The gift-giving season is upon us, and we’ve got the ultimate list of Coast Guard gift ideas for you. Whether you’re gifting to someone who just recently joined the Coast Guard, has been serving for a while, is a veteran, or someone who has not yet joined the military but is planning on doing so soon – we’ve got a gift that’s perfect for your Coastie.
Pin-iT Awards Travel Case
During your Coast Guardsman career they’ll earn ribbons, awards, and change rank – these are all things that they will need to keep track of and have organized for their uniforms. Help them keep organized by getting them an awards travel case perfect for all of their uniform items.
Pin-iT Uniform Tool for USCG
Having all of their uniform items in one place is great, but when they need to put their items on their uniform this tool will help them out tremendously. Coast Guardsmen must adhere to the highest standards and look sharp in their uniforms. Their ribbons, medals, and rank must be placed properly otherwise they could fail inspection. This uniform tool will make putting their uniforms together a bit easier.
Polarized sunglasses
There’s a good chance that your Coastie will be spending a lot of time outside, so getting them a pair of sunglasses that they can wear while in uniform is the perfect gift. The frames of the sunglasses will need to be black in order for them to be able to wear them while in uniform. The lenses should also be black.
We recommend going with Oakley for sunglasses, as they are a partner with the U.S. Armed Forces.
Watch
Being on time and knowing what time it is are two very important things in the Coast Guard. If your Coastie hasn’t gotten a watch yet now is a perfect time. Some watches can even be engraved with personal messages, making your gift even more meaningful. Some popular watch brands among the military to consider purchasing from are:
Travel Map
Oh, the places they’ll go. Your Coastie is going to be traveling all over the world during their time in service. Getting them a map to hang on their wall to mark off duty stations and places they’ve visited is a great gift to remind them of all of their adventures.
Here’s a map that you can get customized to make even more special.
Gift cards
One of the perks of being in the Coast Guard is not having to worry about what you are going to wear to work every day. With that being said, your Coastie is going to take every opportunity they can to get out of their uniform and other gear. Getting them a gift card to purchase some nice civilian clothes is sure to bring them joy.
You can also consider getting them a Visa gift card, or gift card to any local businesses so that they can explore their duty and experience the amenities the local area has to offer.
Challenge Coin Holder
Throughout your Coast Guardsman career, they are bound to pick up some challenge coins. Their challenge coin collection can quickly grow, making a display a great gift for them to display their accomplishments. Etsy has many different challenge coin displays to choose from.
Fleet Sheets
Your Coast Guardsman is going to spend a lot of time out at sea, and though they will be supplied sheets for their bed they might not be the highest of quality. Consider getting your Coastie a set of their own sheets. Fleet Sheets are specifically made for the bed racks on the ship, to ensure your Coast Guardsman gets the best sleep that they can.
Subscription to Audible
Your Coastie is going to be on a ship a lot, and even though some ships may appear big, the crew do not have a lot of room for their belongings. Your Coast Guardsman won’t be able to bring much more than the necessities when they go out to sea, which includes books for them to read during their downtime. Getting them a subscription to Audible will give your Coastie the ability to listen to all of the audiobooks their heart desires.
Noise Cancelling Headphones
Whether they’re listening to music, watching a movie on their laptop, or listening to an audiobook – noise-canceling headphones are a great gift to help your Coast Guardsman relax after a long day’s work.
Here are some of the best noise-canceling headphones on the market.
Subscription Box
A subscription box is a great way to give a gift that keeps on giving even after the holidays. Whether you give a subscription box that’s for entertainment or necessity uses your Coast Guardsman is sure to appreciate this gift. Some great subscription box companies are:
Dry Bags
Since your Coastie will be spending a lot of time on or near water, it’s no harm to get them a dry bag that they can keep their items in to ensure that they don’t get wet. Whether they use it for work or personal use dry bags are a great way to keep things organized and secure.
Still need more help coming up with the perfect gift for your Coastie? Here are some additional military gift ideas.
What gifts have you gotten your Coast Guardsman in the past that they enjoyed receiving – let us know in the comments below!
