Please note; some of the FOB's have come a long way since the first rotation. The larger ones have decent PX's, pizza shops, coffee shops, subway shops,... the more primitive ones don't, but the larger built up areas do.
Near the end of OIF2, you could pick up (expensive) steaks at the PX at Victory (Liverty) off BIAP and BBQ a little near your hootch. Pirated DVD's of new movie releases were available for $5 U.S., sometimes days before their Western release dates.
It's better now to ask what they want/need rather than just ship a lot of what people were sending 3 years ago. Sometimes you can think of something unique that can be entertaining, but just stuffing a box with jerky and wet wipes may not be the best to send over these days.
Additionally, my experiences come from BIAP, Baghdad, Taji mostly and a little from Kuwuit and Qatar. I've no idea how Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, the Horn of Africa, and other duty locations are these days as far as creature comforts.
And there's enough trouble with alcohol that can be accessed while in-country now (mostly from Russia and Lebanon). They really don't need it sent to them from states.
