They Won't Be Home For The Holidays: A Quick Guide To Care Packages For Miltary Personnel

October 19, 2003 | VOA(me)

[VOA]

Preamble -- October 18 marks my first shipment of care packages to a Military service-person overseas
(specifically to Baghdad). I was going to do it since about summer, but hesitated...partly because I wasn't
sure how to proceed. Thus, I now present a (Very) Quick Guide to the sending of care packages.


Point #1: Timing IS EVERYTHING
Keep these DEADLINE dates in mind (from the US Navy website at this URL:
http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/questions/holidaymail.html

The United States Navy

Holiday mailing — 2003

The Naval Supply Systems Command's Postal Policy Division, in cooperation with the U.S. Postal Service and military postal officials from all of the services, notes that it’s not too early to mail 2003 holiday cards, letters, and packages to and from military addresses overseas. In fact, everyone is encouraged to beat the last minute rush, and bring holiday mail and packages to the nearest U.S. Post Office or APO/FPO military post office by these suggested dates:

For military mail addressed to APO and FPO addresses, the mailing dates are:	For military mail FROM APO and FPO addresses, the mailing dates are:
Parcel post — Nov. 13 Space available — Nov. 28 Parcel airlift — Dec. 4 Priority mail, first class cards and letters — Dec. 11	Space available — Nov. 20 Parcel airlift — Dec. 4 Priority mail, first class cards and letters — Dec. 11

Revised: 25 September 2003

---

Point #2: Identify Your Target (Service Person)

You must have a specific service person's address for the mailing of letters or packages; the "any service man"
mailing is a thing of the past.

Even if you don't know a person serving oversears personally, you know someone who does.
Ask around, check with your faith community (church, temple, etc.), your city newspaper.
For example, my hometown newpaper even has a website with service- persons names and military
address. In my case, I contacted the employer of a U.S. Army chaplain; they had his APO (military)
address and e -mail address.

Point #3: If Sending A Package, Try To Contact The Service Person FIRST, if possible
Even though 99.999% of service personnel would love (and be happy with) a nice, supportive letter from
stateside, a package really sends the message.
Luckily, I was able to exchange e-mails with a Chaplin in Baghdad and thus he gave me a prioritized list
of school supplies his unit needs to help their adopted elementary school

Take-home message: prior contact gives the service person what they need, maximizing the benefit/cost
factor.


Point #4: Consult the USPS (United States Postal Service) for information
Talking to counter personnel is helpful, but time-consuming, so go to www.usps.gov
Consult: "Supporting Our Troops FAQs" at http://www.usps.supportingourtroops/supportingfaqs.htm
Military Addressing Tips at http://www.usps.supportingourtroops/addressingtips.htm
Military Packaging Tips at http://www.usps.supportingourtroops/packagingtips.htm
Other Ways To Support Our Troops at http://www.usps.supportingourtroops/otherways.htm

These will give you the basics and answers virtually all your questions.
For those who desire to send packages, the take-home is that you can box up goods in a "Domestic"
Priority Mail box, take it to the US Post Office, fill out a PS Form 2976-A Customs Declartion and
Dispatch Note" for each box you send.

Point #5: OBEY Restrictions on your mail! Don't tick off the host country!!
While at the "Supporting Our Troops FAQs" at http://www.usps.supportingourtroops/supportingfaqs.htm
click on the Overseas Military Mail link. Use the military "zip code" in your service person's military
address to determine which (of that huge list of) restrictions apply to your shipment.
Of course, the usual biggies are the prohibition on shipping pork and against shipping religional material'
for other than personal use by the service-person.
DON'T be intimidated by the restrictions list...take a few minutes to work through it in order to avoid
problems.

Point #6: Time to get the box and all the stuff to go in it!
Make out your shopping list
Go to the USPS office and pick up an appropriate shipping box.
In my case, I found I could load and send two "Domestic" Priority Mail boxes.
I took the box with me to the store, and noted if the items to ship would fit that box.
Load up box, leave one flap easy to open, in case the Post Office counter-person wants to
inspect the contents.
Also write out a "shipping manifest" to go into the box. This could help postal workers to
reassemble the shipment if the box should break. Xerox a copy for your records (or store
on computer)

Point #7: Time to mail!
Take your box(es) to your local post office.
Fill out a Form 2976 or Form 2976-A for customs purposes.
I used the Form 2976-A for each box. Here is the important part...put this verbatim phrase in the
box for description of the box contents:

"Certified to be a bona fide gift, personal effects, or items for personal use of
military personnel and their dependents."

Pay the shipping charges. In my case, it cost about $14 for me to send a TOTALLY packed
Priority Mail box, weighing about 10 pounds.
Priority Mail going the APO or FPO route should take 10-15 days to arrive; the less expensive
parcel route takes more like 24 days.

Point *8: Contact your service person, if possible
Because tracking is not available for even Priority Mail going through the APO/FPO
system, send an e-mail to your service-person to let them know the package is on the way;
include the "shipping manifest" in the e-mail for two reasons.
The shipping manifest lets the service-person know what material is "in the pipeline" and thus
they can customize/re-prioritize their wish-list for other donors.

[cyn]

GREAT -- thanks for posting this. Printing it out to pass along...

[cyn]

and lol that you call this the (very) quick version!

[boxerblues]

Just wondering if there is some drawback to the light packets of Kool-Aid, e.g., lack of decent water supply on the ground.

They are still issued bottled water when on patrol if water is not available. I try not to ship to much premixed bottled stuff due to the weight and the possibility of leakage. We ship packets or cans of koolaid/gatoraid dry mix. Coldbrew teabags, single serve instant coffee is another big hit. Other items my guys have asked for is EasyMac and RaguExpress or any pasta/dinner type mixes that can be cooked with water only.

[visualops]

IRAQ CLIMATE

The average temperatures in Iraq range from higher than 48 degree C (120 Fahrenheit) in July and August to below freezing in January. A majority of the rainfall occurs from December through April and is more abundant in the mountainous region and may reach 100 centimeters a year in some places.

The Iraqi climate is similar to that of the extreme southwestern United States with hot, dry summers, cold winters, and a pleasant spring and fall. Roughly 90% of the annual rainfall occurs between November and April, most of it in the winter months from December through March. The remaining six months, particularly the hottest ones of June, July, and August, at approximately 102° F (32° C), are dry. The influence of the Persian Gulf on the climate of Iraq is very limited. Near the gulf the relative humidity is higher than in other parts of the country.



http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/climate.htm

[VOA]

Monday morning bump...and a recommendation for posters/lurkers to check the
wish-list link at you post #78

[VOA]

I read our soldiers are teaching the young Iraqi boys to play soccer, thereby giving
them something useful and fun to do.

Well, given space&weight considerations, I had thought about sending a Frisbee.
Also, I thought of sending (2 pairs!) some juvenile-sized soccer gloves...thinking the
school might have the soccer ball, but need the gloves as a crucial bit of equipment for
the poor goalie.

[VOA]

visualops,
your year-round climate chart is da' bomb!
Maybe I will think about sending some well-sealed chocolates...in a couple of weeks
when the temp might be dropping quickly.

[freeangel]

Thanks and bookmarking

[VOA]

well, I guess I should have called it the detailed quick version...but when I
decided to do a "from scratch" guide for folks who've had confusion or apprehension
about the mechanics of sending the packages...
well...it did balloon a bit!

Pass it along, post it at work,..."any publicity is good publicity" when it
comes to this situation, IMHO.

[VOA]

thanks for bumping...bump

[VOA]

Late west-coast morning bump!

[Alamo-Girl]

Volley bump!

[VOA]

thanks-for-the-bump bump!

[Lucy Lake]

some juvenile-sized soccer gloves...thinking the school might have the soccer ball, but need the gloves as a crucial bit of equipment for the poor goalie.

Good idea, I hadn't thought about the goalie. I'll send gloves next time I send a package. A frisbee would be a good idea, also.

You may laugh at this, but before I sent the soft, stuffed animals, I sprayed each one with Chanel # 5, as I figured those poor little kids had never smelled anything except burning camel dung.

[VOA]

more-publicity bump!

[VOA]

I'll see your volley-bump...and raise you a publicity bump

[Alamo-Girl]

May I have this bump?

[VOA]

May I have this bump?

But of course...
as for myself...time to get back to work...

[Alamo-Girl]

A bump for the afternoon crowd.

[VOA]

A bump for the afternoon crowd.

and for the evening crowd...