Military Resources
Inside: Best boot camp graduation gifts to share with your service member. Whether you’re a military spouse, military girlfriend or family member, these gifts are perfect.
Boot camp is no joke. A year ago, our family visited the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego for the first time since my husband graduated boot camp 13 years ago.
As we walked around, I admired the uniformity of the Marines marching together. And then I heard it. The yelling. The screaming. It was coming from the barracks.
Apparently the movies don’t exaggerate that much…
Related: Basic Training Communication – What You Can Expect Phone Calls, Letters, Graduation Day, etc.
Whether its your husband, boyfriend, daughter, son, niece–whoever it is–graduating from boot camp is a HUGE accomplishment.
Not only did your graduate just survive one of the most rigorous physical and mental challenges that a person can endure, but they are stepping into a career that will continue to test and refine them as they sacrifice for all of our freedom and well-being.
Related: 47 Things No One Tells You About Being a Military Wife
Your graduate conquered boot camp and that deserves a major celebration. It can be hard to come up with gifts that express the immense gratitude for their sacrifice and great pride you have in their accomplishment.
Here are a few boot camp graduation gifts to help you celebrate your graduate’s success and serve them well in their military experience:
Top Boot Camp Graduation Gifts
Leatherman Multitool
Sure, the military issues a ton of gear. But you’ll be shocked how much gear your service member will invest in. Get them started with this resourceful multi-tool. It gives them access to seven helpful tools and the Leatherman 25 Year Guarantee guarantees it’ll last through the intensity of their adventures.
Otterbox Commuter Wallet Phone Case
Your graduate is entering into a rigorous, heavy duty lifestyle. They need their gear to hold up. Gift your service member this heavy duty cell phone case with attached wallet. Not only will it protect their phone from drops and scratches, but they can conveniently and easily store their military ID card, money and credit cards in it.
Mattress Topper
It’s likely that your graduate is not done. Sure they graduated boot camp, but most likely they are headed off to an additional school and continuing barracks life. This is my favorite military gift: a comfortable mattress topper. They will love you for gifting them with more comfortable sleep. Military life can be exhausting!
Ender’s Game
This is a must read. Not only will your graduate enjoy relaxing with a great book (my husband and I have both read it at least five times), but this is on the Commandant’s Reading list.
Restaurant Gift Cards
So what your graduate really wants at the end of boot camp, is a good home cooked meal. But not all of us will be able to provide that. Second best? The gift of a great meal out. After weeks of eating in the chow hall (as quickly as possible), a good relaxing meal is in order.
Tom Tom Adventurer Sports Watch
Military life is filled with physical competition and pushing the limits. Your graduate will love this new GPS watch designed to track all of their adventures (hike, ski, bike, swim, gym, run…). This watch includes a heart rate monitor, 3GB of music storage and bluetooth headphones. Not only is it fun to spoil them a little, but this will really come in handy as they are training for their PT tests.
PlayStation Gift Card
For weeks your graduate has not had any down time and they are about to start a busy career. They’ll love that this gift card gives them the excuse to just chill in front of their PlayStation for a bit.
Celebrate them. Reward them. Encourage them. Show them how much you and all of the rest of us appreciate their hard work and sacrifice. This is major. They just graduated BOOT CAMP!
Want more on military life?
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- 7 Myths About Military Life Debunked
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- Manners for MilSpouses: 12 Must-Know Etiquette Rules of Military Life
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