Unique Military Gifts: How to Buy Gifts for Indian Soldiers and 10 Special Gift Ideas for Veteran Husband

Your veteran husband is a brave heart person who left a comfortable life to fight the enemies of his state and country. After spending a long time in a war zone, returning home comes as a shock to many, and veterans are likely to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD and anxiety. You must understand that he has seen things most of us are spared from, has made many hard decisions in life and has committed himself to serving his country and retirement is a concept he is probably still coming to terms with.

The tough exterior however, is just that, an exterior. You know your husband has missed his family all these years and how deep a sentiment he attaches to the small tokens and reminders of home he carried with him. Now that he is home, lavish him with love and attention.

The loyalty of a veteran is a non-questionable thing as they have learnt to lay down their life for the causes they believe-in. Moreover, being with other military men throughout their duty, being protective and loyal comes to them instinctively. Thus, by the time they are free from their military service, they know no other way to be.

Thus, all they desire is loyalty in return, and will be one of the most faithful companions once they find the same in you. You can show your husband love, affection, care, and of course, loyalty by doing some special gestures or buying unique military gifts for him.

As goes the tagline of popular Bollywood film Holiday, ‘A soldier is never off duty’, this applies to veterans as well. During their service, they are mentally prepared to be ready for the call of duty that may be raised anytime. Veterans carry forward this learning and during their life after service, they stay prepared for all the good and bad phases in their life.

So, this is something you need to be careful of, if you are dating a veteran or have married one. They will be expecting you to be prepared as well with minimal signs of nervousness and stress. These highly disciplined men will appreciate order and discipline at home as well and a good way to gain his respect is by having a backup plan for any scenario, be it gifts and celebrations or emergencies at home.

Being a military man, be it in the army navy or air force, a gun has been his closest companion during his service, and he is likely to miss it as much as he will be missing his team. Though he can meet his other veterans after leaving the service, you can get him some mock goodies as a gift that are made up of war materials like gun, bomb, or even bullet.

Whenever he plans to go on drink sessions with his ex-mates, get him the .50 Caliber BMG Real Bullet ‘Molon Labe’ Bullet Bottle Opener as a gift. The bottle opener is made up of once-fired bullet shells, properly cut, polished, and engraved, and comes in a velvet keepsake bag along with a certificate of authenticity and the official product care sard. Approximately 5.5” in size, the bullet opened is available on Homeloft for Rs.2,783.

Despite many reasons for joining the army like attractive money, glory, a family tradition, or any other, army men stay in service for just one reason – honor. They are bound to the cause of improving self and society, something that they always feel proud of and can lay down their lives for. Thus, if you are looking for gifts for army soldiers or for a veteran husband, you should choose something that shows that you too feel proud to be a part of an army man’s life.

The Digital Store Gifts Brass Antique Home Décor Gifts Canon with Man Handicraft Showpiece is a great choice to keep his memories of war day alive and display the pride emotion as well. The beautifully crafted antique canon set has moving wheels and a soldier in ready-to-fire position. The pure brass-made masterpiece, crafted by professional artisans, is available in brown colour on Amazon for Rs.339.

After days of putting up hard fights, not only against the enemy forces, but also against their emotions, the environment, and many more factors at times, veterans find it difficult to return to a home environment. However, they need your support to relax and get rid of the anxieties that often accompany ex-servicemen.

Thus, if you are planning for a gift for your veteran husband, you should look out for relaxation techniques or therapies to help him get back to a normal life. Here are a few tips that can help you in the context, and also go a long way in helping your marriage. Use these tips and others that make you fall in love more with each other to relax him and nurture and happier, stress-free life ahead.

You must have heard this saying more than once: ‘Once a Soldier, Always a Soldier’. Even after leaving the service, your veteran husband has that heart of a soldier and will be as disciplined in his daily life as he used to be when serving in the army. You can let him flaunt his pride for the defence forces with a wearable message in the form of a t shirt.

WYO Men’s Cotton Half Sleeve T-Shirt is a wonderful option with a message to flaunt off, printed on it. The T-shirt carries the message ‘Warriors are not born. They are made in Indian Army’ and comes in various size and colour options. Get him this cotton-made, round neck regular fit t-shirt from Amazon for a starting price of Rs.359 and let him show off what his duty means to him.

A small addition to his appearance could make him get attention in public or at an event, and believe us, he will feel proud to be praised for his service. Being a veteran, he isn’t entitled to carry an ID card stating that he is an ex-army person, but a piece of cloth like a camouflage design tie can do the purpose.

Blacksmith Camouflage Design Tie for Men – Military Design Tie for Men is a premium hand-stitched tee, available in 3 different options. The tie is 3-inches wide at its broadest point and you can get a branded gift box along with it. Ideally it should be dry-cleaned every 5-10 uses to avoid loss of luster and fall. Buy one for your partner from Amazon for Rs.449.

Being an ex-army person, he might miss his time of action when he used to fire air-tearing bullets during training or during his service. This doesn’t mean that you bring him a gun and allow him shoot at random targets at home or in a civilian area. But, you can get him a toy that gives the same level of joy and pleasure, but isn’t intended to harm someone, like a slingshot.

While a slingshot seems to be a kid’s play for many, the Pocket Shot is its powerful evolution that lets you fire at a speed of 350 feet per second. The 5 inch long x 2.5-inch wide pocket shot measures 2.3 x 1.3 inches when closed and can be easily carried in a pocket, backpack, or a tackle box. Get him this powerful toy to play with whenever he misses his service days from Amazon for Rs.4,749. It can be used to launch marbles, steel slugs, or small paintballs.

Wine is not only considered as a drink like other alcohols, but a way to celebrate success, or in case of army men, a way to honour. Like all other military personnel, your veteran husband would also like to drink wine at particular occasions or just when he is happy. Well, next time when he opens a new bottle of wine, the first thing he is going to look for is a wine opener.

Gift him the WineOvation WNO-01P Powered Wine Opener, Gun to make him feel contend with a gun in hand to open his favourite wine. The cordless rechargeable opener can open a maximum of 30 bottles on a single recharge, and comes with a wall charger as well as a foil cutter. The modern stylish design will go on with his bar at home while the rubber-coated handle and charging base add the necessary safety. Get this worthy addition to his celebrations from Amazon for Rs.9,923.

Looking for something not completely related to the armed forces? Get him a simple timepiece on his wrist that will remind him of you, every time he raises his arm to see the time. As a common understanding, gifting your man a watch is a symbol of submitting your time (every hour, minute, and even second) to him. You can get him a decent, durable watch to complement his personality and show your care and affection.

The Casio G271 G-Shock Watch for men is a perfect match to your strong and sturdy veteran husband. The analog-digital watch with quartz movement is water resistant up to 200 m and displays date also. Get him this rugged-looking companion for all his adventure trips from Flipkart for Rs.6,564 and express his special place in your life and heart.

Out of all the drinks on a bar shelf, whiskey is a type most popular with defence forces. Though this type of drink holds its own significance in terms of a robust flavour, mood-alleviating powers, and the glorious amber colour, it plays a vital role in the life of a military person.

If your veteran husband also loves drinking whiskey, you can buy him a bottle of the charcoal-filtered Jack Daniels whiskey. Though there are a number of options available from the brand, you can choose his favourite one from Whiskey Marketplace starting Rs.3,331.

Army man or no, your man needs to stay hydrated. Specially since he probably heads out on outdoor adventures often to channel that excess energy. Every time he goes outdoor, water is one of the basic necessities he will be looking for, and having a bottle to carry water is just an icing on the cake of his outdoor trips and activities.

Show him that you care by gifting him the Klean Kanteen Wide Mouth Water Bottle of 800 ml capacity from Amazon for Rs.3,362. The full stainless steel interior and exterior makes it rugged and tough as your veteran husband, while the wide mouth opening allows easy refilling and pouring. It is dishwasher-safe, high-quality, BPA-free and eco-friendly bottle made from recyclable material. It's something your husband will love to take it on his journeys.

When on camping or outdoor trips, a bottle is not the only thing that he will need. You can be more thoughtful and get him something that not only come in handy during his journeys, but can also be a saviour during emergencies at home or away. Consider gifting him an emergency flashlight with inbuilt phone charger and other features.

The Solar or Hand Crank Dynamo Emergency LED Flashlight Torch Alarm Phone Charger Radio from Banggood is an all-in-one toolkit for a travel lover. It can be charged via AC power or hand crank, comes with a USB port to charge phone or any other USB-powered device and a solar dynamo charger. Gift him this worthy toolkit for just Rs.1,685 and let him enjoy music and news via the inbuilt radio during journeys or send SOS alarm with the flashing red light feature.

Since your man has served in the armed forces, he has learnt and observed the importance of carrying a first aid kit along with him. He also understands the importance of being prepared. Gifting him a complete first-aid kit that he can carry in his backpack is a way of showing your utmost care and love towards him, which will remind him that someone is praying for his safety at home.

Get him everything he will need with the Multi-function Large Medical Kit Medication Storage Boxes First Aid Pouch from Amazon for Rs.498. The 23 x 13 x 7 cm polyester-bag can be equipped with items needed to treat everything from minor wounds to aches and pains, like Dettol, bandages, tablets, burnol, ORS, Eno, scissors, tweezers, cotton balls, and more. With zippers and multiple pockets, you can pack and unpack multiple items and carry the bag with ease using the front handle.

During his time in warzone, a veteran has undergone many situations like a setback, loss or betrayal, along with some happy memories as well. After returning to the normal life, these memories are one of their most treasured keepsake from their service. While some may be traumatic and you can help ease his pain by letting him talk about it. Others will be his fond memories of the life or a military man, the fantastic friends he made while serving and some hair raising tales as well.

Thus, take time to listen to his stories, let him share his emotions and overcome from the fears or stress he has in his mind. Speaking their mind out helps them heal as this allows them to release the energy that creates a discomfort within. Not only for them, listening to their stories also benefits you as you can learn a lot from their experiences alongside strengthening your bond for a fruitful relationship.

As stated in the beginning, your husband has likely developed a strong bond with his batch mates during his service, from whom he has grown used to loyalty and protectiveness. Now, after the end of that era, he is sure to miss those days and might be recalling all those moments during his free times. Here, you can take the opportunity to surprise him by giving the best gift for veteran husband.

Plan a reunion for his best mates, contact all of them and either invite them home for lunch or dinner, or arrange a get-together somewhere else. Do make sure that your husband doesn’t find out about your planning and you will be amazed to see the pleasure on his face upon meeting his brothers in arms by surprise. This is one of the best gifts for soldiers that allows them relive their golden moments once again.