Iraq Deployment

[Carl Spackler]

A buddy of mine is deploying for a year to Iraq as a intel weenie. He is Army. What gift/comshaw/tradables should I give him or make him awares of for the trip?

[billdawg]

A buddy of mine is deploying for a year to Iraq as a intel weenie. He is Army. What gift/comshaw/tradables should I give him or make him awares of for the trip?

They have so much stuff over there, he can get just about anything he wants, and generally cheaper than here. Tell, him to go through teh hadji shops though for crap for his family back home. A lot of it's crap, but still kinda cool, for a kid to get Iraqi Dinar, or somethign like that. Look for a tailor shop too. A couple of my guys had handmade suits, for ridiculous prices. I kick myself now, that I didn't get any.

[RetPara]

Serious or screw with him?

Intell weenie....

you need to put together a serious first aid kit for paper cuts.

Pre-cut mole skin for his finger tips since he'll be on the computer all the time.

A pad for his chair; so he doesn't develop hemorrhoid issues....

Is he going to be on a HUMINT team outside the wire?

Little toys for kids can be invaluable.

[Wndrlance]

Being in IZ now, i recommend if he doesnt have already, a cheap IPOD or music player that he can use in Gym as you'll spend many many hours in the gym. Other gift ideas-

Headlamp, Knife/leatherman, External Hard drive, Monkey Butt Powder:smile: http://www.amazon.com/Anti-Monkey-Butt-Powder/dp/B000KRFLC0

Just a few ideas.

[GackMan]

Yeah - iPod and/or an external HDD packed with .MP3s and movies would be a good gift... or go to the tempurpedic store and buy one of the fancy memory foam pillows and mail it over after he gets there.

[Carl Spackler]

Serious or screw with him?

Intell weenie....

you need to put together a serious first aid kit for paper cuts.

Pre-cut mole skin for his finger tips since he'll be on the computer all the time.

A pad for his chair; so he doesn't develop hemorrhoid issues....

Is he going to be on a HUMINT team outside the wire?

Little toys for kids can be invaluable.

Actually both. Good ideas all. I already have started the USN stickers on his shipping box. He has the ipod/kindle/dvd hardrive/etc.

He will be doing HUMINT. He is a copper in real life so he has the high speed shit. I gave him a knife (Mission Ti). I am looking for that "holy shit i shoulda thought of that" deal.

[btq96r]

Give him something to shift gears when he is off duty. Being HUMINT his work life is going to be all details, report writing, confirming information, more report writing, having to put up with people in the same room you can smell from a block away and some more report writing.

Whatever topics he is interested in a good gift might be a good book, or send him some magazines every month since in some places the PX is a lil far behind. I liked to read about anything other than military or intel when i was off duty just to keep my mind from becoming a putty like mush. Comedy worked well personally...Tucker Max, Chelsea Handler and the like.

[Whitebean54]

Cigars.....That's what I'm bringing....

[Carl Spackler]

Cigars.....That's what I'm bringing....

Good call.

[Jimbo]

Single best item he can use and it will help preserve his sanity: Noise canceling headphones. They are awesome when there is a lot of commotion in the JOC/TOC/hut. Even if he is not listening to anything, he will be able to bang out whatever he needs to without someone bothering him. The free time he gains as a result will be the best gift you can give him.

From what I hear.

[Tracy]

Diplomatic Passport?

[RGR.Montcalm]

Cigars.....That's what I'm bringing....

You can buy Cubans pretty cheap there through Hajjii...

I'd recommend a terabte HDD- they hold 444 hours of video = approx 175 movies @ 2.5 hours per movie.

[btq96r]

You can buy Cubans pretty cheap there through Hajjii...

Maybe it was just me being cheap, but I got pissed at how the price for Cubans would be jacked up every time I deployed.

In '03 I could get them for a dollar a piece, when I went back for '05-'06 they jacked up the price to $4-5 depending on the size and in '08 they wanted like $7 or $8 bucks.

What good is it to invade a country if the price of Cuban cigars is subject to inflation?

[paratroop77]

Maybe it was just me being cheap, but I got pissed at how the price for Cubans would be jacked up every time I deployed.

In '03 I could get them for a dollar a piece, when I went back for '05-'06 they jacked up the price to $4-5 depending on the size and in '08 they wanted like $7 or $8 bucks.

What good is it to invade a country if the price of Cuban cigars is subject to inflation?

That's when it's time to leave that country...

[GRIFFIN]

Pick him up a Rosseta Stone language kit.
It is a good way to kill time and also makes good use of it.

[Guy]

Single best item he can use and it will help preserve his sanity: Noise canceling headphones. They are awesome when there is a lot of commotion in the JOC/TOC/hut. Even if he is not listening to anything, he will be able to bang out whatever he needs to without someone bothering him. The free time he gains as a result will be the best gift you can give him.

From what I hear.Best investment I've made so far!:cool:

Stay safe.

[RetPara]

Recommendations on Noise Canceling headphones.....

[Guy]

Recommendations on Noise Canceling headphones.....QuietComfort (http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/headphones/noise_cancelling_headphones/index.jsp)

Stay safe.

[Whitebean54]

You can buy Cubans pretty cheap there through Hajjii...

I'd recommend a terabte HDD- they hold 444 hours of video = approx 175 movies @ 2.5 hours per movie.


Yea I'm buying an external hard-drive....I see a bunch of dudes running around with them and they seem like an awesome investment.

[tnkspe119]

QuietComfort (http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/headphones/noise_cancelling_headphones/index.jsp)

Stay safe.

+100 on the Bose Noise Canceling Head phones. Have owned two pair over multiple deployments. I have the QC15 now and they are simply amazing. Also, another good idea is an Amazon Gift Card as most places on their ship to APO and he can chose books, movies, etc once he gets there so he doesn't have to carry them with him.

[GackMan]

If he's into cigars, something like this would be a cool deployment gift: http://www.fuertecases.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=CC-3540

Or a coffee press... making your own coffee was nice. Anything to break up the DFAC coffee and/or the constant barrage of "chai time".


Maybe it was just me being cheap, but I got pissed at how the price for Cubans would be jacked up every time I deployed.

In '03 I could get them for a dollar a piece, when I went back for '05-'06 they jacked up the price to $4-5 depending on the size and in '08 they wanted like $7 or $8 bucks.

What good is it to invade a country if the price of Cuban cigars is subject to inflation?

heh - down south they were still $2-3 each but the price was rising.

You could get a bundle of 25 cohibas and we were actually out there coaching the guy to put them in a humdor and stop "proudly displaying" them in the sun...

Up at the BIAP they were 6-8... the guy down south was asking me "how much should I sell these? are they more expensive in America?" "no, no, no. I think they are a good price. you're a good businessman. If you charge too much, maybe you won't sell as many." I don't think he bought it. :redface:

[btq96r]

Or a coffee press... making your own coffee was nice. Anything to break up the DFAC coffee and/or the constant barrage of "chai time".


If you get that, might as well get the good stuff to go along with it. :smile:
https://www.dunkindonuts.com/shoponline/Category.aspx?CategoryId=COFF

[GackMan]

Hmmm.... I think I'm going to have to disagree with you on the definition of "the good stuff". The DD is "good" but there are certainly loftier goals. :)

[mrwill]

Maybe it was just me being cheap, but I got pissed at how the price for Cubans would be jacked up every time I deployed.

In '03 I could get them for a dollar a piece, when I went back for '05-'06 they jacked up the price to $4-5 depending on the size and in '08 they wanted like $7 or $8 bucks.

What good is it to invade a country if the price of Cuban cigars is subject to inflation?


If I had been able to get a resupply of more cigars in '03, I would have been one of the guys volunteering to stay in country. Everywhere I went it was "only Saddam" in response to asking the well connected Iraqis where to get cigars (indicating only Saddam was allowed previously to have cigars). I found plenty of every other contraband, but could never get my hand on a restock of cigars. "Shukran for offering me whiskey/hashish/etc, but do you have any Cohibas? Macanudos?" I guess I was just looking in the wrong spot.

[peter28]

A buddy of mine is deploying for a year to Iraq as a intel weenie. He is Army. What gift/comshaw/tradables should I give him or make him awares of for the trip?

Topped off flask in glass case marked, "Break in Case of Emergency"