Gift for joining army

[HollyBollyBooBoo]

Is there an appropriate gift we could get a family member who is joining the army soon?

It feels like a momentous occasion for him (first job) and we'd like to recognise that but I am clueless!

Any ideas?

Thinking back to the first things I bought:
A really good, solid watch
A multi-tool
A softie jacket

Cufflinks for the regiment he’s joining?

A St Christopher

Depending who they are (in relation to you) and the on rank (squaddie vs soldier):

• watch with date / regiment engraved (expensive)
• watch with regimental colours band (middle ground)
• nice practical watch (waterproof and shock proof) (can get some good deals but still ££)
• cuflinks (only an officer would wear regularly at the start)
• help pay towards a sword (officer) or sword belt
• buy a decent beret or cap from gieves and hawk (expensive!)
• favourite tipple with bottle engraved or label personalised
• mini regimental toys they can deploy with (tanks etc) and Lego do a decent set!

Think along the lines of what they might like usually if none of these are any good and tie regimental colours onto it. And if budget is lower then make a nice card or something if you have any of the training photos.

Sorry meant officer 😂

Channel Baldrick:

"Baldrick, what are you doing out there?"
"I’m carving something on a bullet, sir."
"What are you carving?"
"I’m carving “Baldrick”, sir."
" Why?"
"It’s part of a cunning plan, sir."
"Of course it is."
,You know how they say that somewhere there’s a bullet with your name on it?"
"Yes?"
"Well I thought that if I owned the bullet with my name on it, I’ll never get hit by it. Cause I’ll never shoot myself…"

And there are companies who will do this for you - not done this myself (group gift, someone else did the shopping) but google reveals companies such as this:

www.yourbullet.co.uk

G Shock.

Ex-RAF not army but I second the watch and multi-tool. Maybe a robust torch? We had mag-lites back in the day and they withstood various batterings during exercises.

Or a fabulous iron. I wish I'd had that during basic training. It was the first thing I bought before going to trade training. You can't go wrong with a great iron.

@mpsw my niece did that for me. She was about 10 and I was in NI. She had previously overheard her dad saying that everyone had a bullet with their name on, then one day at a market or car boot there was a chap selling lighters shaped like bullets - she got my brother to buy one and have my name inscribed on it... made me cry

Traditionally, a new recruit to the army or Navy got given the "King's/Queen's shilling", but 5p wouldn't go very far these days.

A good watch, or a fabulous steam iron!! Both will be well used - especially in training. My mum and dad got me an amazing steam iron - one of the snazzy ones with a water tank just before I started basic training and it’s still going strong now!
If he’s just joining, I wouldn’t get any of the sentimental, regimental gifts just yet as they will be more special once he passes out of training.

Mis read this Sorry!!

Iron! The iron is really key to reducing hours!

I got a Leatherman Wave engraved with my name and a G-Shock watch. Both still going strong 17 years later.

I would agree that a bloody good iron is worth its weight in gold.

For a much cheaper but really useful gift, a Selvyt cloth, some normal polish and some parade gloss will certainly get a lot of use. Plus a small tin/container to keep them in with some full size shoe brushes. Also a good clothes brush and some sticky rollers.

These are brilliant ideas, thanks everyone!

I cannot better the iron suggestion.

Hope you are able to attend ceremonies such as that when he completes basic training.

@mpsw
I bought one of those years ago for my husband when he went to theatre ( first gulf war )
He still has it in it's case.