I used your fabulous website 2 years ago to plan my son's 7th birthday Pirate-themed party. It was such a success we came back again to get ideas for his 9th birthday party.  We came across army theme and that was it!  We used ideas from many of your postings, and added a couple of ideas of our own.  Invitations:  Cammo paper & army man stickers from Hobby Lobby, Draft Notice format & language. Draft dodgers send regrets only for RSVP. Said we'd "march inside if it was rainy or too cold" since it was early November in the midwest...you never know what you'll get!  Luckily, it was a sunny 58 degree Sunday afternoon!  Preplanning included painting 2 refrig. size boxes & 2 TV size boxes with army green paint ($3 Home Depot on the Oops rack), painted 2 thick giftwrap tubes black, and built 2 army tanks.  Painted a few more boxes with the green paint and painted ammo, tnt, rations, etc...on them in black for yard decoration.  Used black electrical tape to write "The Brig" on a sheet and hang it over the door to our shed, and also wrote "Army" on olive green sweatshirts from thrift store for dad and birthday boy. I considered making yellow MP arm bands for the adult helpers (aunts and grannie)but decided not to. Mom wore red, white & blue. Hung a "Latrine" sign over bathroom window.  Purchased giant 36' cammo WWII parachute on Ebay. Purchased army partyware, loot bags, dog tags, decoder kits from Garden City. Upon arrival we handed out name tags and dog tags (Private Ian)and they stayed in front yard playing with the 2 tanks under watchful eye of Sarge (Dad with a whistle).  When all had arrived, Sarge marched them in line into back yard.  Games included 1)Sarge Says (like Simon Says), 2)Obstacle Course (included a long maze which was a clear path raked out of a yard full of leaves, grenade toss using grenade water balloons, commando crawl under a blanket, stepping in circles spraypainted in grass, then running hurdles over 3 bales of straw, 3)Parachute games like Mushroom and Sarge calling out 2 names of kids opposite each other then having them switch places before parachute falls to the ground...this was our favorite part of the party!, 4)Wounded Soldier Rescue breaking into 2 teams of 5 kids each, each team has a white sheet and roll of toilet paper, runs downs and wraps the "wounded soldier" using the entire roll of toilet paper, puts him on the sheet/stretcher, then hurridly carries him back to HQ. Then we broke for Mess Hall. I made an army tank cake using a Wilton 12x18 sheet pan & half of a Wilton ball pan (3 boxed cake mixes & 3 cans of icing.)  Cut sheet cake in half and stacked it, sliced an angled wedge off of front, then put the round part on top.  Used "juniper" colored icing paste, a mini flashlight barrel for turret and oreo halves for wheels. Ian stategically placed army men on and around the tank. Also served icecream, green guacamole Doritos, Bugles and I actually found army men gummies at Osco!!! After opening gifts we spent the last 10 minutes playing capture the flag in the front yard waiting for parents to arrive.  Handed out cammo loot bags containing plastic army men, compass, small foam jet, paratrooper toy, message decoder kit and a certificate of advancement I made on the computer, advancing them to corporal.  We did all of this in 2 hours!  A group picture in front of a cardboard tank will be included with the thank yous. I am so grateful for this inspiring website!