Originally Posted by Steven Field,
WASHINGTON

’Tis the season to be
giving, but people sending holiday cards and packages to Soldiers
serving overseas should send them early and follow the rules for mail
distribution, said a military postal official.

“To ensure delivery…to military [Army Post Office/Fleet Post Office]
addresses overseas and to international addresses, we suggest mail be
sent by the recommended dates provided by the U.S. Postal service,”
said Mark DeDomenic, the assistant deputy director and chief of
operations for the Military Postal Service Agency.

Postal workers throughout the world process an incredible amount of
mail. The Fort Lewis-based Task Force Olympia in Iraq alone receives
11,000 pounds of mail and collects 6,000 pounds of mail to send to the
U.S., said Spc. Daniel Frost, a mail clerk from the 747th Postal
Company. And these numbers don’t take into account increased mail
traffic during the holiday season.

Mail-by dates vary by the delivery location and method of delivery,
ranging from Dec. 6 to 20 for first class mail and Dec. 11 to 17 for
priority mail. Mail shipped now by parcel post to military addresses
overseas will not reach their destinations by Christmas. The last
postal service deadline to mail parcel post overseas was Nov. 13.

To ensure timely delivery, senders should include the full name of the
Soldier they are sending mail to (with or without rank designation),
the unit address, the APO address, the nine-digit zip code and a return
address, postal officials advise.

Also, the U.S. Postal Service is offering free packing materials to
spouses and family members of Soldiers serving overseas.

USPS will send free boxes, packing materials, tape and mailing labels
for care packages to be sent to Soldiers in Iraq. To take advantage of
this service, call 1-800-610-8734 and press one for English or two for
Spanish, then press three to reach an operator.

When sending packages, postal officials advise that the following
should be considered to ensure delivery to their intended recipients:

* The ban on packages sent to “Any Service member” is still in effect,
according to Department of Defense officials. To protect the safety of
troops in combat areas, their addresses should not be published.

* Only relatives and friends of Soldiers in the Central Command theater
that received an address personally, should send packages. Americans
who do not have loved ones overseas can find other ways to support
American Soldiers at www.defendamerica.mil by clicking on the “Support
Our Troops” link on the left side of the page.

* Packages mailed in boxes that have markings related to any type of
hazardous material, including bleach, alcohol and cleaning fluids, will
be handled as non-mailable matter, according to the U.S. Postal Service.

* Soldiers serving in the Central Command area of operation (including
Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa) cannot receive:

* pork and pork by-products;

* alcoholic beverages;

* any matter depicting nude or semi-nude persons;

* obscene articles; pornographic materials; or unauthorized items.

Personal religious items may be delivered, but religious materials
contrary to the Islamic faith are not permitted in bulk quantities.

Receiving packages, especially during the holidays, is great for
Soldier morale, said Staff Sgt. Tony Edwards, Civil Affairs
non-commissioned officer in charge for Task Force Olympia in northern
Iraq.

“Getting mail from friends and loved ones at home is something that a
Soldier can look forward to,” said Edwards. “Things in Iraq are
constantly changing and so many of the things around us are unfamiliar,
getting a letter from someone at home is comforting because it’s from
someone who is familiar to you.”

The following shipping dates are recommended in order for mail to reach
service members by Christmas:

APO AE Zips 090-092, 094-098

- First Class Mail: Dec. 11

- Priority Mail: Dec. 11

- Parcel Airlift Mail: Dec. 4

- Space Available Mail: Nov. 27

APO AE Zips 093

- First Class Mail: Dec. 6

- Priority Mail: Dec. 6

- Parcel Airlift Mail: Dec. 4

- Space Available Mail: Nov. 27

APO AA Zips 340

- First Class Mail: Dec. 11

- Priority Mail: Dec. 11

- Parcel Airlift Mail: Dec. 4

- Space Available Mail: Nov. 27

APO AP Zips 962-966

- First Class Mail: Dec. 11

- Priority Mail: Dec. 11

- Parcel Airlift Mail: Dec. 4

- Space Available Mail: Nov. 27