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For military service members stationed around the world, holiday gifts are a big morale booster. However, gifts are welcome at any time of the year as they help relieve the stress and uncertainly our American troops constantly face.
Who Can I Send Packages To?
Department of Defense no longer allows packages to be shipped to anonymous troops. You can only ship to a named person.
Your first option may be a relative, a neighbor, a church member, a coworker, or a fellow student who knows someone who is deployed. That serviceman or woman belongs to a military unit and may be willing to provide additional names.
MOS will not publish names of deployed troops without their consent to protect their identity.
Another option is to keep your ears open for relief campaigns at your post of duty.
However you send a package, know that it will be deeply appreciated and shared within the military unit or with needy groups in the local population.
Military Packaging Tips
You can obtain flat rate boxes for military care packages free from your local post office. Ask for the Military Care Kit.
Cost: The Postal Service will charge $11.95 to send the care package to APO/FPO addresses with an additional discount if you use the online Priority Mail postage labels available at Clink-N-Ship.
Make sure your package arrives intact.
There are certain factors to consider when sending packages to American troops overseas. To make sure package contents arrive in good shape, take these into consideration.
- Extreme Temperatures: Desert temperatures typically exceed 100 degrees.
- The Box: Select a strong box with room for cushioning. On recycled boxes, cover all previous labels and markings with a heavy black marker or adhesive labels.
- Cushioning: Place the cushioning all around your items. Close and shake the box to see whether you have enough cushioning. Add more newspaper, styrofoam, cushioning material if you hear items shifting.
- Batteries: Battery powered items will sometimes get turned on during shipment. Remove and wrap the batteries separately.
- Sealing: Tape the opening of the box and reinforce all seams with 2 inch wide tape. Use clear or brown packaging tape, reinforced packing tape or paper tape. Do not use cord, string or twine.
- Records: Include a card describing the contents. Improperly wrapped packages can fall apart during shipment. Including a card inside, listing the sender’s and recipient’s addresses plus a description of the contents, helps in collecting the items.
Military Addressing Tips
Make sure your mail reaches your destination.
American troops look forward to receiving your letters and packages. That is why it is important to make sure your mail gets there, to the right person, in the right place.
The Department of Defense has issued the following guidelines for addressing your mail to military and civilian personnel deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
- Use the service member’s full name. The Department of Defense cancelled the Any Service Member program so mail must be addressed to someone specific.
- Include the unit and APO/FPO (Air/Army Post Office or Fleet Post Office) address with the nine-digit ZIP Code™ (if one is assigned). Click-N-Ship® customers should be advised that the Postal Service and the Military will continue to add and update valid APO/FPO addresses for your online labels.
- Include a return address.
- For packages, print on one side only with the recipient’s address in the lower right portion or print a postage-paid label online with Click-N-Ship®. (Please note that ZIP Codes 093XX and 964XX are currently unavailable for electronic labels.)
- Complete PS Form 2976-A, Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note (PDF sample), available at the Post Office. You have to use the actual, triplicate form.
Examples:
SSGT Kevin Taylor
Unit 2050 Box 4190
APO AP 96278-2050 |
SGT Robert Smith
PSC 802 Box 74
APO AE 09499-0074 |
Seaman Joseph Doe
USCGC Hamilton
FPO AP 96667-3931 |
SGT Jane Doe
CMR 1250
APO AA 09045-1000 |
Other Package Tips
The US Postal Service has additional tips to ensure that your package reaches a service member safely.
What to Send
Servicemen and women love to receive packages. Those without easy access to military commissaries and exchanges often need basic items in addition to little surprises. Before you shop, get a sense of where you are sending the package so you get appropriate items.
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Most Requested Items for Deployed Troops |
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Food |
Health and Hygiene |
Miscellaneous |
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Beef jerky - no pork in Muslim host regions |
Aloe vera |
Batteries (AA, AAA, C, D) Please uninstall any batteries from electronic devices before shipping, wrap batteries with tape |
| Canned chicken or tuna |
Baby powder |
Cash (to your organization to pay for shipping packages) |
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Chewing gum |
Boot insoles (i.e., Dr. Scholls) |
DVD movies (rated G, PG, or PG-13) |
| Coffee and coffee mixes (Dunkin' Donuts is a favorite) |
Chapstick / Blistex |
Envelopes (included small padded envelopes) |
| Cookies |
Dental floss |
Games, handheld or travel size |
| Crackers - snack size |
Foot powder / Dr. Scholls |
Magazines (sports, auto, popular, Reader's Digest) |
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Cremora |
Hair brushes / pocket combs |
Paper / writing tablets (small pads) |
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Dried fruits |
Hand and face wipes |
Paperbacks |
| Drink mix singles (tea or lemonades) |
Jock itch spray |
Pens / pencils |
| Girl Scout cookies |
Kleenex (pocket size) |
Playing cards (no vulgarity, profanity, sexual images) |
| Granola / energy / protein bars |
Liquid tears or Visine |
Stress relief items such as squeeze balls |
| Hard candies |
Lotion |
Word puzzles (Sudoku, crosswords, etc.) |
| Hot sauce (i.e., Texas Pete) |
Lotrimin (athlete's foot cream) |
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| Little Debbie snacks |
Lysol / Clorox cleaning wipes |
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| Microwave popcorn |
Nail clippers / nail files |
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| Nutritional bars |
Neosporin |
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| Nuts |
Q-Tips |
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| Pop Tarts |
Razors (disposable) and razor blades |
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| Ricearoni |
Safety pins (small / medium) |
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| Snacks, individually wrapped |
Shampoo |
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| Tea |
Shaving gel or cream (unpressurized) |
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| Trail mix |
Shoelaces |
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Soap |
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Socks (white/black/green) |
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Sun screen (perspiration resistant) |
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Throat lozenges |
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Toilet tissue (travel size) |
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Toothbrush |
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Toothpaste |
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Tylenol/Motrin/over-the-counter pain relievers |
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Vaseline |
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Vitamins |
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Personalize your package by including a friendly letter or card with your package.
If you know the recipient or their family, ask what the soldier likes or needs the most. Maybe they have a hobby and would like supplies to continue that hobby at their post of duty. Maybe they like to read certain types of magazines or books. Some like to spread goodwill by passing out little items to host country children.
What Not to Send
Some items are common sense. Chocolate, for example, may melt in the desert, although M & M's tend to hold out well. Fresh food will undoubtedly spoil.
Here's a "never send" list:
- Alcohol (may be illegal in the destination country)
- Firearms and ammunition
- Pornographic material (illegal in many countries)
- Pressurized items (shaving cream, etc. It may burst during shipping)
And Thank You
And thank you very much for your generosity. May your loved one return home healthy and safe.
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Last modified at 4/3/2011 10:21 AM by David W. Heiser, Webmaster
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