.

 

 

Memorial Day Symbolism


You might remember seeing poppy flowers worn on lapels on Memorial Day or Veteran’s Day. There are historical and literary reasons for this. 

 

When the European ground was disturbed on the battlefields during World War I, poppy flowers began growing and blooming. The iconic red poppy was described in the poem “In Flanders Fields,” written by a Canadian soldier, John McCrae, in 1915. 

 

The flower came up in another poem, this one written by Moina Michael in 1918, called “We Shall Keep the Faith.” Americans drew inspiration from these references and began to wear a red poppy in remembrance of those killed in World War I. 

 

Since then, the poppy has become a symbol to memorialize all veterans of any war, and quickly spread to Canada, Australia, and Great Britain, among other allies.

 


What You Can Do on Memorial Day


If you want to properly thank America’s fallen soldiers for their service, you can:

 

  • Participate in the national moment of silence at 3 p.m., whatever your time zone may be.

  • Volunteer to decorate the graves of soldiers at your local military cemetery or a national cemetery, if you live close-by.

  • Lay flowers on the graves of your veteran family members.

  • Donate to organizations that help injured service members or families of soldiers who lost their lives in battle.

 

 

How My Hero Crate Honors Veterans


My Hero Crate curates snack gift baskets designed for families to send to their loved ones in the military. Each care package is full of treats both made in America and distributed by American companies. For every purchase made, we donated to a non-profit veteran-backed organization. Visit our website to see the organization we’ve selected this month, and to shop our care packages.

 

Enter To Win 1 of 5 Military Snack Care Packages!

Jess Bonnett

Enter to Win a Military Snack Care Package!

 
This contest is over. We gave away five Military Snack Care Packages to wonderful winners on Facebook and Instagram. Thank you so much to everyone who entered!
 
 
Contest details:

To celebrate our website launch we are GIVING AWAY FIVE Military Snack Care Packages! Share it with someone you care about! We will announce the winners on Memorial Day.

 

HOW TO ENTER:

•Follow @myhercrate on Instagram or Facebook

•Tag three friends on a contest post

•Like our page

•Sign Up For our newsletter below

No Purchase Necessary. Must be 18 Years or Older to Enter. Must Live in the United States. Shipping address must be in the United States, US military bases only (dpo/fpo/apo). This contest is not affiliated in any way by Instagram or Facebook. Contest begins 5/18/2020 12A EST and Ends 5/25/2020 12P EST. Winners will be drawn Monday, 5/25/2020 12P EST and announced on both Instagram and Facebook.

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Three Ways to Jazz Up Your Snail Mail

Jenifer Calandra

Loved Ones in the Armed Forces Treasure Your Letters


When your soldier is deployed, or your recruit is away at basic combat training, all the branches of the military recommend sending letters to your loved one the old-fashioned way. These motivating letters help your favorite military member get through each day. Training and deployment aren’t easy times.

Depending on your soldier’s or recruit’s location and training status, you will want to take great care with what you send in the mail and how you send it. Here are three ways you can make your mail extra special without attracting attention from the drill sergeant or breaking any rules.

 

The Boot Camp Exception: Keep Basic Training Mail Simple

The least conspicuous mail to your recruit at boot camp can be, the better. Use plain white envelopes, and write only their address and your return address on the outside. Avoid adding stickers, doodles, or other messages to the outside of the envelope. It can be tempting to make the letter look fun and exciting, but it’s sure to catch the attention of the drill sergeant during mail call.

The best way to jazz up mail at boot camp is to include one or two small photos, or reserve drawings or motivating messages for inside the letter itself. Your recruit can open their mail away from prying eyes and be able to privately enjoy the character you’ve added to their mail.

If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of having photos printed, then picking them up, and hoping they fit inside the envelope, you can use your home printer to add images directly to the paper you write your letter on. This also simplifies the number of items your recruit will need to keep organized in their limited storage space.

Most military bases will recommend that you not send armed forces care packages to your recruit during boot camp, unless they specifically ask for an item. 


Talk About What’s Important

Instead of rambling on about all the things your military member is missing back home, especially if you have a recruit in boot camp, focus your letters on their training, their goals, and the relationships they’re building. This is much more motivating and less likely to make them feel homesick.

Similarly, deployed troops love receiving motivating letters, too. It helps them focus on the task they’ve been sent to do. It’s also only natural to want to keep your soldier updated on everything that’s happening back home. Use your best judgement on how to share those details. Remember that letters from home always stir up emotions.


Add Something Unexpected

Outside of boot camp, you can dress up letters to your soldier with less risk of attracting attention. While you might consider tossing in a small amount of confetti for flair, especially on a birthday, your soldier will be expected to clean up every piece! 

Instead, you might change up the way you’re writing your letters. For example:

  • Write a letter, journal-style. Work on the letter over a period of a week, dating each new section. This will provide you with chances to write a little bit or a lot each day. Hearing about your days in snippets can be comforting and show your soldier just how quickly the time is passing.

  • Include newspaper clippings, magazine cut-outs, or other tidbits from your soldier’s favorite news source, or about their favorite topic. It’s especially poignant if it’s related to their hometown or somewhere special to them.

  • Make your own greeting card, with your own art, out of plain cardstock. Paint, draw, color, or collage the front of it to customize it.

  • Send a military-themed care package. Soldiers love receiving snacks and other items from their loved ones. If they’re deployed overseas, you can even take advantage of domestic shipping rates for base addresses. My Hero Crate is pleased to offer military care packages for all branches. Each of our carefully curated gift boxes includes American products from American distributors and comes with free shipping, making sending a special package even easier. But remember: don’t send a care package to a recruit at basic training!

 

Learn more about My Hero Crate and our new snack box subscriptions. You can shop our full selection online, including our gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options.

Fun Ideas For When Your Soldier Comes Home

Jenifer Calandra

Or Send a Gift for Military Personnel When You Can’t Visit in Person

 

It’s the phone call or letter every military family member waits to receive: your soldier is coming home! Whether it’s for a short visit or to return home from a lengthy deployment, a soldier returning to their family is worthy of celebration! (And at My Hero Crate, we think our military are heroes and deserve celebration all the time.)

Need to get to planning for your soldier’s return? Choose fun or meaningful activities you can do together as a family to build bonds and celebrate their homecoming. We’ve assembled a list of ideas, but you can also ask your soldier what they want to do on their time off.

 

Activities at Home

  • Family Barbecue: Fire up the grill, make mom’s famous potato salad, and enjoy an all-American meal in the backyard. If you don’t have a grill (or even a backyard), turn your meal into a picnic in the park instead.
  • Reminisce: Dig out all the old family albums and ponder good memories of loved ones as you look at photos from years past. Ask your soldier if they’d like copies of any of the photos to take with them back to base or on their next deployment.
  • Family Reunion: Plan a small family reunion with all the cousins, aunts, and uncles in the area. Make it a potluck to minimize your workload and costs. The whole family will love seeing your soldier back home.
  • Home Project: If your soldier will be home for a while, bond over completing a home improvement project together. It can be something as simple as painting a room, or as complex as a full-scale remodel with wall demolition. 

 

Activities Outside the Home

  • Short Family Vacation: Test your travel agent’s chops with a short, but action-packed family trip, or channel your inner organizer and assemble a vacation yourself. Choose a location that’s meaningful to the family, or a place you’ve never been before! For ultimate cost-savings, select a location nearby, perhaps a fun place in your state, so you can drive to get there instead of flying.
  • Take in a museum: Enjoy the serene atmosphere of an art museum together. The peace and quiet while surrounded by beautiful and interesting objects can be so relaxing. Take the time to interpret unusual art pieces together.
  • Shop for civilian clothes and goods: On base, and especially in combat training, your soldier hasn’t been able to enjoy the simple pleasures of civilian life, like clothes and other items that aren’t military-issue! Pay a visit to your soldier’s favorite store, or show them around a new one in your area, and shop ‘til you drop.
  • Take a day trip: You’d be hard-pressed to find an area of the country where you couldn’t drive a reasonable distance to find a fun activity to spend the day doing. Whether you’re mining for diamonds at a state park in Arkansas, kayaking in the Long Island Sound, visiting national monuments in the Dakotas, or hiking through the redwoods in California, you’ll find a family-friendly activity everyone can enjoy before returning home the very same day.

 

 

Send Them Off with a Care Package for the Troops!


The bittersweet part of your soldier coming home is that they also have to go back to base or wherever they’re stationed eventually. That’s why it’s important to make the most of your time together when you can, and express your love in other ways when you can’t be physically near.

A great way to achieve this is by sending a military care package from My Hero Crate! No matter what military branch your hero is enlisted in — Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, or Coast Guard — we’ll send a care package direct to them, anywhere in the world.

Choose from our monthly subscription option, or send a one-time military gift box chock full of tasty sweet, salty, and savory treats. Best of all, My Hero Crate is an American company with American suppliers working tirelessly to support the troops. Order today, and you’ll receive free shipping with your purchase!

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