OMAHA, NE — The U.S. Postal Service reminds everyone that holiday mail and packages for our U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan should be sent by this Friday, Dec. 4, for arrival by Christmas. Holiday mail going to other military overseas APO/FPO locations should be sent by Dec. 11.
Except for military mail going to Iraq and Afghanistan, Express Mail can also be used to mail packages to other overseas military locations until Dec. 18 for delivery by Christmas.
The U.S. Postal Service also wants Americans to know that the best deal or value around for sending holiday packages to our troops or to anyone is to use Priority Mail Flat-Rate Boxes. Customers can use Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes to ship anywhere in the U.S., or to our troops overseas. The contents for Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes can be any weight for one low rate. If it fits, it ships.
Plus, customers shipping with the Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Box to our troops overseas receive a $2 discount. The domestic mail price for the Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Box is $13.95, but for packages going to military APO/FPO addresses overseas the price is reduced to only $11.95.
Customers can also receive additional discounts by shipping their packages online at usps.com and using Click-N-Ship service to print out their postage, and to request free carrier pick-up service. Americans can also order free packaging and ship their packages going to overseas military locations and international locations online at usps.com and print out the proper customs forms.
2009 USPS Holiday Mail Deadlines
Below is a summary of the general holiday mail deadlines overall for USPS delivery by Christmas. Express Mail is still available after those dates for most locations.
- Dec. 4 for holiday mail sent to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan
- Dec. 11 for holiday mail sent to other overseas U.S. troops/military locations
- Dec. 4 for holiday mail sent to Africa, Central and South America
- Dec. 11 for holiday mail sent to Mexico, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, and to Asia/the Pacific Rim
- Dec. 21 for holiday mail sent to U.S. locations
- Dec. 23 for holiday mail sent Express Mail to major U.S. cities/metro areas.
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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/news.
A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 26th in the 2008 Fortune 500.
