In late January, Valor Blocks announced the launch of the world’s first official armed forces subscription box. Available for purchase by families, friends and supporters of the U.S. Army, Valor Blocks provides curated items to members of the U.S. Army on a monthly or quarterly basis in the continental U.S. and military bases around the world.

Available for $34 a month, the subscription boxes contain officially licensed, exclusive, U.S. Army-branded items like utility gear, an exclusive t-shirt and four to six curated collectibles. Items might include hats, books, magazines, electronics accessories, coffee mugs, home décor, decals, games or personal care items, and like most subscription boxes, each shipment is a surprise to add to the fun.

“To us, ‘valor’ represents the incredible strength and courage of the world’s protective forces,” said Russ Montague, founder and CEO of Valor Blocks, in the announcement. “We’re honored to be able to showcase products that shine a well-deserved light on the sacrifices that members of U.S. Army make every day.”

The company is based in New York City, and its fulfillment operations are based in Illinois. Valor Blocks said that is committed to source high quality, ethically-produced goods and “to ensure that each block shipped is built in America, by Americans, to honor America.”

Though the announcement said the company is offering a quarterly subscription box option, we didn’t find a mention of it in the Valor Blocks website. We did, however, find these four pricing options. Most payment types will renew automatically, except for PayPal which does not auto-renew. A 10 percent discount is available to active duty serviceman and veterans.

In a similar, earlier announcement, Valor Blocks said it would honor members of protective services (military, law enforcement, emergency services, etc.) with a subscription box service too, but we did not find any option for a protective service subscription box on the website.

“We are very confident that supporters of Protective Services around the globe will love the steady stream of curated merchandise delivered to them or the service person in their life,” said Montague in the January 13 announcement. “The Valor Blocks team has a proven track record in the subscription box space and will only deliver quality. And it will get bigger and better as time goes on.”

It looks like Valor Blocks may also be working on a Marine Block offering as well.

Insider Take:

You know we love innovation, and this seems like a sure winner. Military friends and family are always wanting to send care packages, and this is an easy way to send a gift every month with branded items that are likely to be used and displayed proudly. However, the initial execution of the program leaves something to be desired. The company has issued two press releases, but only one product is available on the Valor Blocks website so far. Their social media presence is limited, and the website does not mention the quarterly option.

It might have been a good idea for the company to test all aspects of its service and offerings before going live. A quieter, softer launch might have been effective. Hopefully, this won’t negatively impact the company’s success.