Posted on 11/23/2004 4:52:50 PM PST by M. Espinola
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 23, 2004 -- With so many military families scrambling to ship holiday care packages to their loved ones deployed around the world, the U.S. Postal Service is stepping in to make things a bit easier.
It's offering a package of free packing materials, including 10 boxes, 10 customs forms with envelopes, 10 "Mili-Pac" shipping envelopes, which are specially printed to reflect the complexities of military mailing addresses, and a roll of Priority Mail tape.
Postal Service spokeswoman Sue Brennan said USPS started the service Oct. 25 as an extension of an offer the Postal Service provides all mailers. By calling a toll-free number, anyone can request free shipping materials.
Brennan said the Postal Service was getting deluged with requests from military families -- about 1,000 calls a day since late September. In response, it came up with a special kit of the most-popular items ordered to send care packages to the troops, she said.
To order the special kit, call (800) 610-8734 and request Care Kit 4. Brennan said the Postal Service will ship it by Priority Mail, with delivery generally within a couple of days.
Although the packing materials are free, shippers must still pay normal postage costs, Brennan said.
The U.S. Postal Service and Military Postal Service work hand in hand to support troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Brennan said mail centers in New York, San Francisco and Miami have processed more than 100 million pounds of mail for deployed troops since early 2003. At its high point, mail volume to the Persian Gulf region reached 400,000 pounds a day, she said.
Since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, more than 650 dedicated contract flights have carried mail to the region, and the Postal Service continues to send a 747-series freighter of military mail to Southwest Asia every day, Brennan said.
The number of contract flights carrying mail to the region more than doubled in mid-November, Brennan said, and is expected to remain at that level through late December.
Wow, this is great! Thanks for the info!
bump
FINALLY! These seems like more appropriate packagine materials...
pingaling
Use these boxes instead, order through USPS online.
Flat Rates Boxes $7.70 up to 70 pounds!!!!!!
Now you can have delivery of documents and packages made in an average of 2 to 3 days. Low flat-rate shipping is also available with Priority Mail for any destination and any weight up to a 70 lb. maximum when you use either Flat Rate Envelopes or Flat Rate Boxes.
Delivery to every address in the United States - including PO Boxes and military addresses.
Saturday and residential deliveries at no extra cost.
Convenient flat rate envelopes are available.
New flat rate boxes are available in two different sizes.
Maximum weight is 70 pounds, and the maximum size is 108 inches in length and distance around the thickest part combined.
http://www.usps.com/shipping/prioritymail.htm?from=holidaybanner2&page=prioritymail
Does anyone have the addresses we can use to send cards and packages to "Any Serviceman/woman" ?
If you know a military family it would be great to pass this information on to them.
Check out www.anysoldier.com.
You can't just address a letter or package to "any soldier," you have to send it in care of someone. This site tells you how to do it.
And use the $7 priority post boxes listed in the above post. Best bang for your buck.
bttt
Here is the information that you need to make an informed decision.
The USPS is giving away "Priority" boxes. The custom forms and bags mentioned are always given away so they don't really enter into the equation. The trick is the "Priority" tag is the trick. You pay super rates for "Priority" and the speedy USPS delivery only works to the port of departure. After that it enters the Armed Forces mail system and there everything moves at the same rate.
The same is true for Parcel Post versus Priority. It only works to the coast. Don't do it.
I adopted a soldier through Operation AC. I just heard from him and am getting ready to send a package.
I had read about this last week, and was thrilled to see the postal system offering help to families and those that have adopted a military member for the holidays.
I hope you will pass this site along to folks in your address book/ping list. It is never to early to get packages to our troops for the holiday.
The following was reported in the Stars and Stripes today Free postal supplies for deployed servicemembers' families
Thanks again in advance for the outpouring of support for men and women in uniform.
ping
Thanks for the information. b
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