Pembroke Pines FL—For military service members stationed around the globe, holiday gifts are a big morale boost. To help the families and friends of U.S. military personnel, the Postal Service offers a discount on its largest Priority Mail Flat-Rate box.

Mail sent to overseas military addresses is charged only domestic mail prices. The domestic mail price for the Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Box is $13.95, but for packages to APO/FPO addresses overseas the price is reduced to $11.95. Additional discounts are available for customers printing their Priority Mail postage labels online at Click-N-Ship.

Flat-Rate boxes are free at any Post Office, or can be ordered online at shop.usps.com . Postage, labels and customs forms can be printed online any time using Click-N-Ship.

The Postal Service continues to show support to those serving in the armed forces by offering free Military Care Kits, designed specifically for military families sending packages overseas. The mailing kits can be ordered by phone by calling 1-800-610-8734 and asking for the Care Kit. Each kit includes two “America Supports You” large Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes, four medium Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes, six Priority Mail labels, one roll of Priority Mail tape and six customs forms with envelopes.

1/ EMMS: Express Mail Military Service is available to selected military post offices. Check with your local Post Office to determine if this service is available to your APO/FPO of address.
2/ PAL: PAL is a service that provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis. It is available for Parcel Post items not exceeding 30 pounds in weight or 60 inches in length and girth combined. The applicable PAL fee must be paid in addition to the regular surface rate of postage for each addressed piece sent by PAL service.
3/ SAM: SAM parcels are paid at the Parcel Post postage rate with maximum weight and size limits of 15 pounds and 60 inches in length and girth combined. SAM parcels are first transported domestically by surface and then to overseas destinations by air on a space-available basis.

To ensure delivery of holiday cards and packages by December 25 to military APO/FPO addresses overseas, the Postal Service recommends that mail for service members be entered no later than the mailing dates listed on the previous page. Mail addressed to Military Post Offices overseas is subject to certain conditions or restrictions regarding content, preparation and handling. APO/FPO addresses generally require customs forms.

Military Packaging Tips:

There are certain factors to consider when sending packages to our troops overseas. To make sure package contents arrive in good shape, take these into consideration.

Extreme Temperatures: Desert temperatures typically exceed 100 degrees.

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: Cushion contents with Styrofoam or bubble wrap to keep items from shifting. Fragile items should be double boxed, with cushioning inside and between the boxes to absorb shock.

Batteries: Battery-powered items will sometimes get turned on during shipment. Remove and separately wrap the batteries.

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.

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.

Our troops look forward to receiving letters and packages. That’s why it’s 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 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. Examples:

For additional information on shipping packages to military personnel stationed at APO/FPO addresses anywhere in the world, go to usps.com/supportingourtroops.

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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.