I leave for Iraq sometime in December. I'm packing now to save myself from the empty wallet and hassle from waiting until a couple days prior. I'm making a "convenience" shopping list, if anyone has anything to add please do. I will list what I currently have, along with why the items are on the list for others who may find themselves in my shoes soon.

-Tactical Eyewear (sand, sun, vision correction)
-Babywipes (field baths)
-Loofah (QUICK lather for SHORT showers)
-Expendable MP3 Player (sand + sun + 250$ iPod = do the math)
-A F***ton of Grunt Rolls (can never get enough socks and skibbys)
-Beverage Powders (ever tried the water there?)

I appreciate whatever suggestions/advice anyone can offer.

Address book. Collect as many phone numbers and addresses as you can from family and friends. Also consider packing pre-paid phone cards to call home. My husband was in the service and was on deployment often (over half our engagement he was gone) so having someone at home to send care packages to you is invaluable. Pictures of loved ones. That's all I can think of at this point. Hope this helps.

Casey

I've no idea about the military but when I go travelling to places where sanitation isn't great I pack two things; firstly, a portable water filter (I hear that Innova is good http://www.innovapurewater.com/html/products/products_intro.htm also http://www.indoorclimbing.com/Portable_Water_Filter.html) and activated charcoal tablets which work a charm if you do happen to get stomach trouble (I use Ultracarbon tablets http://www.merck.co.th/en/pharma/products_otc_ultra.asp but other medical grade activated charcoal tablets should work). Uh and... believe it or not, condoms are handy as a water container, they're small and light and they carry about 1 litre of water, very important in the desert if your canteen is broken or cracked, just as a precaution. A magnifying glass works as a light-weight, non-consumable fire-starter, might be useful to have on hand in an emergency, especially in the desert. Also, it's handy to get a small water-proof LED torch light, LED torches last significantly longer than iridescent torches and are therefore more reliable in many situations.

Also, I know from experience that a deck of cards provides much entertainment and doesn't require recharging every few hours.

Even though I'm no vet, I hope this helps.