What’s the best care package you ever personally received while deployed?

Before my last deployment with 24th MEU, I had been denied leave for operational reasons, for most of three years at my previous post. I was ordered to report to 2/4 Battalion that was in the last 4 months of MEU(SOC) workup and certification. 2/4 was just back from Desert Storm and Desert shield and had 5 months to turn around for a MEU(SOC) Med float. So no leave prior to deployment. At the end of the fiscal year I was going to lose about 18 days of leave. We finished the training exercise with the Portuguese. The BLT was going to spin holes in the ocean for 3+ weeks before going to Italy where we would conduct an exercise with the Italians and Greeks. The final planning conference was in two weeks. And the BLT would disembark in Naples a week later .

As I was getting ready to get on the Helo to go back to the USS Inchon, the BnCO and the MEU CO called me and one of the Rifle Co Commanders over to the Portuguese CP. The company commander was in about the same boat as me. He had also been on MSG duty for his previous tour. They told us that it was going to be easier to get us to the planning conference in two weeks, if we went back to the Portuguese Barracks and took civilian transport to get to Monte Romano, (Italian Base for Field exercises in the vicinity of Rome,) then met the MEU when it disembarked in Naples. They said our liberty bags were already in the Portuguese staff car. The Portuguese CO would give us a ride to Lisbon, and that the Portuguese had arranged expediters to get our transport and accommodations lined up to Monte Romano.

When the staff car pulled up, the Portuguese CO helped both of our wives out of the staff car and said "Here are your expediters." The BnCo's wife set the whole thing up.

Does that count?

I sent a CARE package to a Soldier; whose personal effects had been blown up in an IED. I sent a Bible, underwear, T shirts, etc.; to him. CH (MAJ) William Beaver

Special snacks put in the bottom of my footlocker.

CH (MAJ) William Beaver Not a care package to me, but we got a huge slew (pallets of them) of Girls Scout Cookies. We integrated them into Class I LCLA parachute bundles going into small and terrible FOBs and COPs, usually platoon sized outposts. Given the right configuration, Girl Scout Cookies are air droppable.

I remember one group package that we had gotten while deployed from a small church in Texas, and it had one of my all time favorite Little Debbie snacks in it. I sent a thank you letter back to the church, as had many other airmen, and politely mentioned that I specifically enjoyed the star crunches that had been put in. About a month later, I got a box from someone I had never met, didn't know their name, but it had two boxes of star crunches (google them if you don't know what I am talking about) with a hand written note that said "one of these boxes is for you, the other is for you to share, thanks for your service".

Chocolate chip cookies!

CH (MAJ) William Beaver my mother, bless her heart, Was always worried I wouldn't have a birthday or birthday cake if I were deployed. I was a Company Commander During OIF I, she mailed a shelf stable cake, candles, frosting, hats, plates, noise makers, and napkins etc in secret to my First Sergeant. I walk in from a BUB and my Company HQ has got pointy party hats et al and I get the embarrassing happy birthday. Fast forward to OEF in 2008. Deployed in Sharana. I am the SPO. She does it again. My Ammo Tech frosted the cake and the BN TOC was rockin.

My parents made me feel as home when I was assigned to Korea. Around Thanksgiving I got a small tree and and an advent calendar with tiny ornaments for the tree. In early December (near my birthday) they sent over a large box of homemade Christmas cookies, and I got a large box that said Do Not open Until Christmas. On Christmas Day I opened it and found sweatsuits with my favorite teams printed on them.

A case or Jack Links Beef Jerky, from my former boss, who used to eat all of my beef jerky. CH (MAJ) William Beaver

Best care package arrived while we were on occupation duty in Iraq after Desert Storm. Received two packages in one day. Mom sent homemade chocolate chip cookies, an orange cake with a sugar glaze and two pan loads of chocolate chip peanut butter bars (which all my buddies love). Second package was from a Brigadier General (who is the husband of my Dads baby sister), the package contained your normal odds and ends ya get but also a liter bottle of Crown Royal. I think the return address being a General allowed the package to get thru. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure which I appreciated more but I shared everything equally with my friends.