Was your son the kind of little boy that always wanted to play soldiers and war? Perhaps he was always fascinated with all that had to do with the military. Did he follow in his father's footsteps and join the military, or is he the first person in your family to join the Armed Forces of the United States of America? If so, you must be very proud of him, as he is willing to protect his fellow countrymen and even people in other countries. On the other hand, you also might be worried about the dangers he might face some day. As parents, you probably focus a lot of your attention on making sure that he has the things that he needs. If he is on a tight budget, you might even be thinking that buying military gear would be a great gift for Christmas this year. If that's true, consider shopping at an Army surplus store, such as Bargain Center.

Start With Some Questions - Even though surprises are often a lot of fun, this might be a case where you should just tell your son that you want to buy him Christmas gifts that he can use in his everyday military life. After all, you don't want him to have to return items that didn't fit. For instance, you might think that he still wears size medium in his T-shirts. But, because of his exercise training he might have bulked up and now wear a size large. Also, there are probably very specific things that he can wear, so get a list of those items.

Don't Forget Extras - While you might be focused on getting your military son practical things that he can use every day, you might also want to get extras that will make the holidays even more fun for him. For example, while you are at the Army surplus store, check out things like tents, lanterns and other items that your son can take on camping trips that are not part of his military life. Consider looking for things like tin cups. Buying a set of those will mean that he'll have cups that won't break. They might even become his favorite drinking cups and something that he can hand down to his kids, when the time comes. 

The great thing about shopping at a military surplus store is that you'll more than likely be saving money. While you're at it, look for things like camo T-shirts that you can give to other people on your Christmas list.