I received a PM from John B. earlier tonight, which I copy here with his permission:
Hello Don, So I noticed how you mentioned you had a ton of decks so I thought I might ask you advice on something. Do you know of any good military related decks. I have a really good friend who was just deployed and was interested in sending him some that him and his battle buddies could enjoy not only for their card games but for the deck as well.I thought it was a very good topic to share, since I'm sure most of you know someone in the military and that many of those people are probably deployed outside of the US, perhaps even in a less-than-friendly location. For over a century, playing cards have been a soldier's best friend in the field. USPC even manufactured a "patience" deck (miniature-sized) under the brand name "Cadets" specifically for soldiers to take into combat - the smaller size made them very portable and easily stowed, and this was in the days before cargo pockets became military-standard. That deck, however, has been out of print for a good while now! Here are the suggestions I gave John.
If you can still find them around, the old Bicycle Big Gun reprints can usually be had for about $5 a pack.
Jason at the1eyedjack.com carried a full line of these decks, five in total, for each branch of the military - all that remains is Air Force and Army, though if you hunt around you'll probably find the others. The quality is on par with a pack of Aviators or US-made Streamlines. All the pips are rank patches and pins, to help you remember the ranks of the various officers and non-coms a soldier runs into daily.
Air Force deck at the1eyedjackArmy deck at the1eyedjackIf course, there's the Bicycle Tactical Field deck. These were actually designed for the military - the colors chosen for the backs and the reds on the faces allow you to play with the deck under "red-lens" conditions. Tactical transports often use a red light for the passenger areas at night because it allows for faster adaptation of night vision than if a soldier were to transition from white lights to total darkness. The standard military-issue flashlight comes equipped with a removable red lens as well for the same reason. They come in black and olive drab with Rider Backs and a much darker shade of red, comparable to what casinos use for their decks. They're rumored to be more durable as well - the card stock is heavy, probably Bicycle Casino before they stopped offering it.
Bicycle Tactical Field deck at BMPWI'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Wounder Warrior Project deck, as well! It may be only fifteen cents donated for each deck sold, but it's better than nothing, AND the court cards are wearing digital-camo versions of their normal attire.
Bicycle Wounded Warrior Project deck at AceKing on eBayWhile not specifically designed for such use, these decks would also likely be red-lens playable like the Tactical deck, as they either use green or a darker shade of red for the red suits and are of a generally "camouflage-y" color scheme - all are from AceKing's eBay pages:
Bicycle Eco EditionBicyle Rejuvenate - 6 decks, good price!Bicycle Elephant Tsunami deck 3-pack (2nd ed. w/blue seal)Bicycle TwilightIf you wanted to send a VERY special gift, depending on your friend's branch of the military, it would be hard to go wrong with this - though it's not really meant for using in the field. Considering they were made in 1981, it's a mighty fine deal for this set, and they're probably the last Army and Navy decks made - both brands were among the first group of brands Russell & Morgan started with when they created what's now known as USPC - they predate the Bicycle brand:
100th Anniversary Army-Navy two deck setYou can always think of more durable cards, like these - but shop around for better prices:
Bicycle Prestige two-deck set red/blueAnd from the same factory (Fournier in Vitoria, Spain) came this little beauty! They're not so easy to find these days, but they're made the same way as the Prestige using the same plastic:
Karnival Death Heads from a UK eBay sellerAnd along the lines of the most durable decks out there, consider anything Bee Casino grade or perhaps Ellusionist Masters decks, in red, blue and Shadow Masters. Other good choices for durability would be Richard Turner Gold Seal Bicycles and Professional Bicycles from CARC. In fact, all the decks CARC ordered from USPC are Bee Casino grade.
If anyone here has any more suggestions or simply wants to write about their soldier buddies (or their own playing-card experiences while deployed, if you're a solider, sailor, Marine, etc.), I welcome your posts here.
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