The holiday season is a great time to get the military man or veteran in your life the ideal gift that shows him how proud you are of his service. Military men have a wide array of interests, and while they have spent part or all their lives in an environment that stresses uniformity, they are individuals and each of them have unique likes and dislikes.
Well, the venerated veterans of USAMM have struck again. We got together and asked each other what gifts we would like to receive during the holidays and while “world peace” was a popular answer, many of us agreed on the list of military gifts that follows below.
So, without further ado, below is USAMM’s list of military gifts for him just in time for the holidays.
1. Multitool
Most military men love a good multitool. Whether they are on active duty, reserve or in the National Guard, multitools make great military gifts for him. Granted, some military personnel in particular military occupational specialties will be more appreciative of a multitool they can use at work (like infantrymen, mechanics or engineers), but even guys who are in administrative jobs can use the tools off duty or on their occasional trip to the field. Or maybe they have a hobby, and they appreciate the convenience of a multitool.
The bottom line is that a multitool is a great, inexpensive gift that is actually something that the recipient will use. Whether they use it daily and put it on their belt, or they stow it away in their glove box to use in case of an emergency, a multitool is a very useful and thoughtful present and it is one of the great gifts for military men.
2. Military Bottle Openers
Military men work really hard, but they play even harder, let's face it. Off duty recreation time is definitely earned. That said, it comes as no surprise that military men like to blow off a little steam, so informal get togethers and things like barbeques are perfect ways to celebrate a little down time and put this next military gift idea to use.
Military bottle openers make great gifts for military men, like multitools, because of their predictable high use and practicality. Whether its being used at a tailgate, or to crack a few cold ones at a unit function, a bottle opener makes for a great gift. And USAMM carries an assortment of them, including some that are dog tags and can be worn around your neck.
3. Gift Cards
While getting a gift is nice, especially when someone nails it and gets you what you want, it is even better to be able to spend someone else’s money and get exactly what you want. Gift cards have somehow become synonymous with a lack of caring, but the USAMM vets all agreed that a gift card should be included on the list of gifts for military men. If you are shopping for someone who is faraway, stores like USAMM allow you to send them an e-gift card as well as an actual gift card.
4. Service Pride Gifts
Whether your serviceman serves or served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines Corps, Coast Guard or Space Force, they will love anything that helps them showcase their service pride. Service pride items make great gifts for military men because of the range of items offered. Hats, shirts, hoodies and other clothing items branded with service specific logos make great military gifts for him. Flags, decals, mugs, and office items make wonderful military gifts for him too.
And we're not tooting our own horn, but USAMM carries quality gifts for Space Force Guardians like this awesome vintage Space Force t-shirt. Our vintage shirt, like many of our other shirts, is 100 percent pre-shrunk cotton, combed and 30-single ring spun. The shirt is lightweight (4.2 ounces), has a side seam, a crewneck and comes in several unisex sizes to include small, medium, large, extra large and double extra large.
We've got several Space Force t-shirt choices available. If vintage is not your thing, try something a little more serious like our Space Force Sunset t-shirt. These tees are made from 4.5 ounces of 50/25/25 poly/combed ring spun cotton/rayon. They have shoulder to shoulder taping, a side seam, a crewneck, and they come in multiple unisex sizes including small, medium, large, double extra large and triple extra large.
Best part about our t-shirts? As always, all of our awesome original design t-shirts are printed right here in Killeen, Texas. That means the money you spend here, stays here and impacts the local military community in and around Fort Hood, Texas.
5. Shadowboxes or Coin Displays
Anyone who has ever served more than a couple of years has earned at least some rank insignia and probably some coins. Shadowboxes and coin displays are great gifts for military men. Coin displays are easier to give as gifts because they don’t require anything to be added to them. Shadowboxes can be given empty as military gifts for him, but if you really want to make an impression, fill it with personal military items that you might have access to just to get things moving.
If you feel uncomfortable giving someone a coin display that is empty, even though odds are great that he has lots of coins at home that he can put into it, then you can always buy a couple of coins to accompany a gift of a coin display. If the gift receiver is a member of a military family, consider our military family coin to show him how much you appreciate his domestic leadership. Or maybe they are a veteran of one of the branches of service. Coins like our Air Force veteran coin make great gifts that the receiver will cherish and carry with him.
6. Drinkware
As previously mentioned, military men work hard and play harder so it should come as no surprise that military themed drinkware are awesome gifts for military men in your life. And USAMM has a lot of choices for you regardless of the branch of service your military man served or serves in. We should note, not all drinkware has to be alcohol related. We carry plenty of drinkware, like water bottles, for those who don't imbibe or if you're just looking for something to enjoy a warm or cold cup of coffee, or have some of that high quality H2O.
Our tumblers, for example, feature a full 20 ounces of your favorite go-go juice. They are stainless steel Polar Camel tumblers that feature double-wall vacuum insulation with a clear lid. The mug has a narrower bottom to fit most standard automotive cup holders. It is 2X heat and cold resistant compared to a normal tumblers. Polar Camels are made from 18/8 gauge stainless steel (18 percent chromium/8 percent nickel) and they are also known as Type 304 Food Grade.
For those that do tip a few back every now and then, consider our full line of flasks. These are full color, six ounce flasks that are stainless steel and wrapped in black leather. We also carry beautifully crafted beer and coffee mugs.
7. T-Shirts
Want something both personal and wearable this holiday? Patriotic t-shirts are solid picks as gifts for military men. Whether featuring branch insignia, stars-and-stripes artwork, or a custom message, these patriotic shirts let him show pride with comfort. He’ll reach for them after long days, during off-duty hours, or just lounging at home—an everyday reminder of respect and gratitude that lasts beyond the season.
One of our more popular t-shirts for Navy veterans is the custom Navy shirt, printed right here in the good old U.S.A. The great part about this t-shirt is that you can customize to reflect any ship you have served on, and we offer active ships and decommissioned ships as well.
USAMM carries all sorts of t-shirts for any veteran and for members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and even the National Guard.
If you want to try something less traditional, explore our new designs inventory to see if any of our newly minted designs ring true for your military man. Our new designs have been embraced by Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer. In fact, you can see him wearing many of our new design t-shirts in videos he's made with USAMM.
As always, our custom t-shirt designs you will not find anywhere else. They are designed by us, for you. And they are printed right here in Texas. Many of our shirts are poly/combed ring spun cotton/rayon, and feature shoulder to shoulder taping, a side seam, crewneck and they come in small, medium, large, double extra large and triple extra large.
8. BenShot Glasses
Okay, so technically BenShot glasses could be listed under drinkware, but these glasses are so freaking cool and unique that we thought they should have their own category. These are likely our top three on this list of gifts for military men.
In particular, we love the BenShot Beer Mug .50 caliber MugShot. This is without a doubt, the most manly-man glass we have. The BenShot MugShot 24 ounce beer mug is built to turn heads. Each mug is hand-embedded with a genuine, lead-free solid copper .50 caliber machine gun bullet.
These mugs are handcrafted in Wisconsin. Every mug is individually made by skilled glassmakers at BenShot. So they are made in the USA; from raw materials to packaging, every part supports American craftsmanship.
And yes, that is an authentic .50 caliber bullet made of solid copper, precision-machined, and permanently embedded into the glass. These mugs are big and bold and they hold a full 24 ounces of your favorite beer (or any beverage of choice).
These are gift-ready. They are heavy, durable, and delivered in secure packaging, perfect for birthdays, promotions, retirements, Father’s Day or of course, for the holidays. This isn’t just a beer mug—it’s a statement piece for anyone who wants their drinkware as bold as they are.
And BenShot makes an assortment of glasses to include shot glasses, pint glasses and rocks glasses.
9. Car Accessories
Most military men love their cars. Naturally, any military gifts for automobiles makes perfect sense. We carry a wide variety of car accessory military gifts for the military man in your life. Car things are always solid gifts for military men.
You can keep it simple and give them some decals that show off their military pride, but you can also gift them military license plates that can achieve the same objective. Whatever the choice, a simple gift for their vehicles will not only spruce up their ride, but also allow them to show off their service pride.
10. USwag
Wondering what USWag is? Well, it is our proprietary swag builder that enables you to put a ribbon rack or other artwork on just about anything in our inventory. We can customize anything with text and other artwork in our military-centric database. The combinations are endless.
Do you think your military man would like his ribbon rack on a coffee mug or a stein? We can do that. Does he prefer his name, rank and branch insignia? We can do that.
The point is the the USwag builder enables you to customize anything from drinkware to t-shirts. We can even customize golf balls. If you're ready to explore and start designing, check out the USwag builder here.
We hope this list helps kickstart your holiday shopping motor. Remember, the best gifts for military men are those given with thought and not necessarily the most expensive thing you can buy.