My cousin is enlisting need some help

[FSRbikr98]

Hey,

My 18 year old cousin is graduating highschool next week, and he enlisted in the army. I thought it would be a good idea to gather some money from my other cousins and buy him some supplies since more then likely he will be sent out on a deployment after basic.

I was hoping some current/former military members could give me some pointers on what to get him.

So far I'm thinking good boots, a kabar knife, paracord, and maybe a gunslinger 2 pack if I can get enough donations.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

 

[KNIGHT11B4]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

Relax.. let him get to his unit and issue him gear. He then will tell you what he THINKS he needs.

Paracord are you kidding me??? 550 is in every supply room by the roll.

What is his MOS?

 

[rdgshooteer]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

+1 to what Knight11B4 let him make it through basic and his MOS training and get to a unit before you start buying stuff for him. Some units wont let you use something like a GS2. After that let him tell you what he thinks he'll need in whatever MOS he choose.

 

[IndySSD]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

Yeah, I come from a military family (All Grandparents, uncles, cousins) and all the boxes we've packed (per request) included things like socks, deodorant, baby powder, candy (hard candy usually, anything that can't/won't melt) underwear, under shirts, movies, music, books, magazines, baby wipes and most of all the things that always were most appreciated seemed to be pictures and home videos.

Stuff to stay clean and comfortable and to keep your mind off of stuff when you're not "on", those were the primary focuses.

 

[Situation Normal]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

I'd wait unti he was nearing graduation from AIT after basic, then consider buying him some sort of graduation gift. Something in line of a folding pocket knife with belt clip. Think Gerber or nicer, but not fancy. They make nice sentimental and functional gifts.

I started carrying a pocket knife when I hit my first duty station (Ft. Stewart, GA) back in 96, and never stopped.

 

[armydog]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

Ya a good pocket knife, I really like my automatic Gerber, brought it over here no problem, taking it back can be a problem, I said but I got it in the US but Navy Customs don't care, ( why do we have Navy in the desert?)they said I had to get a form signed by my commander, he won't sign it, Hummmmm, so I had my wife send me my small tool kit took the knife apart, sent the blade home in one box and the handle in another, will reassemble it when i get home, I hope LOL

 

[stan462]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

Just wait to see where he settles down. One of my co-worker son is in Afghan and we chip in monthly sending him magazines, snacks, boot inserts, bug spray

 

[SURVIVORTYPE]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

Pocket knife with a blade under 6 inches, multitool, quality small flashlight that can be in a bdu belt holster, external harddrive,ipod with decent headphones, itunes gift card, vickers/vtac/london bridge trading adujustable 2point sling, just a few off the top of the head for ideas. Like the other gentlemen stated, everything else will be issued. Hope he goes to a good FOB.

 

[litotes15]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

whats his MOS?

 

[RangerWalker71]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

i would add a good leather men or multi-tool of some nature. I used mine in countless countries. a good bible, small., is always helpful and needed. One thing while he is in basic and AIT is phone cards. He may not be able to use them much in basic but in AIT they are great to have. Pre-stamped envelopes are good too, and paper to write on. letters are the best communication in basic. I would also drop him a letter or two a week, if you can. Mail is great morale booster. Rangers Lead The Way.

 

[CleanMoostang]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

They should supply him with the essentials.

How about a good King James Version Military Bible? I have one and it has tons of references to previous wars and soldiers struggles and how they found comfort in Him.

I might get bashed for even saying this, but you NEED something to hold on to over there other than just your rifle...

 

[ClayDirt]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

Get him some stamps, that the only thing he'll be needing for awhile.

 

[Grimm]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

Wait until he has his gear issued from his operational unit. He may be issued a multitool and a great pocketknife (sometimes they issue benchmades te nice ones). Don't go out on a limb buying boots either sinecure like those powerranger looking snaker ones, some prefer issued or resole them with ripples. I made the mistake of letting my mother solicit ideas from my cousins ( there are more than a dozen of us in service) I got a case of baby wipes. I like wipes as much as the next guy but I gave them away to the whole company and it took almost 6 months. So start collecting but wait it out.

 

[kraigWY]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

Regardless of his MOS or what he does, like others said, the Leatherman will always come in handy.

I also like the King James Military Bible ideal, I had one in Vietnam and it was a comfort.

Even in my old age, I still use both.

 

[KM375]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

Send Letters, short news clippings on local events, in Basic and AIT you don't have the internet, news, etc. You have just what the instructors feed you, information is always a good thing, My Father would send me highlights of what was going on in the world, the US and near home.
Your best bet would be save your money for a graduation gift for him, a leatherman, spyderco, benchmade folder.

 

[benfur]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

I would wait and let him tell what he needs. That way he gets stuff he will use

 

[noz455sd]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

Get him a box of kleenex tissues for when he cries himself to sleep at night thinking oh no what have I got myself into...Just kidding...In my field of work I was given everything you could possibly want even a leatherman and if I needed anything just go by the store room but what I will say is to give advice to get through basic squeaky clean...Do NOT show up to basic wearing an army tee-shirt (you are not in the Army yet and they will point this out to you), do NOT shave your head thinking ill help them out a bit(this will allow them to single you out and again let you know you are not shit and far from Mr. Tough Guy), really the list can go on and on but think it through and try to be the fly on the wall, completely normal standard issue civi...Anyway I just was up for like 26 hours and I need some sleep so sorry if some of this didnt make sense I am delirious at this point

 

[ArmaHeavy]

Re: My cousin is enlisting need some help

I don't know how they do basic training now, but the best idea is to really only bring a change of civilian clothes for three days with you, and nothing else.

Bibles are okay. Pictures too, but not of ANY girls. They'll get 'lost'.

More is less, and less is more.

And tell him when he gets to AIT or wherever, NOT TO BUY, a ton of bullshit like the latest game system or some $1000 stereo system. Save his money. And don't smoke, dip, or drink.

Hell. If I knew the amount people that would 'bum' stuff off of you, then I wouldn't even have bought a car.

Shoot. We had an E-7 who did the Thrift Savings Plan, he checked it everyday, and when he retired he had an excess of money even after he bought a house.

And above all. DO NOT GET A STAR CARD. NEVER. EVER.