Hey everyone...I am completely new here and I have been reading through everyones post and I realized how supportive everyone is of each other so I decided to join.

first of all I never thought I would be in the position that I am in. I met a guy 4 years ago and about a year ago have gotten back in contact with him...he is in the army...and since then we have talked everyday. Everytime he has come home he has seen me and I've picked him up at the airport a couple of times and blah blah blah we have gotten really close...He is going to be delopyed in about a month and Im really scared because I really know nothing about military life...this is my first relationship with anyone who is in the military.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of anything I could give him before he leaves to remind him of me...I am going to miss him so much, I really have no idea how to handle this...

Thank you everyone...and I hope you are all well!

Hey, welcome to the site, and you came to the right place.

Before my hubby left I put pictures in a little picture book I got from CVS and then stuck notes in there. Not much but it was something.

If you have any questions let us know.

Welcome to the site.

I know what it feels like to feel like you don't know anything abotu the military, but it will come. The more you read and the more you talk to us, you'll start to learn -- I HAVE!

As for pre-deployment, pictures are a common gift. Another potential option might be a watch or something that he would be allowed to wear, but would be from you. You might want to involve him ahead of time and let him pick it out so that you are sure it is something that he's allowed to have/wear and whatnot.

welcome!

As for gifts, I gave him a couple of pictures, a card and then a small leather card/envelope thing from hallmark so he'd have a small handy place to keep all f the pictures adn letters I planned (and have) sent him while he's away.

:weldust I would sugget some pictures. Put them in a book that way he can put all the letters you send him in there too

We go out and take pictures of us together, and our daughter and pets before he leaves. He also has this little stuffed turtle I sent to him his first deployment, that goes with him everytime he goes to the field or deploys, I spray it with my perfume and he keeps it in a ziploc baggie, he says he loves having it, and since it's just beanie baby size it's not hard to carry in his assault pack. And I always slip a little surprise in his ruck after it's packed, for him to find when he gets there, this time it was a CD of "our" songs and songs that reminded me of us.

pictures are always great. he can look at them whenever he wants. my bf keeps a laminated one of us in his helmet.

Welcome to SOS! Well I had this ring that I used to wear everday. It was really simple, silver band with engraved designs on it. I got it from my grandparents when I was 14 and I've never gone a day without wearing it. It meant alot to me. So a few days before DB had to go back to Iraq I explained to him the importance of the ring and then gave it to him to wear with his dog tags. That way he has something that's really special to me always with him.

I gave my boyfriend right before he deployed, a memory book of everything we did together. It was a small scrapbook that I made for him with our pictures, poems, written songs, quotes and old emails. I also gave him a new wallet with wallet size pictures in them (he actually needed a wallet really badly lol) and then I bought him a really nice hygiene kit. Stuff that he can use and remember me by.

welcome to sos!! :grouphug

i did the picture thing too. dont stress about it too much cause you can always send him things later on too. more than anything, make memories :D

hey, welcome to sos :-D
and i recommend everything the others have already said. small personal things such as pictures, notes, and small meaningful gifts are always best and easiest. take some time to go around and take pictures of places you both share and love. take pictures of each other. etc etc etc.
its the littlest things that will mean the most :)

Hi and welcome to SOS

I made my DB a photo Album with pictures of us together and also his family. I also made him a slide show and put music with it and little messages through out the slide show, telling him how much I miss him and love him.

But each time he goes I am starting to wonder what else different I can give to him...........he has just been going 1 month away 2 weeks at home since March. He deployes next year so I am going to have to think of something special myself for that one.

thank you everyone for the great ideas...like i said i never thought i would be in this position but here i am and it really suck as all of you know haha...but thanks for all of the suggestions, i will definitly do some of them

I gave DB a framed picture of me and we took a bunch together than he has on his laptop and a lot of just me. He also has a few letters and a card from me. He'll be getting more as time goes along....I think it's good to maintain contact that way.