WESTCHESTER, NY — Serving far from home, few things do more to brighten the holidays for our military men and women than a care package from friends and loved ones. To make shipping military care packages easier for the holidays, postal officials in the Greater Hudson Valley are recommending a free “Military Care Kit” and raising public awareness of the holiday mailing dates. The kit contains: two Priority Mail APO/FPO Flat Rate Boxes, two Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Boxes, Priority Mail tape, Priority Mail address labels, and customs forms. To order the free kit, call the U.S. Postal Service at 800-610-8734.

To ensure timely delivery of holiday wishes by Dec. 25, postal officials recommend sending cards and packages to military APO/FPO/ DPO addresses overseas no later than the mailing dates listed below.

1 PMEMS is available to selected military. Check with your local Post Office to determine if this service is available to an APO/FPO/DPO address.
2 PAL is a service that provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis. It is available for Standard 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 price for each addressed piece sent by PAL service.
3 SAM parcels are paid at Standard Post prices 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

A discount is also offered for packages to the military on the USPS’ largest Priority Mail Flat Rate Box at $15.45. The price includes a $2 per box discount for mail sent to APO/FPO/DPO (Air/ Army Post Office/Fleet Post Office/Diplomatic Post Office) destinations worldwide. Extensive information and tips for packing, addressing, and shipping items to U.S. troops can be found on the Postal Service’s website at: https://www.usps.com/send/apo-fpo-dpo.htm

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

# # #

Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom.

Reporters interested in speaking with regional Postal Service public relations professionals should visit this link.

Follow us on twitter.com/USPS and like us at facebook.com/USPS. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and usps.com/postalfacts.