As we age and get a little older, finding the perfect Christmas gift gets harder and harder. Especially for those of us who have served in the military. Our tastes get simpler and we are easier to please as we have grown to appreciate the smaller things in life.

Personally, I just enjoy being with my family and if I get to see any old friends, sitting around a fireplace inside or a nice fire pit outside with a nice cigar and a single malt is peeing in the tall cotton. Or sipping some fine French wine from that noted Tennessee establishment owned by a Mr. Jacques Daniels…

But many of our significant others struggle to find the perfect gift for us and want to make our holidays special. And many of our readers now are women, so for you women folk out there who are looking for the perfect gift for your military men? You’ve come to the right place. Here’s a list of some Christmas gifts that you can give the man who has or has done just about everything. First up are the more expensive ones but are definitely worth looking into, if you have the cash:

MiG-29: Supersonic Interceptor and Multirole Jet Fighter

Have you ever watched Top Gun and wondered what it would be like to be going toe-to-toe with MiG 29? Well, now you can do one even better. You can pilot the main aircraft of the old Soviet Union and the near equal to anything the US could put into the sky.

The Mikoyan MiG-29 (Микоян МиГ-29) is the embodiment of a Russian military aircraft. The interceptor and multirole fighter-bomber MiG-29 uniquely combines unbelievable maneuverability with great speed. The first MiG-29 airframes were delivered to the Soviet Air Force in 1983. The MiG-29 Fulcrum was exported to numerous countries: Until today, more than 1,500 aircraft in various versions of the air superiority fighter MiG-29 were built. A word to the wise, this won’t be cheap but you can sign up here:

Fly a Helicopter:

Most of us veterans, especially those who were in Special Operations had a lot of time in helicopters… as passengers but the vast majority of us never flew one or even had an opportunity to sit in the cockpit, unlike some of the VSTOL aircraft that supported us. Now you can buy your significant other some flight time in a helicopter.

From the Cloud9Flight website: Take the controls of a Robinson R44 helicopter with an FAA-certified instructor by your side. You’ll start out with 30 minutes of pre-flight ground school, learning helicopter safety and how a helicopter flies.

Next, it’s time to climb onboard and prepare for an experience you’ll never forget. During your 30 minutes of flight time, you’ll get the chance to take the controls and enjoy the unique sensation of flying a helicopter. Experience hovering, take-off, landing, rearward and sideways flight.

Drive A NASCAR Racer:

Out in the beautiful Pocono Mountains is a NASCAR track where the Nascar racing buff can take one of those ground-based rockets around a track at 160 mph+. I’m one of the few people who lived down South and who wasn’t a big racing fan, but still, admit that I’d love to take one of those babies around the track at speeds that would put you in jail on the street.

For the main event, the owners of the NASCAR experience will strap you into a 600-horsepower NASCAR style stock car. Then you’re off for the drive of your life, traveling up to 160mph around NASCAR’s famous 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway.

The next few gift ideas are much more affordable and are still great ideas for the military man in your life.

Personalized Swiss Army Knife:

Nearly every Special Operations veteran owns a multitool, either a Swiss Army knife, a Leatherman, one of the Gerber multitools or possibly one of each. But having a personalized one is a nice thoughtful gift that will stand the test of time.

It can be customized on the front and/or back with your man’s name as well as even your initials or a team number or unit designation, leave it up to your imagination. Of course, it goes without saying that this is an excellent quality tool as it is an authentic Victorinox Swiss Army Knife. It comes with 15 tools in one and is still small enough to easily fit in the pocket of jeans or a coat.

You can order one thru their secure website here:

Personalized Bamboo Cutting Board:

Is the man of the house, (like here) someone who grills 365 days a year, regardless of the weather? Even in the harshest of New England’s winters, the first thing that gets shoveled out when it snows is our grill. If so, a nice personalized cutting board to prepare your food is a nice touch for the “grill master” of the manse.

These cutting boards are made of handcrafted of pressed bamboo in a natural tone with a natural hand rubbed olive oil finish making each personalization vary just a bit in color. What is nice about Bamboo is that it absorbs very little moisture, it won’t shrink or swell and is actually harder than most hardwoods, making it a superior material for cutting boards. It will last a long time and be a nice touch for those outdoor parties.

North Face eTip Gloves:

If your guy always has his phone or tablet in his hand, this is a great gift so that he can continue to use his phone without having to take off his gloves. And if you live in a cold weather environment, then you know what a pain in the fourth point of contact that can be. The North Face is the manufacturer of some great products, their quality is well-known in the industry.

The eTip Glove allows on-the-go connectivity with their touch-screen compatible, four-way stretch fleece glove. Full palm conductivity allows you to use your touchscreen devices without removing your gloves and exposing your hands in cold conditions.

Christmas Gifts For Deployed Significant Others

If your significant other is going to be on deployment during the holidays it is always a trying time for the families back in the states as well as the troops far from home. Being away from home at Christmas is probably the toughest of all holidays.

One of the best gifts for any deployed military person is a care package packed with all of their favorite things as well as essential items.Here are some ideas of items to include in your Christmas gift care package for your loved one:

Favorite snacks and candy
Coffee
Picture of you two together and ones of family
Favorite homemade Christmas cookies
Energy bars
Protein powder drinks
Baby wipes
Mouthwash and toothpaste
Lip balm

Be sure to check out packing restrictions such as size and weight before you go to mail your box. Also, remember that your box is going to be moved around quite a bit and it will take at least 10-14 days to get to your soldier. Pack carefully and try to cushion items as best as possible.

SOFREP Crate Club:

Of course, you can’t mention Christmas gifts without mentioning our own SOFREP Crate Club. The best in tactical gear that is hand-picked, tested and approved by our own Special Operations veterans.

There are plenty of options to pick and choose from and you’ll get some of the best gear that is out there on the market today.

Cover Photo: Wikipedia

Originally published on Special Operations.com and written by STEVE BALESTRIERI